Chails Reef - Espiritu Santo
Chails Reef, off Espiritu Santo, offers a straightforward reef dive. You’ll find a mix of hard and soft corals here, providing shelter for the usual reef fish – damselfish, parrotfish, and the occasional anemonefish. It's a relaxed site, good for knocking off the rust or for divers who prefer a gentler pace away from the bigger wrecks. We generally find it’s best explored slowly, keeping an eye out for smaller critters tucked into the coral.
- Location
- Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- -15.565833, 167.270310
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: President Coolidge and Million Dollar Point
Best Time to Dive in Espiritu Santo
The warmest water temperatures in Espiritu Santo occur in January, averaging 29.2°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 29.2°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 29.2°C (air: 25.9°C)
- February: 29.2°C (air: 26.0°C)
- March: 29.2°C (air: 25.6°C)
- April: 29.2°C (air: 25.5°C)
- May: 29.2°C (air: 24.8°C)
- June: 29.2°C (air: 24.3°C)
- July: 29.2°C (air: 24.0°C)
- August: 29.2°C (air: 23.7°C)
- September: 29.2°C (air: 24.2°C)
- October: 29.2°C (air: 24.8°C)
- November: 29.2°C (air: 25.2°C)
- December: 29.2°C (air: 25.7°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Espiritu Santo
- Aore Adventures Sports & Lodge
- CHYAU FENG NO.12 - 0m (wreck)
- Cindy s Reef (reef)
- FAUABU TWOOMEY - 0m (wreck)
- FEDERESEN NALKUTAN - 0m (wreck)
- FEDERESEN NALKUTAN (PROBABLY) - 0m (wreck)
- HIP CHOW - 1m (wreck)
- Million Dollar Point (wreck)
- Million Dollar Point - 3-30m (reef)
- NEPTUNE (POSSIBLY) - 10m (wreck)
- PRESIDENT COOLIDGE - 25m (wreck)
- Sol s Reef (reef)
- SS President Coolidge (wreck)
- SS President Coolidge - 20-70m (wreck)
- TUI TAWATE - 40m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Chails Reef
- Allan Power Dive Center
- Allan Power Dive Tours - ["PADI"]
- Aore Adventure Sports & Lodge - ["PADI"]
- Dive @ Turtle Bay Lodge - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Espiritu Santo
Home to 296 recorded species including 247 reef fish, 15 sea snails & nudibranchs, 14 sea cucumbers, 4 clams & mussels, 4 crabs & lobsters, 3 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- Dugong (Dugong dugon) - Whales & Dolphins
- Greenfish (Stichopus chloronotus) - Sea Cucumbers
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Burrowing urchin (Echinometra mathaei) - Sea Urchins
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Citron Butterfly (Chaetodon citrinellus) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly fish (Chaetodon vagabundus) - Reef Fish
- Banded Goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Redfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunulatus) - Reef Fish
- Triangular Butterflyfish (Chaetodon baronessa) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus) - Reef Fish
- Mimic Surgeonfish (Acanthurus pyroferus) - Reef Fish
- Black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra) - Sea Cucumbers
- Blue-lined Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) - Reef Fish
- Bleeker's Parrotfish (Chlorurus bleekeri) - Reef Fish
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Halosaur (Aldrovandia phalacra) - Reef Fish
- Surf Redfish (Actinopyga mauritiana) - Sea Cucumbers
- Blue-banded Pualu (Acanthurus blochii) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Chails Reef
Based on average water temperature of 29.2°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories