KATHLEEN
Protected Area
Hideaway Island
Why dive here
With 306+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, dugongs, dwarf minke whales, eagle rays and giant moray eels - KATHLEEN offers some of Port Vila & Efate's richest wreck diving. Water sits around 29°C.
The Kathleen is one of those wrecks we keep coming back to in Vanuatu. Yeah, it was scuttled, not sunk in some dramatic wartime fashion, but that just means it’s sitting pretty at 20 metres, totally intact and easy to explore. We love sliding down the mooring line and seeing its entire outline appear through the blue – a proper small ship, not just a pile of rubble. What really sells the Kathleen for us is the way it’s been taken over. Fusiliers school so thick over the deck sometimes you can barely see the bow. Inside the holds, you’ll find lionfish lurking, their fins fanned out like some kind of underwater drama queen. Look for nudibranchs on the superstructure and keep an eye out for a grumpy stonefish or two camouflaged on the deck. It’s perfect for newer wreck divers wanting to poke around, but even experienced folks will enjoy just cruising the length of her, watching the light play through the mast and feeling that gentle Pacific current pull you along. Our pick is an afternoon dive, when the sun angles just right through the water.
Typical KATHLEEN Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Safety Notes
Depth of 20m - Advanced Open Water certification recommended.
Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.
Always perform a 3-minute safety stop at 5m before surfacing.
Nearest Dive Centres to KATHLEEN
Dive shops near KATHLEEN
Hideaway Dive Shop
Big Blue Dive Shop
Tranquility Island Resort
Gone Diving Vanuatu
Reviews for KATHLEEN
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for KATHLEEN
KATHLEEN Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for KATHLEEN, sourced from NOAA buoy data - nearest station: Open-Meteo grid (-17.72, 168.31) (0km away)
August Averages
Sea Temperature
29.02°C
84°F
Air Temperature
22.93°C
73°F
Wind Speed
6.18 m/s
12.0 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1015.4 hPa
Based on 5 years of monitoring data · Data sources: NOAA NDBC
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