ALPHA COMMANDER
Protected Area
Mombasa
Why dive here
With 408+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, blacktip reef sharks, giant moray eels, humpback whales and octopuses - ALPHA COMMANDER offers some of Diani Beach & South Coast's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 26-30°C, warmest March, April, December.
The Alpha Commander is one of our favourite wrecks in Diani, a proper old trawler that went down in 1980 after a run-in with something big and unseen. It sits upright at 25 metres, and you can see the sheer scale of it as you descend, the deck guns (or what's left of them) looming out of the blue. We love poking around the engine room, picturing the chaos when it took on water. It’s a fantastic site for advanced open water divers who appreciate a wreck with a bit of history and a lot of character. Expect to see schools of snappers schooling around the bow, lionfish tucked into every crevice, and the resident moray eels peeking out from behind corroded bulkheads. The hull is completely encrusted in colourful sponges and soft corals now, a real contrast to the rusty metal. We'd suggest getting there early in the morning before any stronger currents pick up, which can sometimes sweep across the deck. It’s a proper dive, one that leaves you thinking about the stories it could tell.
Typical ALPHA COMMANDER 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 25m - 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.
ALPHA COMMANDER Wreck History
Year Sunk
1980
Vessel Type
fishing vessel
Cause
collision
The Alpha Commander was a hardworking trawler plying the rich fishing grounds off the coast of Kenya. On September 23, 1980, while on passage back to Mombasa, its journey came to an abrupt end. The vessel struck a semi-submerged, unidentified object just three miles off Mtwapa. The impact holed the engine room, and despite the crew's efforts, the sea rushed in, sinking the trawler and sending it to its final resting place on the sandy seabed.
Today, the Alpha Commander sits upright at a depth of 25 meters, making it an excellent and accessible wreck dive for advanced divers exploring Kenya's south coast. Over the decades, the Indian Ocean has transformed the steel vessel into a vibrant artificial reef. Schools of snapper and glassfish swarm its superstructure, while moray eels peer from pipes and lionfish hunt along its decks. The wreck is a fantastic opportunity to explore a largely intact vessel and witness how nature quickly reclaims what the sea has taken.
Nearest Dive Centres to ALPHA COMMANDER
Dive shops near ALPHA COMMANDER
Tropical Diving & Watersports
Papamanyota Diving Center Kenya
Calico Jacks Diani
ReefoDivers Diani
ABDU Scuba Divers
Diving Center
Reviews for ALPHA COMMANDER
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for ALPHA COMMANDER
ALPHA COMMANDER Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for ALPHA COMMANDER, sourced from Open-Meteo marine data - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (-4.27, 39.61) (1km away)
October Averages
Sea Temperature
27°C
81°F · Range: 25.3–28.7°C
Air Temperature
26°C
79°F
Wind Speed
5.22 m/s
10.1 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1013.7 hPa
Based on 4 years of monitoring data · Data sources: Open-Meteo marine data
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