HAMAR - Watamu & Malindi
The Hamar is a shallow wreck with a somber history. This sailing vessel went down in 1991, tragically capsizing with Somali refugees aboard. Now, sitting upright at 11 meters, it’s been well and truly claimed by the sea. We’ve found plenty of small stuff here, a decent nursery for juvenile snappers and parrotfish darting through the skeleton of its hull. The main deck is largely gone, but the ribs of the ship provide a labyrinth for morays and lobsters. It’s a good spot for newer wreck divers looking for an easy, contemplative dive, and photographers will appreciate the soft light filtering through the clear Watamu waters.
- Location
- Watamu & Malindi, Kenya, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- -3.196667, 40.133335
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 11m
Marine Protected Area: Malindi
Best Time to Dive in Watamu & Malindi
The warmest water temperatures in Watamu & Malindi occur in January, averaging 28.2°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 28.2°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.2°C (air: 27.7°C)
- February: 28.2°C (air: 27.9°C)
- March: 28.2°C (air: 28.2°C)
- April: 28.2°C (air: 27.1°C)
- May: 28.2°C (air: 26.5°C)
- June: 28.2°C (air: 25.6°C)
- July: 28.2°C (air: 24.8°C)
- August: 28.2°C (air: 24.8°C)
- September: 28.2°C (air: 25.3°C)
- October: 28.2°C (air: 26.2°C)
- November: 28.2°C (air: 26.8°C)
- December: 28.2°C (air: 27.5°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Watamu & Malindi
- Brain Coral Garden - 8-15m (reef)
- LEE CHRISTINE - 5m (wreck)
- NAIROBI - 1m (wreck)
- SHAKWE - 12m (wreck)
- South Canyon Watamu
- South Dolphin (cave)
- The Canyon - 15-30m (reef)
- Watamu Marine Park - 5-18m (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to HAMAR
- Aqua Ventures - ["PADI"]
- Blue Fin Diving
- Extra Divers Temple Point, Kenia
- Turtle Dive Center - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Watamu & Malindi
Home to 254 recorded species including 148 reef fish, 57 hard corals, 17 seagrass & algae, 10 sea cucumbers, 6 sharks & rays, 3 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata) - Seagrass & Algae
- gray mangrove (Avicennia marina) - Seagrass & Algae
- Kankra (Bruguiera gymnorhiza) - Seagrass & Algae
- Sundari tree (Heritiera littoralis) - Seagrass & Algae
- Dhundal tree (Xylocarpus granatum) - Seagrass & Algae
- Staghorn coral (Acropora valida) - Hard Corals
- Species code: Tc (Thalassodendron ciliatum) - Seagrass & Algae
- Species code: Si (Syringodium isoetifolium) - Seagrass & Algae
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
- Long-spined sea urchin (Diadema setosum) - Sea Urchins
- Staghorn coral (Acropora secale) - Hard Corals
- Rainbowfish (Stethojulis albovittata) - Reef Fish
- Rainbowfish (Halichoeres hortulanus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora aculeus) - Hard Corals
- Queen coris (Coris formosa) - Reef Fish
- cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
- Goldbar wrasse (Thalassoma hebraicum) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora nasuta) - Hard Corals
- Wrasse (Stethojulis interrupta) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for HAMAR
Based on average water temperature of 28.2°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°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