Jina Wall

Best months: Jun–Oct

Protected Area

Mangrove

Why dive here

With 165+ marine species recorded in the area - including humpback whales, sea turtles, sperm whales and whale sharks - Jina Wall offers some of Mafia Island's richest reef diving. Water ranges 26-29°C, warmest February, March, April.

Best timeJun–Oct

WetsuitA 3mm shorty or thin full wetsuit

Marine lifeHumpback Whales, Sea Turtles, Sperm Whales and Whale Sharks · 165+ species recorded

Water26-29°C · warmest February, March, April

CharacterReef dive

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

Jina Wall is our pick when we're around the north end of Jina Island. It’s not about grand vistas here, more about the texture of the reef and what lives in its nooks. The wall itself drops from about 8 metres to a gravelly bottom at 21, and we love poking into the shallow caverns and overhangs. That's where you'll often find the smaller, shyer stuff – chestnut blennies bobbing their heads and blackside hawkfish perched just so. The star of the show, though, and frankly a bit of a bully, is the resident potato grouper. He’s massive, he's persistent, and he'll likely be in your face, demanding attention. We’ve had him follow us for entire dives. Beyond his antics, keep an eye out for patrolling Allison’s tuna or the shimmer of a big long-nosed butterflyfish against the darker rock. Visibility averages around 16 metres, which is decent for scouting out the less obvious creatures. This site suits divers who enjoy a slower pace, who like to investigate cracks and crevices, and who don't mind a very close encounter with a large, curious fish. It’s a site for details, not wide-angle photography.