Nanas Reef - Halmahera
Purple Reef, just a quick boat ride from Taveuni, definitely earns its name. Drop down and you’re immediately enveloped in a soft, lilac glow, thanks to the vast fields of lavender-hued soft corals. It's not just a splash of colour, it’s an entire landscape painted in shades of violet. We love drifting along the reef edge, watching the reef gently slope away into the blue. The rock formations here are fantastic, creating countless nooks and crannies where we’ve spotted everything from inquisitive moray eels poking their heads out to sleepy turtles tucked into ledges. While the visibility averages a decent 18 metres, we find it’s even better on a calm morning, when the sun filters through the water and really makes those purples pop. Keep an eye out for the smaller stuff too, like the ornate pitar venus clams nestled in the sand patches. It’s a great site for photographers, especially macro lovers, but honestly, anyone who appreciates a truly distinctive coral landscape will enjoy this one.
- Location
- Halmahera, Indonesia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- -0.398100, 127.735700
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: KKP3K Pulau Sali, Gane Barat Utara
Best Time to Dive in Halmahera
The warmest water temperatures in Halmahera occur in November, averaging 30.1°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 28.5°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 29.0°C
- February: 28.8°C
- March: 29.1°C
- April: 29.5°C
- May: 29.9°C
- June: 29.6°C
- July: 29.0°C
- August: 28.5°C
- September: 28.6°C
- October: 29.4°C
- November: 30.1°C
- December: 29.8°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Halmahera
- Dive site
- Dive site
- Dive Site - 5-20m (reef)
- Dive Site
- Dive Site
- Giovannis Point (reef)
- Gonton Packet (reef)
- Hol Sulamadaha (reef)
- Igo Nyoga (cave)
- Kusu East Two Coconut (reef)
- Kusu South (wreck)
- Mimmas Point (reef)
- Mujiu (reef)
- Nabucco Outer Reef 1 (reef)
- Nabucco Spice Island (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Nanas Reef
Marine Life in Halmahera
Home to 141 recorded species including 69 reef fish, 48 hard corals, 7 seagrass & algae, 4 clams & mussels, 3 crabs & lobsters, 2 sea cucumbers.
Notable Species
- Black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra) - Sea Cucumbers
- chocolate chip sea star (Protoreaster nodosus) - Starfish
- Blue-lined Surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora valida) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora secale) - Hard Corals
- Bullet Mackerel (Auxis thazard) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora nasuta) - Hard Corals
- Allison's Tuna (Thunnus albacares) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora donei) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora hyacinthus) - Hard Corals
- Branch coral (Acropora florida) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora cerealis) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora solitaryensis) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora microclados) - Hard Corals
- Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) - Reef Fish
- Blenny (Istiblennius dussumieri) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora humilis) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora spicifera) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora austera) - Hard Corals
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
Recommended Packing List for Nanas Reef
Based on average water temperature of 29.3°C, currents 7 cm/s.
- 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