Reef
down to 20 m
Coral Garden
A reef packed with healthy hard and soft corals from the surface down to about 20 m, popular with newer divers.
- Advanced
Experienced≤40 m
Clan MacWilliam wreck
Dive site in Vava'u, Tonga
- Usual dive
- 35 m
- Deepest point
- 37 m
- Level
- Experienced
- Best months
- Jul–Oct
- Current
- Mild
The story
Launched in 1918, the 128 m Clan McWilliam sank in Neiafu Harbour after a fire on board. She now sits upright at about 30 m, coated in coral.
Source: tongapocketguide.com
The dive
A wreck dive. Known for turtles and scorpionfish.
Who it's for
Experienced≤40 mSource: hackingfamily.com
Recommended minimum: Experienced (Deep Specialty, N3).
- DepthThe usual dive goes deeper than lower certifications allow.
- Low visibilityVisibility can be limited; good navigation helps.
Conditions
- Dive type
- Wreck
- Environment
- Open water
- Water
- Sea water
What you might see
- Turtles
- Scorpionfish
- Groupers
Season in Vava'u
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Best months: Jul–Oct.
Source: diveadventures.com.auWhere is Vava'u?
The point shows the Vava'u area, not the exact dive site.
More dives in Vava'u
Cavern
down to 18 m
Swallows Cave ('Ana Pekapeka)
Light beams pour into this sea cave, where a huge school of small fish shelters; dives stay within 18 m.
- Advanced
Pinnacle
down to 15 m
Vaka'eitu Bommie
A 6–15 m bommie with bicolor angelfish, freckled hawkfish, puffers and several species of giant clam.
- Open Water
Rock formations
down to 27 m
China Town (Tu'ungasika Island)
Coral formations that look inspired by Chinese architecture, with tunnels, tubeworms and red anemones down to about 27 m.
- Advanced
- Anemones
Cavern
down to 25 m
Fingers
Canyon-like ridges, swim-throughs and small caves where Napoleon wrasse cruise and whitetip reef sharks rest on the sand.
- Advanced
- Whitetip reef sharks
Pinnacle
down to 40 m
No Worries
One of Vava'u's newest sites: a deep descent along pinnacles to 40 m with big fish.
- Experienced
About this page
Values marked “Estimated” come from our original catalogue and are being checked against published sources one by one. Sourced values link to where they come from. Conditions change with the season, the weather and the tide: confirm with a local dive centre before you dive.