Snorkeling

Makaira has one of the most prolific and dense inshore reef systems in the world. As opposed to other renowned reef systems like Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, these are within a safe few minutes swim from the beach, rather than an extended boat ride.

Makaira has one of the most prolific and dense inshore reef systems in the world.  As opposed to other renowned reef systems like Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, these are within a safe few minutes swim from the beach, rather than an extended boat ride. 

The white sandy beach below us stretches a third of a km and offers the most privacy of any beach in the Matei area.  The reef is a plethora of corals, with schools of electric blue and turquoise damsel fish cautiously peering out from the branches of stag horn corals ranging in color from beige, brown, sapphire, turquoise, green, and pink.  Nestled throughout the coral formations, are table corals that add a soft rounded look to the reef scene with a scattering of sapphire blue periwinkle star fish and Christmas tree feather worms decorate some of the several species of lobbed corals.   In the midst of this there are fields of soft leather corals, with other varieties of soft corals tucked away for protection.

With a keen eye to all of this beauty a feisty clown fish will inadvertently draw your attention to a few species of anemones. If you are lucky you might even see the shy, docile black and white banded sea snake undulating through the corals or a spotted tiger ray skimming over the along the sandy flats at the drop-off.  Or perhaps a school of Trevally and on extremely rare occasions a school of cuttlefish.

A QUOTE FROM ONE OF OUR Marine biologist guests who travels the world mapping reefs,  


find such a dense and prolific reef is if you travel at least an hour by boat.  I have never seen such a healthy, colorful, prolific and dense reef system right off shore and I have never seen since a density of hard coral in one area anywhere in the world, not even at the Great Barrier Reef. There could be up to 50 species of Acropora alone (branching corals, like stag horn, table corals).”

He is right There is really too much to see or describe, with every snorkel trip revealing something new. For the casual snorkeler  they are awed by the schools of convict fish that range in the hundreds, descending in a single file during feeding upon the colorful reef and condensing together forming a glistening yellow cloud. There are hundreds of species of brightly colored tropical fish.

Complimentary snorkel gear is provided for our guests and free snorkel tours in our cove.  At a moderate speed to see the areas of our coral gardening project is approximately 2 hours.  Some guests opt to do less  of a tour.  For the avid snorkeler they could spend days exploring our whole reef system.