Samama Island

Samama Island lies only 20 minutes from Sangalaki and features a large area of mangrove, outstanding soft and hard coral reefs and an extended sandy ridge. The island is an underwater naturalist's dream where the focus is directed towards the macro marine life that inhabit the reef.

Diving Samama

The waters around Samama are shallow giving photographers plenty of time for composition. The most striking characteristic of this relatively small reef is the sheer concentration and diversity of the marine life. The marine flora is in pristine condition. Large swathes of colourful soft corals and sponges, intermingled with hydroids and sea whips give way to massive Lettuce Leaf, Staghorn and Tabletop Coral colonies. A large concentration of marine fauna populates the reef. Most notable are the wide variety of amazingly coloured Nudibranch.

On the fringes of the sandy ridge, amongst the few coral outcrops, iridescent blue Ribbon Eels can be seen, mouths gapping, hunting small fishes from their holes. Further along the ridge, it is almost impossible to make out the well-camouflaged Flounders, which lie motionless on top of the sand. The Razorfish adopt another approach to avoid predators, they simply dive for cover under the sand, their razor thin bodies assisting for maximum penetration.

The area of intertidal mangrove to one side of the island is only a few metres deep. The sandy bottom creates crystal clear water conditions making a perfect nursery ground for the juvenile stages of many fish found on the reef. These tiny creatures, some brightly coloured like juvenile Damselfish, can be observed moving frenetically amongst the extensive roots systems. There is sufficient space between individual trees so that diving is not restricted in any way.