Jade Shoals – Apra Harbor

20m Max

15-35m Vis

boat

Site Overview

Jade Shoals is a series of coral bommies and reef formations within Apra Harbor that provide excellent wide-angle and macro diving in a shallow, accessible environment. The site features large sea fans, diverse hard and soft coral formations, and abundant tropical fish life including butterflyfish, parrotfish, and angelfish in vivid colours. Stingrays glide across the sandy channels between the coral bommies, while moray eels and groupers inhabit the reef crevices. The site takes its name from the green-tinted water created by the light filtering through the dense coral canopy. The shallow depth and generally calm conditions make Jade Shoals ideal for training dives, photography sessions, and as a complement to the deeper wreck sites in the harbor. The coral bommies rise from a sandy bottom at approximately 5 to 20 metres, creating a varied underwater landscape that supports high biodiversity. The site is accessed by boat from Apra Harbor operators and is typically included in two-tank dive trips alongside other harbor sites. The shoals represent one of the healthiest coral ecosystems within Apra Harbor, with decades of protection from anchoring allowing the coral communities to develop into mature reef structures. The bommie formations create a complex three-dimensional habitat that supports an extraordinary diversity of small reef fish and invertebrates. Seasonal migrations of butterflyfish and angelfish add colour and activity to the already vibrant reef community throughout the year.

Dive Briefing

"Descend from the boat onto the coral bommies at approximately 10 to 15 metres. The reef formations consist of large coral heads rising from a sandy bottom, connected by channels and swim-throughs. Work your way among the bommies, noting the large sea fans, table corals, and branching staghorn formations. Schools of butterflyfish and parrotfish are abundant throughout, while stingrays patrol the sandy channels between the coral heads. Look for moray eels and groupers in the deeper crevices. The site offers excellent opportunities for both wide-angle photography of the coral landscape and macro shots of the resident critters. Maintain good buoyancy to protect the coral formations and avoid fire coral contact. The dive typically lasts 50 minutes at these comfortable depths. Ascend gradually with a safety stop at 5 metres. The coral bommies are interconnected by a network of sandy channels that host garden eels, jawfish, and occasional resting stingrays. Navigate through these channels carefully to observe the benthic species without disturbing the sandy bottom or the delicate coral formations that line the channel edges."