Flores: Maumere Bay – Koka Beach Dive Site – Flores Island

Site Overview

Koka Beach is a shore dive on the western side of Maumere Bay on the north coast of Flores Island, offering accessible reef diving directly from a picturesque white sand beach. The site features a gentle reef slope descending from 1 meter to approximately 18 meters, with healthy hard coral gardens in the shallower sections and scattered coral bommies on a sandy substrate at depth. The shore entry makes Koka Beach one of the most convenient dive sites on Flores, ideal for training dives, night dives, and relaxed reef exploration without the need for a boat. The shallower sections at 1 to 8 meters are covered in diverse hard corals, with staghorn and plate corals forming extensive gardens that shelter juvenile reef fish and diverse invertebrates. Sandy patches between the coral formations harbor blue-spotted stingrays, garden eels, and various goby species. The coral bommies at 8 to 15 meters are covered in soft corals and gorgonian sea fans, hosting moray eels, lionfish, and scorpionfish. Hawksbill turtles are occasionally seen on the reef slope. Night diving at Koka Beach reveals a different ecosystem, with hunting octopuses, bobtail squid, and nocturnal fish species. Koka Beach is best dived from April through December and is accessible by road from Maumere in approximately 30 minutes. The beach facilities and shore entry make it a comfortable location for multiple dives, and the shallow reef provides excellent snorkeling for non-divers.