Vanuatu - Hideaway Island Resort
12-20 March 2023
Dive & Snorkel in the Marine Sanctuary
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Hideaway Island Resort is a casual resort suitable for all ages, located on a small coral atoll in beautiful Mele Bay. Surrounded by clear, turquoise water, coral reefs and tropical fish, the resort is the custodian of one of Vanuatu’s only marine sanctuaries. It is a 15 minute drive from Port Vila and a 5 minute boat ride from Mele Beach to the island.
Hideaway Island caters for novice divers to the most experienced divers. You can dive straight off the beach as the waters around Hideaway have been declared a marine sanctuary. The extensive protected reefs are full of colourful sponges, hard corals, sea anemones, gorgonian fans and an amazing number of tropical fish. Consistently clear waters and prolific marine life make this one of the great dive areas.
Depth: 6 - 40+ metres Visibility: +/- 30 metres
Water temp: 23 - 28º C No. of dive sites: ~20
Port Vila offers a variety of dive sites from easy protected waters with no current, to shallow reefs and deeper drop offs with running currents bringing in the pelagic species. The landscape beneath the water mirrors that found above: mountainous terrain with plunging cliffs, grottoes and overhangs, huge caves with intricate interconnecting underwater tunnels and chasms formed by frozen lava with an abundance of wildlife.
Some popular dive sites...
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Bonzer / Clown Colony: A small abandoned tug boat was sunk at Hideaway Island in 2001 near Clown Colony, aptly named for its large bommie covered in anemones and their resident clown fish. Bonzer sits upright and features easy swim-throughs for both the experienced and novice wreck diver. Depth: 24 metres.
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Gotham City: Named for the resident batfish that accompany you through the whole dive. This colourful reef has soft coral growth, many feather stars and some enormous plate corals. It's not uncommon to see reef sharks, barracuda and dog tooth tuna schooling around the area with the occasional turtle and manta ray. Depth: 6 - 25 metres.
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Emperor's Garden: A very colourful coral slope like a well cultivated garden fit for royalty. Plate, table, staghorn and lace corals cascade along the side of this reef. A great photography dive. A hot spring bubbling up from the ocean floor provides something different.
Depth: 20 metres.
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M.V. Aloara: A retired island trader lying on her starboard side near the popular “Coral Gardens”. Sunk in 2001, she is now excellent penetration dive for experienced divers. Depth: 26m.