Dive Site Map & Descriptions

Here's a map of Yap's dive sites. Click on a site for a detailed description,
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Manta Ridge

Located near the mouth of Miil Channel, this is the site that made Yap famous among divers. The gentle mantas range in size from four to fourteen feet, and the shallow area of the ridge provides divers and snorkellers alike with a front row seat to an incredible underwater show. Resident schools of trevallys, black snapper, parrotfish, sharks, moray eels, turtles, eagle rays, mantas, and even dolphins and mahi-mahi are encountered at Manta Ridge. Travel to this site is through the center of the island, by way of the mangrove-lined German Channel.

Depth: 35ft/11m

Current: Slight to strong, depending on the tidal conditions

Miil Channel

Miil Channel, located on the northwest side of the island, is a thirty minute boat ride from the dive shops in Colonia. Each morning the mantas cruise through the channel towards the "cleaning station" for their morning ritual. As divers nestle in the sand around the coral head, the mantas pass inches overhead. All Yap dive shops have two rules for this site, to preserve the experience: 1} Please don't chase after the mantas. 2} Please don't touch the mantas.

Depth: 60ft./18m

Current: None to slight.

Valley Of The Rays

This site, also know by it's Yapese name, Goofnuw (pronounced Golfnuw) Channel, is the summer home of the mantas. From May to November, divers enjoy the mantas at three different cleaning stations in this channel. Boat rides are about twenty-five minutes through the shallow lagoon.

Depth: 60ft/18m

Current: Slight to strong, depending on tidal conditions and wave action outside the reef.

Yap Caverns

Like an underwater playground, Yap Caverns is at the southernmost tip of the barrier reef, about forty-five minutes by boat. The caverns gets its name from the series of tunnels and swim-throughs in the shallower depths of the ampitheater-shaped site. Coral heads forty feet (13m) tall reach toward the surface, and gray reef sharks, humphead parrotfish, lionfish and sleeping whitetip sharks are virtually everywhere.

Depth: 15-120ft/5-35m

Current: Slight to strong.

Lionfish Wall

This wall is a sheer drop and is covered with soft corals, anenomes, schools of chubs, and lionfish. The wall is at a corner, where the eastern reef converges with the southwestern reef. Though currents can be strong, including updrafts and downdrafts, the dive is a drift dive and is often an exhilerating experience.

Depth: 20-150ft/6-45m

Current: Medium to strong.

Gilman Wall

At a mere 15ft. (5m), the top of the wall plunges to over 150ft. (50m). Soft corals, lionfish, eels, black snappers, unicornfish, napolean wrasses, and humphead parrotfishes are just a few of the sights drifting along this wall. Visibility often exceeds 150ft. Currents can be swift, with numerous updrafts and downdrafts.

Depth: 15-150ft/5-50m

Current: Medium to strong.

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is a gently sloping reef at the southwest corner of Yap, and is great for a second or third dive due to the shallow depths. The corals at this site were damaged by storm surge caused by a typhoon that struck Guam several years ago, but the large schools of pelagics still abound, including trevallys, snappers, barracudas, eagle rays, and turtles.

Depth: 15-65ft/5-19m

Current: Slight to medium.

Spanish Walls

A series of "mini-walls" and surge channels make this site interesting for macro photography. Reef fish are always present, and the unique coral formations and overhangs make this a site not to be missed.

Depth: 10-80ft/3-20m

Current: Slight to medium.

Sunrise Reef

A spectacular reef is Sunrise reef at the north end of Yap. This shallow sloping reef offers divers a chance to see a variety of hard and soft corals, all intertwined in a true coral garden setting. Big snappers and napolean wrasses abound. Boat rides are forty minutes from town, and ten minutes from Valley of the Rays.

Depth: 25-65ft/8-19m

Current: Slight.

Cherry Blossom Wall

This vertical wall on the western side of Yap is about one hour by boat. The top of the drop-off is thirty feet deep, and is home to both grey reef and black tip sharks. There is also a large number of unicorn fish which usually follow the divers.

Depth: 20-150ft/6-45m

Current: Slight.

Fanif Reef

This gently sloping reef is home to white-tip reef sharks and turtles. Whale sharks have been spotted by our guests here on rare occasions. Big anemones and unusually clear water make this site a great addition to a dive in Miil Channel.

Depth: 30-120ft./9-38m

Current: Slight to Medium.

Fanif Wall

Usually done following a dive in Miil Channel, this wall is dramatic. Visibility often exceeds 150ft. There is a series of walls bowing seaward, with a myriad of animal life converging on these walls.

Depth: 30-120ft./9-38m

Current: Medium.

The Barge

One of the closest reef sites to Colonia dive shops (less than ten minutes), this sloping area is full of hard corals with high peaks and deep surge channels. Divers often find sleeping nurse sharks under the ledges. Lots of table corals and chrinoids make this a great night dive location, as well as for a third dive, or a one-tank dive just to "get your feet wet."

Depth: 30-100ft/9-32m

Current: Slight.

Peelack Channel

One of our favorites, Peelack offers a little bit of everything. Hard and soft corals, schools of fish, sharks, turtles, eagle rays, mantas, leopard sharks, stingrays, lobsters, octopi, cuttlefish...divers have seen just about everything at this location. This dive is best done as a drift dive into the channel on an incoming tide.

Depth: 40-120ft/12-38m

Current: Slight to medium.

Main Channel

A dive in Yap's main channel entrance can be exhilarating. Timed just right, Beyond The Reef will take you to view the remains of yet another shipwreck, circled by schooling trevallys and black snapper. In May of 2001, Dave was witness to a rare sight--a school of Hammerhead sharks. Excited by his find, Dave returned to the site the following day. He was disappointed that there were no Hammerheads, but even more elated when a large manta ray was circling around a cleaning station. As we are always on the lookout for new cleaning stations, this find was important to the future of Yap's dive industry.

Depth: 40-120ft/13-40m

Current: Medium to strong.

Gabach Channel

Also close to the Colonia-based dive shops is this deep channel, loaded with WWII artifacts. The channel is a sheer drop, lined with stunning corals and rock formations. Eagle rays, nurse sharks, groupers, and snappers are found at this site. The reef outside the channel is covered with large mushroom-shaped coral heads. There is plenty to see at Gabach.

Depth: 10-100ft/3-32m

Current: Slight to medium.

Turtle Cove

This cove on the western side of the island is located just south of Fanif Wall and offers divers a variety of fish and aquatic life in a small area. As divers reach the far bend in the cove, schools of reef fish, barracudas, trevallys, and snappers congregate around the divers, with an occassional shark cruising by, and of course, lots of turtles. Most divers prefer to stop and watch the action.

Depth: 40-80ft/13-26m

Current: Slight to medium.

Purple Haze

Purple Haze is a new site discovered and named by our dive club members while exploring potential dive sites. Located north of Cherry Blossom Wall on the west, Purple Haze is a dramatic wall covered with mushroom-shaped coral heads. Though fish life is minimal, the wall is usually quite clear and the coral formations outstanding.

Depth: 35-150ft/11-50m

Current: Slight to strong.

Big Bend

On the western side of Yap there is a dramatic curve in the reef line; divers call it Big Bend. The reef begins like a wall, then at about 60ft. (18m) angles downward to over several hundred feet deep. Reef fish, whitetip reef sharks, blacktip reef sharks, and turtles are common sightings along this wall.

Depth: 15-150ft/5-50m

Current: Slight to medium.

Eagle's Nest

Similar to the famous manta dives, this coral head and sloping reef serve as a cleaning station for eagle rays, which repeatedly circle the area. This site can be visited June through October, when the Trade Winds diminish.

Depth: 45-60ft/14-18m

Current: Slight to medium.

Eden

Discovered and named by Beyond The Reef's staff in October 2000, this site starts as a sloping reef that leads to "rounding the great corner" at the South Tip. Large grey reef sharks, turtles, schools of red and black snapper and stingrays will fill your field of vision on this spectacular dive. A favorite site of the guides, too, as we finish the drift on the dramatic drop-off called Lionfish Wall.

Depth: 40-70ft/13-21m

Current: Slight to very strong.

Cabbage Patch

Close to Big Bend on the west, Cabbage Patch is named for its vast array of gently sloping lettuce corals, vibrant green in color, somewhat resembling a cabbage patch. Huge schools of Yellowfin Tuna have been spotted at this site, along with schooling Barracudas and occassional reef sharks.

Depth: 20-70ft./6-21m

Current: Slight to medium.

End Of The Wall

Situated between Magic Kingdom (a gentle slope) and Gilman Wall (a steep vertical wall) at the south tip, End Of The Wall is a blend between a wall and sloping reef that is home to a wide variety of creatures big and small, from eagle rays and sharks, to lionfish, anenomes and unicornfish.

Depth: 20-100ft./6-33m

Current: Slight to strong.

End Of The Land

A little north of Eagle's Nest, where the island ends, lies the site known as End Of The Land. The top of the wall is at 60ft, with the vertical wall plummeting downwards to more than 180ft. The wall is blanketed with purple and white soft corals, and divers quite often encounter curious sharks, turtles, and tuna.

Depth: 60-180ft./18-55m

Current: Slight to medium.

Bird Island

The reef in front of Bird Island (a small "rock-island" located inside the lagoon) is filled with huge mushroomed-shaped coral heads and seaward-sloping surge channels. Sleeping nurse sharks and resting turtles frequent this area.

Depth: 45-60ft./15-18m

Current: Slight to medium.

Semakai Reef

Named by Dave Vecella, Semakai Reef is a great second dive, and it's only a few minutes from Beyond The Reef. The top of the reef is covered with table corals, and schools of snapper and humphead parrotfish tend to follow the divers. Visibility can often exceed 100ft.

Depth: 30-120ft/9-38m

Current: Slight to medium.

Gapow Reef

The sloping reefs on Yap's eastern side of the island are visited primarily between June and October, when the tropical breezes of the Trade Winds dissipate. Gapow can be visited during this time, usually following a manta dive in Valley of the Rays. The hard coral formations are spectacular, with table corals everywhere. Schools of batfish and barracudas can be observed at this interesting site.

Depth: 25-90ft./8-25m

Current: Slight.

Choqol Mini Wall

Halfway between Valley Of The Rays and Sunrise Reef at the north, Choqol Mini Wall is a fun site, as the clear water and shallow depth can lure even the most advanced divers to its beauty. The reef begins in 15ft, and drops to 40 ft., then plateaus seaward and eventually drops off into the abyss. Sunlight penetrates this reef, making natural light photography a joy. There is no shortage of subjects here.

Depth: 15-60ft./5-18m

Current: Slight to medium.

1:2 Macro Photography and Night Dive Site

For macro photographers, this site can't be beat. Lionfish, anenomes, clownfish, and yes, the elusive mandarinfish can be found throughout 1:2 (pronounced 1 to 2). Planning for a night dive, or want to try it for the first time? 1:2 is a shallow, inshore reef with little current and almost no surface waves--a great spot for a night dive. Did we mention the hot chocolate we serve after our night dives?

Depth: 10-60ft./3-18m

Current: Slight.

Wreck of the Laura Marie

Almost directly across the channel from 1:2 is a fishing vessel that was intentionally sunk for a dive site in 1992. She lies on her port side in a sandy cove in 60 ft / 18 m of water. Large groupers and an occasional turtle can be seen while diving this wreck.

Depth: 30-60ft./10-18m

Current: Slight.

WWII LCM Shipwreck with Torpedo

Just down the channel is an interesting World War II shipwreck, an LCM lying on the side of the channel wall, bow up. Hard corals have taken over the hull and wheelhouse, and yes, there's a live topedo close by.

Depth: 25-70ft./8-21m

Current: Slight.

O'Keefe's Island Shipwreck

Here's an ancient wooden shipwreck for you history buffs. Possibly from the days of Yap's own sea trader, David O'Keefe, this vessel is 170 ft. in length, lying on the bottom in 70 ft. of water. It's a large sailing ship, with rudder still intact.

Depth: 70ft./21m

Current: None.

Sunken Japanese Zero

Located in one of the "blue holes" in Fanif (northwestern Yap) are the remains of a Japanese zero. In the 1940's, this fighter plane crash landed in the lagoon, and the two pilots swam to shore and walked up on the beach, anouncing their arrival. The plane is in two pieces, with the fuselage and wings in about 15 ft/ 5 m and the tail section in about 40 ft/13 m. This plane can be seen while snorkeling, as a surface interval activity after a dive in Miil Channel.

Depth: 15-40ft./5-13m

Current: Slight.