© Traders' Ridge Resort
Depth: 30-120 ft / 9-35 m
Current: Medium
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 sea life converging on these walls.
Depth: 40-80 ft / 13-26 m
Current: Slight to medium
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: 30-120 ft / 9-35 m
Current: Medium
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 side of the island, Purple Haze is a dramatic wall covered with purple
soft corals. Though fish life is minimal, the "purple wall" is a
site worth visiting.
Depth: 20-150 ft / 6-45 m
Current: Slight
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: 15-150 ft / 5-50 m
Current: Slight to medium
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: 10-80 ft / 3-20 m
Current: Slight to medium
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: 20-100 ft / 6-33 m
Current: Slight to strong
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: 15-150 ft / 5-50 m
Current: Medium to strong
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: 25-90 ft / 8-25 m
Current: Slight
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: 40-120 ft / 12-38 m
Current: Slight to medium
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: 30-120 ft / 9-38 m
Current: Slight to medium
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: 30-100 ft / 9-32 m
Current: Slight
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 trip just to "get your feet wet".
Depth: 45-60 ft / 15-18 m
Current: Slight to medium
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: 45-60 ft / 14-18 m
Current: Slight to medium
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. Sleeping
nurse sharks and resting turtles frequent this area.
Depth: 20-150 ft / 6-45 m
Current: Medium to strong
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.
