Diving in Tanna Island in Vanuatu is unlike any other Pacific Island I’ve visited. One of the most unique aspects of diving in Tanna is the vast amount of easily accessible swim-throughs and caves.
Some swim-throughs are so small and dark you question whether it’s physically possible to squeeze in, but the guides at Volcano Island Divers know the area like the back of their hand, and expertly weave their way through the caverns. The ethereal light streaming through the cracks is breath-taking, and the underwater caverns combined with the beauty of the surrounding coral reef means the diving in Tanna is exhilarating and beautiful.
Picking a dive operator is easy on Tanna, as there’s only one; Volcano Island Divers. The dive shop is in White Grass Ocean Resort & Spa, so staying there is an excellent option so you can leisurely wander over after breakfast.
Diving on Tanna is laid-back, and the team run a morning and afternoon drive, offering both shore and boat access to a variety of sites.
If you’ve got 3 nights on Tanna Island, here’s a round-up of my must-do dives.
Day 1:
Tanna Island is a 40-minute flight from Port Vila, Vanuatu. Flying in the morning means you’ll have plenty of time for an afternoon dive, and make it back to watch the sunset over the ocean.
House Reef
When I head out for my first dive on the house reef, my expectations are low. House reefs can often be a little underwhelming in comparison to sites further from shore. This dive completely flipped my expectations upside down, and it’s exciting to visit such pristine fringing reef so close to our resort.
Diving the House Reef starts unusually. After jumping off White Grass Resort’s boat wharf and into a shallow turquoise lagoon, I descend and follow our guide, Max, into a long swim-through. In some places the space is so tight I need to flip my camera around so it will fit.
The light filters through the cracks in the rocks above us and then opens up into a beautiful sloping reef wall that reaches to about 25 metres. The coral is vibrant and healthy, and the reef is full of anemones bursting with curious clown-fish.
Day 2:
Blue Hole 1 + 2
The blue holes of Tanna are underwater wonderlands. Although there is not a massive abundance of big marine life, the twists and turns of the swim-throughs are seriously exhilarating, and the diversity of coral leave me wishing I had a little more air in my tank to keep exploring. The blue hole dives can start from shore or from the dive shop’s boat. As they’re accessible via shore, they’re also a great snorkel spot.
Blue Hole 1 is a network of four large reef openings connected by a maze of underwater tunnels. There are multiple ways to enter each blue hole, and your guide will determine which route to take based on your skill level. The dark tunnels contrast against the vibrant colours of the coral, in stunning hues of purple, pink, yellow and green.
Similar to Blue Hole 1, this dive is a series of deeper reef openings connected via a network of swim-throughs in all shapes and sizes. When we dive this site, we drop down and head straight for an underwater tunnel that you’d mistake for a tiny hole in the reef.
Tight swim-throughs open up into huge walled rooms of coral. Everything looks like it’s on steroids. Massive boulder corals run into enormous patches of purple staghorn and the coral structures reach to the ocean’s surface. The dive finishes as we float along a sloping wall on the outer reef, covered in healthy hard corals.
Day 3:
Blue Cave Aquarium
Blue Cave is one of Tanna's most famous dive and snorkel spots. The cave is short boat ride from White Grass Resort, and you’ll most likely be greeted by a pod of dolphins jumping in the bow waves as you motor over.
Blue Cave is a large open cavern under a cliff. The ceiling of the cave opens up to a natural leafy skylight. The floor of the cave slopes up to about 5 metres, so you can surface and watch the sunlight beaming through the roof of the cave.
Stand metres from an active volcano
Non-diving days can be equally as adventurous in Tanna, with visits to waterfalls, enormous banyan trees and most famously, Mount Yasur, an active volcano that’s easily accessible. The best time to visit the volcano is at sunset when the colours of the lava dance against the backdrop of the darkening sky.
Guest written and images by Grump Turtle.