Flying Fish Cove
LOCATION Christmas Island, Indian Ocean Australia
DEPTH 1-10 Meters
WATER TEMP 25-30 Degrees
DIFFICULTY Easy
The reef is in a sheltered bay with easy access from the jetty.
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Flying Fish Cove
LOCATION Christmas Island, Indian Ocean Australia
DEPTH 1-10 Meters
WATER TEMP 25-30 Degrees
DIFFICULTY Easy
The reef is in a sheltered bay with easy access from the jetty.
FEATURE
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Flying Fish Cove
Flying Fish Cove is rated as one of the best shore snorkel spots in the Indian Ocean. Enter from the beach or the jetty and you will be surrounded by fish – we felt like we were in the middle of a giant natural aquarium.
What Can I See?
- Hawksbill Turtles
- Spinner Dolphins
- Octopus
- Lionfish
- Big Fin Reef Squid
- Black Triggerfish
- Bridled Parrot Fish
- Linged Surgeonfish
- Moorish Idol
- Threadfin Butterfly Fish
- Peacock Grouper
- Titan Trigger Fish
- 90% of all Christmas Island fish can be found in Flying Fish Cove
Getting There
Christmas Island is an Australian territory 2600km northwest of Perth. Flights to Christmas Island depart from Perth. Depending on the flight you take, you can go directly to Christmas Island or via Exmouth and Cocos Islands (also a great snorkelling spot).
Where & How do you get in?
Flying Fish Cove is The Settlement, the main town on Christmas Island. There is a jetty at Flying Fish Cove which has a platform you enter the exit the water from. It is easier to use when the tide is higher. Otherwise, you can just walk onto the reef from the beach.
Best Season
You will see abundant marine life year round in Flying Fish Cove. May to September, the dry season, is a great time to snorkel. there’s no rain and visibility is amazing. November to April is the wet season. It can be a little rougher and you do get monsoonal rains. But the water is still bath warm and visibility is still excellent.
Potential Hazards
- Stonefish
- Sharp Coral
Recommended Gear
- Reef Shoes
Parking
- Parking is available next to the beach and adjacent the jetty.
The information for each snorkel spot is provided by people who have snorkelled there. However, snorkelling conditions change daily. Please be aware that wind, swell, tides and cloud cover can all affect visibility and your experience in the water.
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Best Conditions
You will see abundant marine life year round in Flying Fish Cove. May to September, the dry season, is a great time to snorkel. there’s no rain and visibility is amazing. November to April is the wet season. It can be a little rougher and you do get monsoonal rains. But the water is still bath warm and visibility is still excellent.
Windy Map Instructions – Click on the icon in the top right to see other conditions such as swell, temperature, rain etc
Facilities at Flying Fish Cove
Toilets
Picnic Tables
Parking
BBQ’s
Shade
Food & Drinks
Boat Ramp
About the Snorkel
This remote snorkelling spot was worth the trip. We had a week on Christmas Island and came here 3 or 4 times, it is incredible snorkelling – the water is so clear and there is a huge variety of tropical fish. As soon as you slide off the platform at the jetty, there are schools of fish swimming past. We got in the first time and had a big school of long toms cruise by.
One of the great things about Flying Fish Cove is that there is a depth for all snorkellers. At high tide you can swim quite close to shore in shallow water over coral teeming with life. Then the depth slowly increases as you make your way from shore until you reach an amazing drop off a bit beyond the jetty.
The variety of fish is huge. Just a few things we saw include raccoon, ornate and threadfin butterfly fish, titan triggerfish, huge schools of black triggerfish, stunning peacock groupers, Moorish idols, lined surgeonfish, bridled parrot fish, big fin reef squid and the biggest moray eel we have ever seen. There was colour and variety everywhere you looked!
There is no bad place to snorkel in Flying Fish Cove. Our only tip would be once you are in the water, move away from the jetty as boats come and go but most of the coral is away from the jetty anyway.
We stuck to the left side of the jetty. There is a big area to explore and we just zig zagged our way around. There is honestly so much to see, one spot is not better than another. Watch the tide, as it goes out the coral close to shore becomes too shallow to safely swim over.
The only thing we didn’t see was bigger marine life – turtles, sharks, rays but they are know to cruise through the area too.
It is a fabulous spot. If you want a holiday with a difference, put a trip to Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands on your snorkelling bucket list.
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