Tutum Bay

Port Vila · Shefa Province · Vanuatu

Tutum Bay is a volcanic anomaly in Vanuatu's diving landscape, a sheltered reef on Efate's north coast where geothermal hot springs bubble through the sandy seabed amid living coral gardens. This unusual combination of volcanic activity and marine ecosystem creates a dive experience unlike any other in the South Pacific, where warm water vents create shimmering visual effects and mineral deposits paint the rocks in sulphurous yellows and oranges. The dive begins over a gentle coral slope that descends from the shoreline to a sandy bottom at 18 metres. The reef itself is healthy and typical of Vanuatu's Melanesian marine environment, with brain corals, branching acropora, and soft coral patches supporting the usual cast of tropical reef fish. Anemonefish families occupy their hosts throughout the reef, parrotfish graze on algae-covered rock, and moray eels peer from crevices between coral heads. What sets Tutum Bay apart is the volcanic activity occurring beneath the reef. At several locations along the sandy bottom, hot springs vent water at temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius. The heated water creates visible shimmering columns as it rises through the cooler seawater, distorting the view like heat haze above a desert road. The rocks surrounding these vents are stained vivid yellow and orange by mineral deposits, creating alien-looking formations amid the otherwise normal reef. Divers can feel dramatic temperature changes as they pass over vent zones, swimming from comfortable tropical water into pockets of distinctly warm water and back again. Small bubbles of volcanic gas rise from sand patches, and touching the sand near vents reveals surprising warmth. The geothermal influence appears to enrich the surrounding water with minerals that support unusually robust marine growth. The shallow depth and calm conditions make this accessible to all levels, and the sheer novelty of diving over active volcanic vents ensures that Tutum Bay remains one of Vanuatu's most talked-about dive experiences.