Marine life profile
Seahorse
Recorded at 76 dive sitesWhere divers encounter it
Explore Seahorse around the world
A seahorse (also written sea-horse and sea horse) is any of 46 species of small marine bony fish in the genus Hippocampus. It anchors to seagrass, coral or sponge and waits for tiny prey to drift within range.
Meet the species
What to look for
How to Recognize It
An upright fish with a horse-like head, curled gripping tail and tiny fins that seem too small for the job.
How It Behaves
It anchors to seagrass, coral or sponge and waits for tiny prey to drift within range.
Special Ability
Its tube-shaped snout creates rapid suction, while each eye can scan independently.
Dive responsibly
Share the water well
How to Approach
Hold position without touching the animal or its perch. Avoid repeated flashes and never encourage it to swim.
Safety
Do not touch, feed or restrain wildlife. Give unfamiliar animals extra space and follow local guidance.
Worth knowing
The detail you remember
Interesting Facts
The male carries developing young in a brood pouch and gives birth to fully formed miniature seahorses.
Where to Find
Search the habitat edges where food, shelter and water movement create the right conditions.
Known countries
Sightings map
Seahorse locations
Plan a dive
Dive sites with reported encounters
Blairgowrie Pier
Australia
Blairgowrie Pier is a fantastic site for photographers, due to the abundant macro life. It's also a popular training site, due to its sheltered position and manageable depth range (2-7m). The pier pylons and sea wall are heavily encrusted with sponges - home to many Seahorses and Nudibranchs - even the odd Tasselled Anglerfish. Ledges and hidey holes make great homes for numerous species of Rays, as well as Octopus, Squid and Giant Cuttlefish. You can also see Stargazers, Flathead, Decorator Crabs, Goatfish and many others. Blairgowrie Pier often hosts the annual Giant Spider Crab march in May-June each year. Thousands of crabs gather in the shallow waters to moult.
Our house reef. Ideal for Discover Scuba Diving experiences, Open Water courses training, night dives and Scuba Reviews. Also ideal for certified divers who want to have a look at our resident seahorses or just dive with their buddy. The equipment can be easily brought up and down thanks to our lift. Average Depth: 5 meters Marine life: seahorses, octupus, cuttlefish, scorpion fish, flounders, barracuda.......
Carlisle Bay
Barbados
We consider ourselves very lucky to have the most amazing dive site and marine protected area in our backyard. This shallow site hosts more than 7 different shipwrecks ranging from 5m to 15m, most of which you can see on a single dive.
El Aguila
Honduras
El Aguila is our "home" wreck site, located a 5 minute boat ride from our shop. It is a 60 M/200 FT cargo ship that was purposefully sunk in 1997 by Anthony's Key Resort. One year later, Hurricane Mitch hit Roatan and broke the wreck into 3 pieces and tilted it to a 45 degree angle. Typically we enter the water at stern following the mooring line down to a great swim through. From there we transit the length of the ship which presents another great swim through along the collapsed middle. When we arrive at the bow there is a great swim through an area that terminates with a vertical exit through a former hatch. The wreck is culminated by spiraling up the bow mast to a depth of approximately 20 M/60 FT. With time permitting, it is a relatively short swim to the reef wall and an area that is known for often having Seahorses as the highlight.
Inchcape 1
United Arab Emirates
30m 5 minutes from the diving centre, this site is normally our first site of the day (if Advanced) or it is used on the night dive. Like Inchcape 2, Inch 1 was donated to us and sunk in 2001, she now lays on a sand bottom in 30m. The wheelhouse has also been ripped off during the cyclone and moved the wreck 50m!. The wreck is a huge ball of marine life, so much in fact you have to move them away in order to see the wreck. The wreck has two resident Honeycomb Moray eels Fred and Wilma, 2 Seahorses and in the summer months 4 Frog Fish. This site is also a regular Tec training site for us on rebreathers or Sidemount.
Rye Pier
Australia
Rye Pier is one of Melbourne's best know and most-loved shore dive sites and is a great day or night dive. It consists of an L-shaped pier roughly 500m in length, under which lives a whole lot of exciting marine life. Depth ranges from 2 - 6m. Growth has encrusted the pylons, so there's plenty to see. Rye Pier is the easiest place to see Seahorses in the world! Common sightings here include octopus (Sand, Blue Ringed, Maori and Keel, among others), cuttlefish, giant smoothrays, seahorses, leatherjackets, calamari, dumpling squid, goatfish, as well as Giant Spider Crabs in their thousands and large schools of salmon and pike in the right season.
Stonehenge
Thailand
Stonehenge is a superlative dive site and must be considered one of the top scuba spots in Thailand. Stonehenge is located only 5-10 minutes from Koh Lipe by boat and is full of Soft Leafy Coral making it a beautiful and vibrant reef. Generally you will see schools of Barracudas, Trevally & Yellow Snappers. Smaller creatures include Seahorses, Shrimps, Crabs, Nudibranchs, Seamoths, Stonefish & Frogfish. As this site is very exposed, strong currents can be expected, meaning diving here around Full or Black moon is not usually possible.
Toilet Bowl
Japan
High Risk Dive site for entry and exit. You will climb over Lime Stone rock to get to the water. the Walk/climb in is dangerous due to the Lime Stone rock being very sharp. Highly encourage to dive this site with an experienced Diver who have dived it prior. Site can shift in current pretty fast, so be prepared to exit at another location and walk back to vehicle. Can be done from Boat. Known for having sharks throughout the year.
Batu Putih - Gili Rengit
Indonesia
Ten minutes from Lombok Eco Dive Resort. Topography gently slope with white sands as a bottom. Mostly calm water and mild current and salt water.
Dr. Grooms Garden
Grenada
Shallow patch reef averaging 40 ft / 12 mtr. Covered in soft corals with a hard coral substrate and lots of holes. Generally mild current allowing lots of time to explore looking for small critters.
Koh Ku La / เกาะกุลา
Thailand
It’s an easy dive site. Suitable for new divers Not far from the shore Located in the area of Mu Ko Chumphon National Park. Pay the national park fee
Lagoa Azul
Sao Tome and Principe
Beach entry ideal for Shore diving both for new divers or advanced divers, night dives also with easy entry from the beach and full of life in the sand and in the rocks
laguna Sozopol
Bulgaria
The Harmani beach lagoon is located 5 min from the diving center. It is beginner-friendly (with gradual descent from the shore) and well protected from the open see currents. Many of our guests, for whom diving has become a life-long hobby, have made their first dive here.
Mali - Mali
Panama
The usually protruding top of the reef is not visible when we arrive at high tide. As soon as the currents have been checked and the anchor lowered accordingly, the dive starts at a depth of 13 meters. The reef is actually an underwater mountain in shape of a triangle, so we can dive around it.
Matei Diving Point
Romania
Just near the famous restaurant the small beach offers a very smooth entry protected by the southern pier of the Constanta harbor. The current is usually from the north so this spot is well protected.
Medicare
Philippines
Right in front of the Medicare facility on land. A mild current allows you to cover both dive sites. A steep rocky slope descends to 20 meters on Medicare South moving deeper to 25 – 30 meters towards Medicare North.
Metlikova
Croatia
Approach from diving school: 25 minutes, beautiful steep wall between 10 - 40m, very nice plateau with gold sponge meadow and varied shallow area.
Moomba Beach
Curacao
Entering at the end of the breakwaters, 3 meters/9 feet; this first part with a sand bottom with many yellowhead jawfishes along the tick rope can be used as a guide to the drop-off at 12 meters/40 feet.
O Arco
Portugal
Located 10 minutes by boat from the Ponta Delgada marina, it is characterized by a bottom made of volcanic rocks and a main arch within 3 to 4 meters high.
Parede da Lagoa Azul
Sao Tome and Principe
Rocky enter for shore dive, should be aware of sea urchins and slippery rocks, but nice reef full of life, hight tide makes a lot easier to enter the water when shore diving.
Quarantine Point
Grenada
Reef system with Tongue and bay type, top about 14 mtrs / 46 ft and bottom 75 ft / 22 mtrs. “Bays“ have sand, and flounders can be seen as well as Barracuda, drums and Scorpion fish. The “Tongues“ have Seaplumes and Porites corals growing and seem to be a favourite for Seahorses.
Sandy 2nd’s - Lady Elliot Island
Australia
Immerse yourself in the beauty of Sandy 2nd’s at Lady Elliot Island! Explore the sandy seabeds teeming with an array of marine life. Encounter fascinating critters like nudibranchs and seahorses, while graceful sea turtles and rays gracefully glide by. This captivating dive promises an exciting adventure filled wi
Tanjung Neraka
Indonesia
5 Minutes boat ride from Kusu Island. This dive site sits on a corner of Bacan. Depending on the current there are actually 2 divesite - 1 to the north and 1 to the south. Slope with good coral coverage. Can have strong currents.
3 Houses
Portugal
Located in front of Caloura village, a large rock that goes from 12m to 35m deep. Several holes in the rock allow marine life to be seen. Circular dive.