Marine life profile
Wrasse
Recorded at 3660 dive sitesWhere divers encounter it
Explore Wrasse around the world
It follows a daily rhythm of feeding, sheltering and interacting with rivals, partners or a larger school.
Meet the species
What to look for
How to Recognize It
Use body shape, fin outline, color pattern and swimming style to separate it from the surrounding reef community.
How It Behaves
It follows a daily rhythm of feeding, sheltering and interacting with rivals, partners or a larger school.
Special Ability
Precise fins and a body shaped for its niche let it turn, hover or accelerate exactly where food and shelter demand.
Dive responsibly
Share the water well
How to Approach
Move slowly at the same depth, avoid swimming directly at it and let the fish resume its normal behavior.
Safety
Usually safe to observe at a respectful distance. Never feed, corner or touch a fish, especially near nests or cleaning stations.
Worth knowing
The detail you remember
Interesting Facts
Wrasse is closely adapted to its habitat, and patient observation reveals details that a quick swim-by misses.
Where to Find
Look around coral structure, rocky reef, wrecks and current lines where shelter and food meet.
Known countries
Sightings map
Wrasse locations
Plan a dive
Dive sites with reported encounters
18th Palm
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
House reef of Plaza Beach & Dive Resort and Toucan Diving!
Playa del Cabrón
Spain
This is a fun dive to 12m maximum, beginning with an easy walk from the beach; we then follow the reef out towards the headland, which forms the natural shelter for the bay. As conditions here are invariably calm this makes it the perfect site for beginners or trainees, and those of you who have been out of the water for some time. Yet many experienced divers and underwater photographers also enjoy the bay because of the diversity of life and excellent light conditions There is a wide range of sea-life ranging from the ever present shoals of atlantic and blue-fin damselfish, bream, parrotfish, wrasse, lizardfish and pufferfish. More diligent searching will reward the diver with clams, razorfish, juvenile barracudas, trumpetfish, wide-eyed flounders, common stingrays, octopus, as well as cuttleFish and many other species. In spring many predators enter the bay at night to feed on the spawning fish. Some stay during the day giving close-ups of stingrays, anglesharks, barracuda and weaver fish
St. Didier Wreck
Turkey
St Didier has been sunked by an English aeroplane in 4th of July 1941 durin WW2. The ship whose real name was "Saint Didier", is lying right under the buoy which is an untired guard of the Antalya yatch harbour, 1 km away from there. With her bow looking to south and stern looking to the north, she is lying between 18 and 34 meters with an 35 degrees angle to the starport side. Her length is around 70 meters. In the studies done between 1946 and 1974 , they salvaged the skeletons and a lot of the ship's cargo. There is nothing much left as an artifact in the wreck becase of the later dives where everyone took some part of the wreck as a souvenier. But still she is getting the interest of the wreck divers.
Casa Blanca
Mexico
This is a gorgeous reef named after Casa Gordon, a beachfront house which used to white. The reef very similar in composition and marine life to Paso del Cedral, with a constant drift which helps travel over the reef. A favorite of Cozumel's repeat divers, this dive site is often thriving with sharks, green morays and turtles.
Casino Point Dive Park
United States
One of the most popular dive sites in North America is well worth the acclaim. Featuring enchanting kelp forests, ever-changing marine life and convenient entry, the Casino Point Dive Park is a site you will want to visit again and again.
Gabr el Bint
Egypt
Gabr el Bint ranks among one of the most attractive sites of North Sinai. With the access by boat, 4x4 or by camel, it is less frequently dived than the other dive sites in Dahab which has left this site in pristine condition. Gabr el Bint means 'The Grave of the Girl' in Arabic. There are two dives possible here. The ledge is riddled with exquisite coral heads that attract numerous reef species, including swarms of anthias, scorpionfish, parrotfish, crocodilefish, surgeonfish, triggerfish, trumpetfish, stingrays and very often a turtle. At the end of the ledge usually is home to a shoal of black and white snappers and twinspot snappers hang here between 5m and 10m. One of the truly breathtaking dives in Dahab.
Kandooma Thila
Maldives
Kandooma Thila, or also called Cocoa Thila, is one of the most exciting dives in South Male’ Atoll with great scenery as well as prolific fish life. The west and north side are the most spectacular, with the top at 16m. These are a focal point for schools of Bluefin Trevallies, eagle rays, dogtooth tunas and loose groups of gray reef sharks (50+ in the right current). Cleaning station for grey reef , you can see them going in a vertical position while small wrasses are cleaning them. Currents can be very strong making it a challenging dive. For experienced divers only.
Pelican Rock
Mexico
Pelican Rock is one of Cabo's most famous sites. A pinnacle covered in purple fans rising up above the surface from around 14 meters underwater at its deepest. Just in front of the pinnacle we also have a beautiful wall dive filled with life, and off to its side one of Cabo's famous sand falls. The dive site has something for everyone. The shallows are great for courses & newer divers, while the deep walls make it an incredible spot for tec divers to explore. But the big highlight is the sheer amount of life that inhabits the site all year round, making it a beautiful spot for all levels of divers.
Radazul
Spain
On of the best dive sites with easy entry and exit is Radazul. Here we conduct courses and check dives in case the weather does not allow diving in the north. The dive site provides a lot of fish, octopuses, cuttle fishes, sometimes stingrays and much more. The dive site is apropriate for beginer (up to 12m) as well as for pro's and tech diving as it provides depths over 40m in a short swimming distance from the beach.
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.
Tulamben
Indonesia
The wreck lies in shallow water and is considered appropriate for divers of all certification levels. The ship rests in 30 metres of water, is roughly 25 metres from shore and can be reached with a short swim from the beach. The highest point of the wreck tops out about 5 metres from the surface. The ship was torpedoed by the Japanese off the nearby Island of Lombok and the ship was towed to the beach at Tulamben for salvage operations. The 1963 eruption of Mt. Agung, which devastated much of the eastern side of Bali, drove the ship into the water just off shore, where it became encrusted with coral and a home to other sea life.
’écomusée sous-marin
France
The underwater eco-museum is made up of 6 submerged statues near the southern shore of Sainte-Marguerite Island, at a depth of 3 to 5 meters.
1 / 4 Wreck (Stern Courier)
Grenada
This site is the stern section of the Courier wreck in 11 meters / 35 ft of water, resting upside down with the Engine block and hull plates scattered around when it rolled from the top of the reef after falling off a transport barge.
1000 Rocks
Maldives
1000 Rocks is located within the marine nature reserve. The entry is north of the Faru. The sandy plateau falls from 5-15 meters and is sprinkled with lovely coral formations. From a depth of 18m onwards, there are large caverns beautifully decorated with many types of soft corals.
5 Palms, Thulusdhoo
Maldives
5 Palms is a fun drift dive that has something to offer for every level of diver. The top of the reef starts at 5m and drops down at 8m. At 22/25m there is a sandy plateau on the edge of which big fish appear from time to time.
A-20 Havoc, plane wreck
France
Ten minutes northeast of the port of Taverna, this 18-metre-deep site consists of an airplane wing with a seagrass and sandy bottom, followed by a path to an artificial reef.
Aarah Dekunu Thila
Maldives
ADT is a deep thila in front off the island of Aarah. With a current from the west, we start on the gently sloping part of the lagoon in the south-west. We drift in a deep of 22m to the first small block and from there to the thila. If the current is not too strong, the dive can be ended at the main reef
Aarah Kuda Thila
Maldives
A small reef with many different types of colorful coral. The reef roof is at a height of 6m and has a diameter of approx. 20m, at a depth of 25m it should be approx. 50m. On the west side an overhang with soft corals, further deeper a gap with giant moray eels and cleaner shrimp.
Abrolhos / Chapeirão Faca Cega
Location being verified
The set of coral pinnacles that received the name of “Faca Cega“ (Blind Knife) consists of one of the main diving points of the Abrolhos Archipelago. It has a room that reaches a depth of 25 meters, with almost 20 meters in diameter. The view is impressive, with several passages and burrows.
Abu Dabour
Egypt
The nearby jetty can be used to enter this dive or you can enter from the shore through a very nice small canyon leading you to the clear blue water. This dive starts with a sloping sand bottom where you can choose to head to the north or south reef.
Abu Rashid Drift
Oman
Just 1 hour away from Khasab harbour, is Abu Rashid drift. This site can go to 50+ metres. The strength of the currents can vary from very slow to very fast depending on the tide timings and conditions.
Abu Talha
Egypt
15min drive north. Shallowly sloping coral garden with pinnacles, which, when dived north, turns into a sandy slope with table corals. In the shallow area especially beautiful due to massive hard coral blocks.Entrance over the reef top, therefore only diveable at high tide and little wind.
Abwonderdive House Reef
Indonesia
This shore dive ranges from 5m to 30m, featuring a coral reef starting at 3m with soft and hard corals. Artificial reef structures lie between 15m and 18m. The current is usually mild to moderate, making for a manageable dive. The surface is generally calm but can be choppy from May to October.
Abyss’ Triggerfish
Solomon Islands
An incredible site we recently re-discovered. With our Abyss dive group we were searching for new sites during a lull with a cyclone, we found calm waters and great visibility and re-named the site in honour of the dive group! Macro heaven on this stunning sea mount!