Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on May 19, 2021
Pulau Hatta is a small off-the-beaten-track island of the Banda archipelago, in the Southern Maluku Islands. It is famous for its steep reef drop-off, filled with corals, which stretches along its coasts. Book a few nights in one of the island’s homestay and explore the reef, where a great diversity of colorful fish awaits.
Pulau Hatta (Hatta Island) is one of ten islands of the Banda archipelago, in the Indonesian province of Moluccas. Each week, several boats make the trip between Banda Neira (the archipelago’s capital, equipped with an airport) and Hatta Island. It is also possible to charter your own boat to spend the day on the island from Banda Neira. The trip takes about 1 hour.
We recommend entering the water from the beach, near the village. It is indeed at this location that the reef is the narrowest, and therefore that accessing the drop-off is the easiest.
The recommended snorkeling location is the coral reef which begins near the “old village”, one of the two villages of Pulau Hatta, found on the northern side of the island. The reef then stretches along much of its western coast.
Get into the water in the village, where the reef is very narrow, then follow the drop-off to the left. The reef widens as you go west, until it reaches a width of about 300m.
Hatta Island is famous for its vibrant reef drop-off, very steep. It is full of dozens of species of healthy hard and soft corals, punctuated by sea lilies (or crinoids) and gorgonians swinging in the current.
On the reef flat and along the reef wall, you’ll encounter the amazing diversity of fish that live in the region, one of the richest in the world. As you snorkel, you will easily spot butterflyfish (including large schools of pyramid butterflyfish), triggerfish, angelfish and surgeonfish, among dozens of other species.
On the reef edge, groups of sea goldies, green chromis, sergeant majors and bicolor chromis. Keep an eye on the blue, where sometimes a sea turtle or a Maori wrasse appears.
The drop-off extends for several hundred meters, but do not stray too far from the entrance point, especially if there is a current.
There are several homestays in the “old village”, some on the beach, facing the reef. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are generally included in the room price.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
