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 November 16, 2022
With its granite boulders, lush jungle and turquoise waters, the Jokin Cliffs boast one of the most beautiful scenery of New Caledonia. This sheltered bay is a great snorkeling location. Even if its coral reef is quite damaged, it shelters a decent variety of colorful fish species and you might be lucky enough to spot sharks and sea turtles in the deeper areas.
The Jokin Cliffs are located next to Doking, north of Lifou Island. The best way to reach it is to rent a car. From Wé, Lifou’s main village, it is a 40 minutes car ride to the spot (Google Maps link to the parking location). A stair leads to the cliff’s foot and the water entry point.
This 10-minute walk down the bay offers breathtaking views over the bay’s turquoise waters. Jinek Bay, an excellent snorkel spot, is located only 10 kilometers from Jokin Cliffs: we recommend exploring both locations on the same day.
Easy water entrance is from a ladder fixed on a concrete platform.
The coral reefs located between 50 and 200 meters from the shore are the most interesting areas to snorkel. Closer to the shore, the seabed is pretty poor, with almost no coral and very few fish. As the reefs are quite exposed to waves and currents, only enter the water when the sea is calm.
Starting from the stairs, you will first swim over a shallow rocky seabed (↕3-10ft/1.5-3m) punctuated by a few coral heads. This area does not teem with fish, but butterflyfish, triggerfish and wrasses can be spotted here and there. As you swim towards the reefs located outside the bay, you will notice that the depth slightly increases. You will then reach large shallow patch reefs (↕2-3ft/0.5-1m), separated by deeper sandy areas (↕20-26ft/6-8m).
The coral is globally badly damaged at this location, even if healthy branching corals and leather corals are still found in places. Giant clams abound in the shallows, perfectly exposed to sunlight. Batfish, titan triggerfish, hawkfish and Jansen’s wrasse are some of the most common species on this spot.
Closer to the cliffs, fields of sea anemones attract the very common fire clownfish and threespot dascyllus. The clownfish communities are large, with sometimes more than 50 fish living in a few square meters.
Keep an eye on the deeper areas, where lucky snorkelers might spot a whitetip reef shark or a sea turtle.
A few restaurants and cafés are located close to the spot, but their opening times are unreliable.
These spots are accessible to anyone with basic snorkeling skills, and feeling comfortable in the water and with his snorkeling gear. You will enter the water from the shore (beach, pontoon, ladder, rocks) or from a boat. The water height in the sea entrance area is reasonable, but you will not necessarily be within your depth. Moderate currents can occur in the area, even when the sea conditions are good. The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas of the spot does not exceed 200 meters. 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.
