divers off the boat at Banana Island


For beginners and certified divers

Scuba Diving at Banana Island

Banana Island is a wonderful destination for Scuba Diving for good reasons. The shape and the length of the island provide clear and calm waters at any weather all year round. The visibility is greatly improved compared with the average visibility of rest of west African coast. Sierra Leone enjoys a good diversity of aquatic life and many species can be found around Banana Island. Banana Divers is a new diving center equipped with everything needed for pleasant and safe dives. Two breathing air compressors, new equipment, eight boats, experienced skippers and a Padi Professional offer enjoyable diving to beginners and certified divers.

West Africa is not famous as a scuba diving holiday destination due to lack of diving facilities and the low visibilities in most parts of the coastline. Sierra Leone however is one of the very few countries with both infrastructure and favorable conditions for scuba diving. This part of West Africa in fact offers some of the most exciting and explorative diving one can get anywhere in the world.

Undoubtedly the area around Banana Islands is the prime location for scuba diving in Sierra Leone. Big volcanic boulders form a long and slender island that cuts through the strong coastal current, leaving pockets of clear water with some of West Africa’s best visibilities. Regardless the weather, calm seas can be found in one or the other side of the island.

The impressive density of the fish stock, contributes to frequent encounters of big game fish and other aquatic life. The colorful reefs around Banana Island make for impressive dives with increased fish activity. Sierra Leone’s sea bed is also littered with history. Hundreds of vessels from the slave trade have been wrecked off the cost of West Africa. Many of these are located in Sierra Leone where a dive can unravel a trail in the history.