Papanui
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
The SS Papanui is a shipwreck dive site off Saint Helena island, lying close to shore at depths of 6–14 m (verified maximum 13.3 m), making it one of the shallowest and most accessible wreck dives the island offers. The wreck is considered beginner-friendly and is popular with both locals and visiting divers.
The site suits day and night dives equally well, with the shallow profile and proximity to shore making entry and exit straightforward. The sheltered exposure keeps current light, and conditions are generally easy to manage.
Visibility at Saint Helena is consistently excellent, ranging from 15–20 m in winter up to 30–45 m in the summer months, with February and March typically producing the clearest water. Water temperature runs between 18–25°C, and the best overall dive season runs from January through June.
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Marine life recorded at the site and across Saint Helena's waters includes Saint Helena butterflyfish, flounder, pufferfish, white seabream, wrasse, Chilean devil rays, dolphins, sea turtles, and whale sharks, the latter present from mid-January through April. The Papanui is noted as a particularly good site for small critters, especially on night dives. Open Water certification is sufficient for this site given its shallow depth and gentle conditions.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
- Saint Helena ButterflyfishChaetodon sanctaehelenaeReported here · unconfirmed
- Strigate ParrotfishSparisoma strigatumReported here · unconfirmed
Eastern Atlantic TrumpetfishAulostomus strigosusReported here · unconfirmed
SquirrelfishHolocentrus adscensionisReported here · unconfirmed
Brazilian Ocean SurgeonfishAcanthurus bahianusReported here · unconfirmed
St. Helena Sharpnose PufferfishCanthigaster sanctaehelenaeReported here · unconfirmed
PufferfishPufferfishReported here · unconfirmed
WrasseWrasseReported here · unconfirmed
Whale SharkRhincodon typusReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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