Whale Island Housereef

Whale Island House Reef is the private dive site of Whale Island Resort — a secluded eco-resort on Hon Ong Island (Whale Island) approximately 60 kilometers north of Nha Trang in Van Phong Bay, a large, deep bay whose relative isolation and minimal industrial activity have preserved an exceptional marine environment that is among the least disturbed on Vietnam's central coast. The house reef fringing Whale Island provides the resort's guests with immediate, effortless access to one of Vietnam's more pristine reef systems — stepping from the resort's jetty directly into the water above coral that has seen relatively little fishing pressure or visitor impact compared to the more intensively visited Hon Mun zone. Van Phong Bay's geography — a deep, sheltered embayment fed by open South China Sea currents — creates conditions of excellent water quality and impressive biodiversity, and the Whale Island house reef reflects this ecological richness. Whale sharks are the island's most celebrated visitors, seasonally aggregating in Van Phong Bay in numbers that have made this one of the most reliable whale shark encounter locations in Southeast Asia — typically between March and September when plankton blooms concentrate in the bay's productive waters. Encounters with these enormous, gentle filter feeders alongside the island's house reef are possible during peak season and represent one of the most extraordinary wildlife experiences available to Vietnamese divers. The reef itself hosts a healthy community of corals and reef fish, with the diversity typical of Vietnam's better-preserved sites. Manta rays are also seasonal visitors to Van Phong Bay, adding to the mega-fauna appeal of this special location. The beginner-accessible house reef makes Whale Island a destination suitable for all experience levels.