Ant Atoll (Ahnd)
Outer atoll off Pohnpei, reached by boat in calm weather, regarded as the island's best diving: steep outer walls, over 30 m visibility, thriving hard and soft corals and strong currents that draw grey reef sharks, eagle rays, barracuda and trevally. Drift dives along the outer reef; currents are strong outside the lagoon and in the Dauenai pass, and all of Ahnd is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Facts
- Region: Micronesia – Yap, Pohnpei & Kosrae
- Area: Pohnpei (incl. Ant Atoll)
- Level: advanced
- Current: strong
- Type: wall, drift, reef
- Coordinates: 6.78, 158.0 (approximate)
- Highlights: grey reef sharks, eagle rays, barracuda, trevally, hard coral, soft coral
- Permit: Ahnd (Ant) Atoll is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and access is arranged through a licensed Pohnpei tour or dive operator, who holds the permits; no public fee schedule for the atoll was found. Pohnpei state MPA user fees (2014 regulations: non-resident scuba US$5 one time) apply in MPAs.
- Issuer / contact: Division of Forestry and Marine Conservation, Dept. of Land and Natural Resources (Pohnpei State)
- Website: https://www.pohnpei-adventure.com/mpa/
- issuer named in the 2014 MPA regulations (permits sold Mon-Fri 9:00-16:00); no phone or email published there
- Unverified: Position is approximate: the pin is placed at the atoll from general knowledge of its location, not from a published dive-site GPS. Access is arranged by the operator.
- Tips: Needs good conditions and an experienced group; PSC adds Ahnd trips as an extra, usually with 4+ divers.