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Coral Reef

3.6 — based on 21 community signals
4.3 12 species 33 contributors

Rubiah Island near Sabang offers year-round diving on healthy coral reefs with diverse marine life and strong community data.

⭐ Best for beginners.

updated 4 months ago
Difficulty
Beginner
Macro hotspotBleachingRiskPhotoFriendlyFamily-friendly

At a glance

Activity
dive
Difficulty
beginner
Best months
Year-round
Marine life
Nudibranch

Top operators here

See all operators ↓

Map

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Coral Reef location map © Google · Map data © Google, contributors
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Conditions today

Conditions

Open-Meteo
Wind
14.6 kn
Wave
1.4 m
Water
30.7°C
N E S W
Wind direction (7d)
Primary: SSW (33%)
Now: SSW (211°)
Tide (7 days)
range: 1.19m

Today: High 02:00 (+0.8m), Low 08:00 (+0.32m)

+1.1 m0 m-0.1 m
▲ 02:00 · +0.8m ▼ 08:00 · +0.32m ▲ 14:00 · +0.55m ▼ 20:00 · +0.34m Now +0.8m
Sat 19Sun 20Mon 21Tue 22Wed 23Thu 24Fri 25
UV8.8 · very high Air PM2.58 · good 06:28 18:36
Day Wind Wave UV Rain
09-19 15.9 1.46 9 6mm
09-20 13.1 1.28 9 0mm
09-21 7.9 1.14 9 1mm
09-22 9.5 1.02 9 3mm
09-23 9.7 0.98 9 2mm
09-24 9 0.8 5 9mm
09-25 8.1 0.68 3 2mm
⚠ Coral bleaching: Watch — favorable conditions
DHW: 4.0°C-weeks · NOAA Coral Reef Watch

About this spot

Rubiah Island sits off the coast of Sabang City in Aceh Province, Indonesia, making it accessible for divers seeking coral reef ecosystems. The site draws visitors throughout the year, with consistent conditions that support thriving reef structure and a wide range of marine species. Local divers have documented 12 distinct species observations at the site, giving you a solid sense of what to expect underwater. The reef environment here supports typical Indo-Pacific marine life. With community-generated video footage available, you can preview the site before committing to a dive trip. This peer-reviewed visual data helps set realistic expectations for visibility, coral health, and animal encounters. Rubiah Island is not protected as a marine protected area, which means access is generally straightforward. The site remains under coral bleaching watch status—a reminder that reef ecosystems face real stress from warming waters. Divers choosing this spot contribute to awareness of reef health when they report observations and conditions. The combination of year-round availability, documented species diversity, and accessible approach makes Rubiah Island a solid choice for reef exploration in Aceh.

📖 Guide: Diving in Indonesia: 323 Sites, Mantas to Micro-critters

Best months

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Marine life

Nudibranch

Dive types

ReefShore

Trip essentials

Everything you need before you pack — checklist, sun, logistics.

Trip checklist

  • 🛂 Visa-free or visa-on-arrival
  • 📜 C-card + dive insurance (DAN)
  • 📔 Dive logbook
  • 🧴 Reef-safe sunscreen SPF 50+
  • 🔌 Plug type C/F · 230V adapter
  • 💊 Seasickness meds + ear drops
  • 📱 Offline maps + emergency contact

Quick facts

  • 🌓 Moon First quarter · 48%
  • GPS
Sustainability disclosures
🌍 CO2 footprint LHR ↔ 9890km · ~2275kg · €41

From your departure country

United States
Origin score: 54/100
  • Visa: Visa on arrival · 30 days max
  • Flight: 12h · direct
  • Jet-lag: 12h east · 8 days recovery

FAQ

When is the best time to dive Rubiah Island?

The site is diveable year-round, so timing depends on your schedule rather than seasonal constraints. Check recent community video updates and conditions reports before booking to confirm current visibility and weather.

What's the difficulty level and depth range?

Specific depth and difficulty data are not currently available for Rubiah Island. Before diving, connect with local operators or guides who know the site and can assess conditions on your visit date.

What marine life will I see?

Twelve species observations have been documented at Rubiah Island, reflecting typical Indo-Pacific reef diversity. Check the community species database and available video footage to see which animals divers have encountered recently.

Do I need permits to dive here?

Rubiah Island is not a marine protected area, which simplifies access. However, dive with reputable local operators familiar with Indonesian waters and current regulations in Sabang City.

Operators near this spot

Dive centres, kite & surf schools within 10 km, sourced from OpenStreetMap.

Monster Divers

3.6 km
Dive centre
Hours: Mo-Su 08:00-20:00

Rubiah Tirta Divers

0.5 km
Dive centre

Iboih Dive Center

0.8 km
Dive centre

Scubaholic

1.1 km
Dive centre

Recently spotted by divers

iNaturalist →

See this spot in action

YouTube videos — click to play.

Discovering MASSIVE Coral Colonies Diving In Indonesia

World Wide Corals
💬 3 top comments
  • So awesome to see a never-ending field of hammer coral 😀

    @HBReefBros · 👍 15
  • I was drooling on my keyboard lol.

    @a.c713 · 👍 1
  • Wow. It’s amazing to see the corals in their natural habitat. Thank you for sharing 🙂

    @comment.highlighted · 👍 25

Indonesia's Hidden Paradise | Underwater Wakatobi 4K

Ocean First
💬 3 top comments
  • The view is amazing, thanks for capturing all those moments.

    @JamTub_Journey · 👍 6
  • Beautiful <3 Thank you . The way you looked at the reef and animals is really beautiful. Taking time, great lightening . I m a mermaid, and I live in Kauai where the reef is 95% dead, so I need to watch theses underwater videos. Yours is beautiful.

    @estellearlaud · 👍 0
  • Kelas Indonesian 🇲🇨 Wakato

    @ardysky91 · 👍 0

Better than Raja Ampat? Expedition to Indonesia's Untouched Reefs | Halmahera, Maluku

SAM INDOWILD
💬 3 top comments
  • Halmahera… My first trip there was back in 2014, and I was completely blown away by the world-class diving and the endless rocks and underwater pinnacles waiting to be explored. Even just looking at the marine charts made me incredibly excited. Today, Halmahera is finally starting to gain recognition as one of Indonesia’s top diving destinations. If any of you would like to explore North Maluku,

    @konjocruisingindonesia1053 · 👍 91
  • How the hell do you only have 37k subs???? This was Natgeo quality.

    @Chica1937 · 👍 134
  • the scars on the sharks heads are from digging into coral crevaces for fish

    @bobjacobs-x1i · 👍 65
Visibility (month-by-month)
Best: Jun (100/100) Worst: Jan (0/100) Now: Sep (100/100) NOAA MODIS Aqua · 5y mean

Nearby spots

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Rubiah Sea Garden

Rubiah Sea Garden is a year-round dive site near Sabang in Indonesia's Aceh Province, protecting coral and reef fish inside a marine protected area.

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Arus Balee

Arus Balee is a year-round dive site near Seulako Island in Indonesia's Sabang City, protected within Taman Wisata Alam Pulau Weh marine reserve.

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