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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

Christmas Island

An Australian island with wall diving, reef sharks and turtles, seasonal whale sharks and the famous red crab migration.

Whale shark
Whale shark, found in the waters of the wider region · Photo: NOAA on Unsplash
Exploring

Ethics pass, with care. We found a way to visit this country that meets our animal-welfare standard, as long as we work with the right local operator. Checked by Ocean Calling on 30 Sep 2026. Sources: Christmas Island, destination research 24 Sep 2026 (Ocean Calling Notion); Christmas Islands (AU + Kiritimati): research 30 Sep 2026 (Ocean Calling Notion); Parks Australia, Indian Ocean Territories marine parks.

ScubaWhale sharksTurtlesCoral reefs

Why Christmas Island

Christmas Island is an Australian Indian Ocean territory with tropical wall diving, reef sharks, turtles and rainforest. Whale sharks are seen in the wet season, mostly from November to March, and are never guaranteed. The red crab migration is the land story and depends on rain and the moon. Flights are about twice a week from Perth and there is no decompression chamber on the island. We are still learning, so there is no trip yet.

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

FijiIndonesiaTimor-LesteAustraliaMalaysiaBruneiFlying Fish Cove and the reef walls, Christmas Island

When to go

Nov-Mar. Timing changes by place and by animal, so check each place below.

We have researched this place and keep learning about it. There is no trip here yet.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

Ethics pass, with care

Good with the right operator. Here is how we choose.

Reef diving with reef sharks and turtles is possible inside the Christmas Island Marine Park, with no touching, chasing or feeding of wildlife. We avoid any whale shark contact until we have the current park rule. We also respect red crab road closures and plan around the animals. We are still learning.

Evidence is still thin here. We are checking again with official sources.

Checked 30 Sep 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.

Sources for this check
Places we are exploring

Where in Christmas Island

Short notes from our research. Wildlife is never guaranteed.

Flying Fish Cove and the reef walls

Exploring

Close-to-shore wall diving with reef sharks and turtles, inside the marine park.

🤿 In the water: Reef fish, Reef sharks, Turtles

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Whale sharks (seasonal, never certain, and we have not confirmed the interaction rule)

When: Nov-Mar. Whale sharks are seen mostly November to March. The wet season also brings rain and road closures. The dry season, May to October, is easier for diving.

Ocean + land

Reef walls, then the red crab march

In the water

Christmas Island has steep reef walls close to shore, inside a marine park.

On land

Each wet season, red crabs leave the forest and walk to the sea to breed. It usually starts after the first good rains in October or November, and the exact timing follows the moon. Some roads close so the crabs can pass. Red crabs live only on Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Coconut crabs (robber crabs) also live in the forest.

If you come for the reef in the wet season, you may see the migration on land. It is not every year on the same dates: in 2024 a dry year delayed it to February, the latest since Parks Australia began tracking it in the 1980s.

Watch your step, never pick up or block a crab, and follow the road closures and park staff. Population counts differ a lot between years and sources, so we do not give one number.

Red crab on rocky forest ground, bright red legs and a dark red and black shellChristmas Island red crabGecarcoidea natalisSeen in 1 country in the AtlasLives on landNot EvaluatedRobber crab on rough coral rock with bent legs and large claws, in daylightRobber crab (coconut crab)Birgus latroSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasLives on landVulnerable

Wildlife is never guaranteed, on land or at sea. This is research, not a trip on sale.

Sources for this section

Checked 7 Oct 2026.

Animals

Animals recorded in Christmas Island

Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.

Land animals
Huge spotted whale shark gliding through open blue waterWhale sharkRhincodon typusSeen in 54 countries in the AtlasEndangeredGreen turtle resting on the reef, shell and head pattern in sharp detailGreen turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHawksbill turtle swimming, pointed beak in profileHawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricataSeen in 88 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredTwo spinner dolphins swimming over sand in clear waterSpinner dolphinStenella longirostrisSeen in 66 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPod of common dolphins surfacing in calm blue seaCommon dolphinDelphinus delphisSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernRed crab on rocky forest ground, bright red legs and a dark red and black shellChristmas Island red crabGecarcoidea natalisSeen in 1 country in the AtlasLives on landNot EvaluatedRobber crab on rough coral rock with bent legs and large claws, in daylightRobber crab (coconut crab)Birgus latroSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasLives on landVulnerableAbbott's booby in flight against a clear blue sky, white body with dark wingsAbbott's boobyPapasula abbottiSeen in 4 countries in the AtlasEndangeredFrigatebird perched on a branch with its bill raised, wings open against a blue skyChristmas Island frigatebirdFregata andrewsiSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasVulnerableWhitetip reef sharks resting stacked in a reef creviceWhitetip reef sharkTriaenodon obesusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBluestreak cleaner wrasse with black stripe and blue tailBluestreak cleaner wrasseLabroides dimidiatusSeen in 51 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTitan triggerfish swimming over a reef slope in blue waterTitan triggerfishBalistoides viridescensSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernRed lionfish with spread fins over sand in Dauin, PhilippinesLionfish (red and common lionfish)Pterois volitans and Pterois milesSeen in 80 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWedge-tailed shearwaters resting togetherWedge-tailed shearwaterArdenna pacificaSeen in 46 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernRed-tailed tropicbird in Glendowie, Auckland, New Zealand, iNaturalist research-grade observationRed-tailed tropicbirdPhaethon rubricaudaSeen in 28 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAdult brown booby standing on a rock with its bill open against blue sky, PrincipeBrown boobySula leucogasterSeen in 104 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClose view of a red-footed booby head with blue, pink and red bill and throat skin among green leavesRed-footed boobySula sulaSeen in 91 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCocos angelfishCentropyge joculatorSeen in 2 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGiant trevally swimming close to a coral head, with small reef fish in blue water behind itGiant trevallyCaranx ignobilisSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGreat frigatebird in flight, with long angled wings and a forked tailGreat frigatebirdFregata minorSeen in 44 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLesser frigatebird soaring against a blue sky with its wings spread and tail forkedLesser frigatebirdFregata arielSeen in 39 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Dreaming of Christmas Island?

Tell Rocío what you would love to see

There is no trip here yet. If enough people ask, it helps us decide where to go next.

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Also in Indian Ocean
Chagos (British Indian Ocean Territory)Cocos (Keeling) IslandsComorosIndiaMadagascarMaldivesMauritiusMayotteRéunionSeychellesSomaliaSri Lanka

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