Field guides / Balochistan / Churna Island
Field guide · Coast
Churna Island
Churna is a small, uninhabited rocky island off the Balochistan coast near the Karachi border, and Pakistan's premier spot for scuba diving and snorkelling. Roughly 1.
Churna is a small, uninhabited rocky island off the Balochistan coast near the Karachi border, and Pakistan's premier spot for scuba diving and snorkelling. Roughly 1.2 km long, it rises from clear waters that host coral, reef fish, moray eels, turtles, and, for the lucky, dolphins, making it the country's best-developed dive destination. Day trips run by boat from Mubarak Village, a fishing settlement at the western edge of Karachi; operators offer diving, snorkelling, cliff-jumping, and fishing. Several wrecks and the gun-emplacement remains of an old firing range lie around the island, adding to the underwater interest.
Why go
- ✦Pakistan's top scuba diving and snorkelling site
- ✦Coral, reef fish, turtles, and moray eels
- ✦Cliff-jumping and boat fishing
- ✦Boat trip from Mubarak Village
- ✦Calm, clear winter waters
Diving Pakistan
Churna is the centre of Pakistan's small but growing dive scene. The waters around the island hold patches of hard and soft coral, schools of reef fish, moray eels, rays, turtles, and the occasional dolphin pod, with visibility at its best in the calm winter months. Karachi operators run both try-dives for beginners and guided dives for the certified, providing tanks, regulators, and instructors, book through a reputable outfit and check their safety standards.
Getting There, Mubarak Village
The jumping-off point is Mubarak Village, a traditional Baloch fishing community at the far edge of Karachi where the boats are launched. The crossing to Churna takes around half an hour across open water that can be choppy outside the calm season. Most visitors come on an organised day trip that bundles transport from the city, the boat, and equipment into one package.
Beyond Diving
Churna is not only for divers. Snorkellers can explore the shallows over the reef, the island's low cliffs are popular for adrenaline-charged jumps into deep water, and the boats double as fishing platforms. It is an uninhabited, protected-feeling outcrop with no facilities, so everything, water, food, sun protection, comes with you, and everything you bring leaves with you again.
Planning tip
When to go, October to March for the calmest seas and best underwater visibility. Summer monsoon swells make crossings rough and diving poor.
Getting there, By boat from Mubarak Village, about 45 minutes northwest of Karachi by road, then a 30-45 minute crossing. Trips are arranged through Karachi dive and tour operators who supply gear and guides.
Allow, A full day from Karachi, early start, boat out, diving or snorkelling, and back by late afternoon.
