Churna Island (recreational dive/spearfishing site, outside the MPA core)

Uninhabited island in the Arabian Sea ~9 km west of the Hub river mouth, on the Sindh-Balochistan boundary near Karachi. Popular winter (Sep-Apr) destination for snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing and spearfishing run by tour operators. Note: the island and surrounding waters were declared a Marine Protected Area in 2024 whose notification bans spear guns and scuba guns, so spearfishing there is now legally restricted/prohibited despite continued recreational activity.

Spearfishing is reported by tour operators but the Churna Island MPA (2024) notification bans spear guns and scuba guns. Treat as restricted/prohibited within the protected area.

Practised mainly September-April (best Oct-Mar)