Strongly recommended for experienced divers only who know how to handle currents; because once you have started the dive at this spot, you cant stop it. Vibrant shades of coral trout, bass and emperors swim by with an occasional sighting of a turtle. The Indonesian government has actually considered forbidding all access to Komodo National Park in fear that over-infrastructure there may posse a threat to Komodo Dragons in the long term. So if you truly want to see the Komodo Dragons up close, yet dont have that much money you should be willing to shorten your trip by a few weeks. Whitetip and blacktip reef sharks patrol You can also see Komodo Dragons at Komodo National Park, located on a separate island from Rinca. This houses some impressive sea fans and even more exciting marine life. Average rating 5 / 5. Rugged, wild and packed with the promise of adventure, Komodo is one of Indonesias most famous diving destinations. Lush coral gardens that extend as far as the eye can see with large Gregorian corals. Giant trevallies, Napoleon wrasses, giant sweetlips, tunas, grey reef and white tip sharks, schools of batfish, jacks and school of fusiliers will surround the divers. The Cauldron is the passage at the North part of Komodo between Gili Lawa Laut and Gili Lawa Darat. This is also one of the very famous liveaboard diving sites in Komodo National Park. Another defining feature of the southern region of Komodo is that between July August, it is the best region to witness the mighty Mola Mola also known as the oceanic sunfish. Or, if you continue along the left shoulder, the sloping reef meets the sand at around 17 meters, where there is a great opportunity to come face to face with pygmy seahorses, leaf seahorses and a variety of frogfish. On the other end of the spectrum, central Komodo does still have many superb drift dives that are perfect for those keen on large marine life. It should be noted that increasing levels of tourism and matters relating specifically to the komodo dragon are currently the major management issues right now. Mostly known for its huge population of manta rays, its to Komodo National Park. Youll find many taxis outside the airport, who will be all happy to take you. We end the drift dive at either northern or southern part of the island where a beautiful coral garden expects us. We asked our dive guide on board our liveaboard what his favorite dive was and he chose Current City. Kalong Island is one of the only places on earth you can see this natural phenomenon. Fringing and patch coral reefs are extensive and best developed on the north east coast of Komodo. Mawan holds many surprises for divers as it offers some huge inhabitants as well as a great macro marine life that is a dream of underwater photographers. Our Girls Expect wall dives, drift dives, pinnacle dives, protected coral gardens, muck dives and more. A shallow dive that will leave photographers with full cameras and divers of all levels mesmerized. Why? The central region is the best for muck dives and small, whacky critters! Grab your dive torch, you're in for a spectacle! Sabolon Kecil offers nice drift dives and a seamount that is inhabited by all types of sea fans and hard corals. the area, which is also visited by eagle and manta rays in the right season. Each region has many dive sites, meaning youll need at least a few days diving at each region to truly discover it! Even when youve made this choice there are dozens of different liveaboards and resorts, all of them varying significantly in dive routes, price and extra experiences. Labuan Bajo was once a small fishing village but is now a thriving tourist hub due to scuba diving. Giant trevally, turtles, sharks, morays, octopus also visit this dive spot. This means that if you buy a product, book a liveaboard, book accommodation or purchase insurance, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Pengah Kecil is a rocky island located in Central Komodo and offers plateau, steep walls and sloping reefs. As always, arm yourself with as much knowledge regarding the latest info there regarding sustainable travel and remember that the future of the environment is in our hands! December to February is the peak season of Manta rays and is found in large numbers in the southern part of Komodo National Parks waters. Literally flying among corals and drift along with some giant sweetlips, snappers, sharks and groupers, divers will arrive at the sand bowl the cauldron. colour - or this many turtles - on a dive before. Part of the reason for the insane biodiversity within the waters around Komodo is due to the fact that this region sits within the coral triangle, an area that covers much of Indonesia, the Philippines and New Guinea. Most liveaboards also include extra activities like beach visits and a chance to visit the Komodo Dragon Reserve on komodo island. But if itis truly meaningful to you; youll find a way to make that theoretical $1000, even if it means shortening your trip by a few weeks. Due to its currents and being in open water Castle Rock offers great visibility. Siaba Kecil is a small, long-shaped island which offers some amazing drift dives. Komodo National Park was established in 1980 and declared a world heritage site and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1991. Also the best place to spot manta rays. With them, these upswellings bring many nutrients which attract scores of filter feeders, making many of the dive sites here excellent for spotting manta rays and whale sharks. Personally, I recommend going with this option. But also the topography of Crystal Rock is impressive. It offers great visibility, vivid marine life, some strong currents and healthy reefs. The park receives considerable resources and support from the central government of Indonesia, which has a special program for ecotourism management. Lighthouse dive spot is not far from Castle Rock. It is sometimes classified as a drift dive site, yet it offers an easy drift in shallow waters. Located in the North part of Komodo Island Crystal Rock is a pinnacle in the open sea that is submerged at high tide. Often, Lighthouse is classified as a drift dive site. This site may not have rich coral growth or interesting underwater scenery, but it is still one of the most interesting dive sites on the Komodo Archipelago due to the many manta rays which can be seen everywhere around this Komodo diving site. Expect mantas swooping by, turtlesfollowing behind them, and corals peacefully swaying On land, the terrain of Komodo National Park is rugged and characterised by rounded hills with altitudes of up to 735 meters. Not seen enough mantas? Many of the drift dives provide unique passage ways between the islands; which make for superb and adrenaline soaked drift dives; during which one will be carried over a variety of sandy slopes, rocky outcrops and mighty pinnacles; virtually all of them covered in magnificent coral and surrounded by various eye popping pelagics. A challenging dive spot though really worth it. These vibrant pinnacles reefs, which also include various sponges, are home to countless reef fish, including fusiliers, unicornfish and bannerfish. We've hosted Girls that Scuba Trips to this incredible marine park, so here's our take on the best dive sites in Komodo. This ritual whip fight is a major element of Manggarai cultural identity. You can stop by the mangroves after your visit to Rinca Island (where you see the dragons) on the way back home, with a beer in hand. You can easily arrange to take a scuba refresher course which lasts just half a day and then youll be good to go! At the surface of Batu Bolong site we can see just a small rock, but underwater it is a giant rock that goes deep into the blue to 70 m. The rock offers a great richness of marine life and some amazing hard and soft corals. Sign up to get the latest updates, offers and more. Mantas, giant trevaly and other large pelagics are frequently spotted here. Mawan is located in the central Komodo National Park, west of Siaba. If you have gone with option 1) liveaboard, you will be picked up and transferred to the liveaboard from here, easy as! Scuba diving fanatic, nature geek and Grand Admiral of the Diving Squad. In the northern side, two large rocksat 22m give shelter to a cleaning station, mostly used by Being a little more sheltered, central Komodo is also the only place where some dive sites are not so prone to strong currents. The area is well known for its strong currents and is often recommended for divers with experience. Great for spotting reef sharks, rays, turtles and big fish. However you decide to dive at Komodo, getting there is the old same story. With a PADI Travel account, you can favourite dive operators to come back to later on any device or computer. It is located in the North part of Komodo island. The Komodo National Park is divided into two spheres: the North and the South. forget that DSMB! In the southern area of the park, the waters are cooler because of ocean currents, however there are exclusive sightings of rich marine life. Manta rays and whale sharks can also be spotted, but the best regions for these two species are north and south. especially if you're heading on a liveaboard in Komodo. Snappers, oriental sweetlips, mobula rays, eagle rays, giant trevallies, sharks, some nudibranchs, bat fish or fusiliers can be spotted on a dive in this site. However, something most people dont realise is that Komodo national park is divided into three distinct regions north, central and south; each of which have their own unique charms and ecosystems. As the name gives it away, Manta Alley is the main site for liveaboard divers to find the exotic manta rays. Youll need to fly into Komodo International Airport. Try Manta Alley! Komodo Islands also make part of the chain islands of Indonesia. Along the right shoulder of the mooring line is Mini Wall, a wall dives that meets the sandy bottom at around 35 meters. Share your love of diving, experience new adventures, expand your dive skills, and help save the ocean. Siaba Besar is a favourite muck diving site; it is a horseshoe shaped bay, home to a stunning coral reef where broadclub cuttlefish, hairy shrimp, wonderpus, frogfish, seahorses and a large host of curious other critters await discovery. Bolong is minimal and the depth is relatively shallow. Many filter feeders are found here, including Manta Rays and Whale Sharks. Komodo liveaboards are also a much more Macro life is also diverse with many nudibranchs, ornate ghost pipefish, flamboyant cuttlefish, leaf scorpionfish, and frogfish. However, a great deal of the local population heavily rely on tourism for their work. In 1991 Komodo National Park was declared as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meanwhile, the surrounding open waters are a great place to spot turtles, trevally, crocodile fish, reef sharks and mackerel. Heading North from Labuan Bajo and in just 40 minutes ride on our boat we reach the two islands of Sabolon Kecil and Sabolon Besar. It is located exactly in the channel of the park where waters have to come through from North to South and back again. Crawling and climbing amongst these are many starfish, blue eyed crabs and scorpionfish. Youll have more time to enjoy the full scope of diving that Komodo has to offer! If you do opt for a diving school, to save money as well as for convenience of arranging your dives, I highly recommend that you go with one also provides accommodation. But theres more you can do. Because the islands comprising Komodo National Park are protected, you cant actually stay on them, which is a good thing as a lack of infrastructure keeps the surrounding waters clear and pristine. Scuba Diving Komodo is on the bucket list of virtually any diver who knows anything about this legendary national park, located in Indonesia, some 450 km east of Bali. Your time between dives will be spent on a much larger boat with more amenities than if you go with a diving school and youll get to do more diving, including around the more remote sites that can only be accessed in this way, meaning youll see much fewer other divers! What will reward you at the top is possibly the most beautiful sight in Indonesia. The park has numerous diving spots that provide exceptional liveaboard diving experience. Comprised of central Komodo island, Padar island, upper Rinca island and many of the smaller islands surrounding them. We'd recommend you are at least Advanced Open Water qualified - and don't affordable alternative to Raja Ampat liveabords and the cost involved in getting there. South Komodo is the best region to spot large schools of devil rays; especially around the Pillerstien sites which boast epic topography with dramatic walls, swim throughs and mighty whip corals. This dive side is often used for a second or third dive as it offers rather shallow dives. That said, the southern regions of the national park do harbour some spectacular soft coral reefs. You can dive Castle Rock all year around and enjoy spotting white tip sharks, giant and jack trevallies, mackerels and sometimes dolphins. These mighty creatures do tend to steal the show, but for those who can pry their eyes away from the open waters and search between the intricate coral formations jutting from the pinnacles; theres a fascinating mix of weird and wonderful critters to be spotted, including various species of pygmy seahorses, nudibranch and frogfish. All the information you need to plan your dive vacations anywhere in the world. Mola Mola is one of the heavyweight boney fish in the Komodo Island. Castle Rock is a pinnacle underwater with a top at 4m deep. The southern reefs are mainly formed from soft coral including branching corals and sea fans. At Makasar Reef diving happens in shallow at 10-15 m over the bottom covered with some broken corals and small stones. Following the reef for the beginning we cross over a sandy bottom to the seamount, after that return to the reef and finish our dive with a drift on a beautiful plateau. You can dive Batu Bolong all year around. These sit on a 30m sandy bottom, with the topsat only 3m deeps. It is a reef filled with small caverns and inhabiting many sweetlips, batfish, and angelfish but also lobster, nudibranchs, Gorgonian fans. Komodo National Park has plenty to offer macro-lovers too. Thats all for now! Here, you can Or worse still, not been able to spot them on your trip so far? One great example is Batu Tiga, which is situated between central Komodo and Padar island in the Linta Strait. The vast majority of Komodo scuba diving sites experience strong currents and tend to be drift dives. That said, the islands distance from bima, means that these peoples would probably have had little to do with Bima other than fulfil occasional demands for tribute. Live a life others only dream about. Choose your design and prove your PADI certified diver status across the world with a recycled plastic card, eCard or both. This is a perfect place for our safety stop, or for beginners who also like to dive Siaba Kecil. This is one of the most eminent dive sites in the northern part of Komodo National Park. Komodo dragons are found on Komodo and Rinca. Enjoy 20% OFF select PADI eLearning programs, FREE ReActivate online refresher, subscription to Scuba Diving magazine + so much more when you join PADI Club. Schools of barracudas quite often circle around the pinnacle. Ask for an airport pick up for the quickest and easiest option. There are many diving schools which also double up as hostels at a range of price options. And if. Scuba Diving Season in Komodo National Park is possible all year round. In the shallow waters Sebayur Kecil is a great dive site for some small inhabitants, such as leaf scorpionfish or frogfish. By and large, Komodo National Park is really only suitable for experienced divers who at least have their advanced open water certification. As currents can be very strong here, we recommend this dive spot for experienced divers only. You'll notice the thriving marine In addition to featuring excellent drift dives over stunning coral gardens, towering pinnacles akin to those found further up north as well as manta ray cleaning stations (albeit not as many as up north), central Komodo is also the best place for muck diving. Tatawa Besar is located in the North-East part of Komodo Island. All of the national park islands are of volcanic origin and consequently the underwater topography around many of the dive sites here is both dramatic and varied, with mighty pinnacles, rocky overcrops and underwater caves. Characterised by dramatic underwater landscape of rocky outcrops and pinnacles. One can also spot lionfish, nudibranch and cuttlefish cruising up and down the drop off. By Komodo standards, the current at Batu out for any unexpected encounters. You can dive Lighthouse all year around. Vote count: 2, Best dive sites in Komodo North and South. Visit a traditional village and watch a Caci. Some of the links in our content are affiliate links. Ok, so fees aside, what else is one to do to ensure their trip to komodo is a sustainable one? Covered with corals, colourful sponges and sea fans and inhabiting leaf scorpion fish and other macro creatures, the dive spot The Cauldron gives you an amazing dive with a bit of everything. It is a sloping reef, as divers go deeper a seamount at around 25 m offers a great chance to spot different sharks and giant sweetlips. Pillerstien is nicknamed surge city on account of the fact that it has no shelter from the surge of the Indian Ocean and consequently experiences strong currents that make for fantastic drift dives. In the last year, theres been talk of increasing this fee to $1000. Labuan Bajo is the nearest airport and is serviced by flights from Bali and Jakarta. The Cauldron is famous for its legendary drift dives where divers are shoot through at a very fast pace. That said, a few dive sites do experience a lack of currents and are suitable for open water divers. Due to its very strong currents and the depth, only experienced divers should join for the dives at Crystal Rock. Not really. A broadening of the management focus to address issues within the marine area of the park, is required to ensure long term effectiveness of conservation. Due to the stronger currents, much of the coral here is stunted, which makes for an interesting and alternative looking reef. The best place to see them is Rinca Island. Comprising the largest part of Komodo National Park, the central region is well known among local divers for the insane variety it possesses. Divers and snorkelers can visit Mawan all year around. If you need, you can check out these vital scuba diving refresher tips, to help you remember that vital scuba info! Various categories of sharks such as the hammerhead, grey reefs and whitetip circle the area. Tatawa Kecil is located south of Tatawa Besar island. Liveaboards vary a lot! At Crystal Rock divers descend quickly with the current down to 20-25 m where they can hold to a rock and observe almost all of the giant oceanic inhabitants. That said, you will still get to experience the central Komodo diving regions and these are amazing nonetheless! This dive site is celebrated for its variety of shrimps, pygmy seahorses, frogfish and schools of red snappers. Therefore, if you choose to go with a diving school; you will need to stay in the coastal town of Labuan Bajo which is on the island of Flores, East Nussa Tenggara Province. In addition to this, some liveaboards also offer itineraries that visit additional Indonesian islands close (and sometimes not so close!) Living along this slope are many garden eels, cuttlefish and garden shrimp. Apart from manta rays divers can also spot sharks, eagle rays, bumphead parrot fish, turtles and some smaller fish such as gobies, flasher wrasses. Manta rays visit this dive site often as their cleaning station. Hopefully, you already know to avoid all plastic, use reef safe sunscreen and generally not be a dick towards all living things that you met on you travels from the largest komodo dragon (which in fairness if you do try to be a dick to, will probably rip off your arm) to the smallest insect. further out dive spots that arent accessible from Labuan Bajo. Divers regularly spot manta rays and whale sharks as well as huge schools of graceful devil rays. It may also be possible to arrange taking scuba diving courses with some dive schools and liveaboards whilst youre there. Diving in Komodo isnt always easy,andcurrents can be unpredictable. Regular patrolling of the marine and terrestrial areas is carried out for law enforcement in order to address illegal fishing and poaching. Comprised of south Komodo and South Rinca as well as the smaller islands around them. These are mostly comprised of hard coral species, of which there is a staggering variety. Pengah Kecil hosts different species of hard and soft corals, sea fans, feather stars. The dive is finished by being carried by the current around the pinnacle to the protected area where divers can enjoy some pygmy seahorses and octopuses if lucky. We'll also share the best liveaboards in Komodo, as well as what to do on land in Komodo National Park. They mostly live in the depths and rise to the surface as if to soak themselves in the sunlight, thus earning their name of the sunfish. This is also the most infrequently visited region due both to its considerable distance from Labuan Bajo making it only accessible via liveaboard as well as the fact that the diving season here is different to north and central regions (more on this info in the when to dive section!). With its colorful coral reefs and vibrant, diverse species of fishes, manta rays, sharks and of course Komodo dragons; Komodo Liveaboards are always in top dream lists of many divers. Only discovered by the scientific community in 1910, they are the worlds largest extant lizard reaching a length of 3 meters / 10 feet. However,in terms of water conditions, the diving season of the southern region of Komodo National Park are the opposite to that of the north and central regions: Best Water Conditions(good visibility, non choppy and warmer waters): Whilst much of the iconic marine life found Komodo is resident and can be spotted all year round such as reef sharks, turtles, fish, crustaceans, mollusks etc, some creatures are more easily seen at certain times of the year. Yet, when the currents are mild it is a great dive site for less experienced divers to enjoy a drift dive in amazing topography. Here you will also be able to see traditional dances and There's alsothe chance of sharks, eagle rays, moray eels, as well as resident clownfish in the mix. It's a feeling like no other when a manta comes to greet you. Spectators support their favorite party by cheerfully shouting out their You can dive and snorkel Siaba Besar all year around. You just cannot miss this enthralling site. Crystal Rock is a sequence of rocks that form a large seamount. Enjoy this shallow dive with a huge possibilities of mantas and turtles, and maybe even You have to have a guide with you at all times (in case you didnt know, their poison canbe fatal with one bite) who carries around a large wooden stick to ward off any inquisitive dragons. There is a stark contrast in terms of underwater topography, diving sites and marine life here. More information on these routes as well as how to choose a Komodo liveaboard, is provided in the main Komodo liveaboard Reviews article. The Karang Makassar (also known as Manta Point) dive site offers the opportunity to dive with numerous manta rays. Black tips and white tips sharks are often there patrolling the area as well as huge Napoleon wrasses and Giant trevallies. The Komodo National Park was registered in 1980, and it comprises of three volcanic islands: Komodo, Padar, and Rinca. As always, the current can be unpredictable. Red Beach offers just all the species from the marine park. And as contrary, Pengah Kecil inhabits the macro marine life like frog fish, any kind of shrimp and nudibranchs. There are countless dive sites around Komodo National Park. In the following context, when referring to the regions of Komodo National Park, these are unofficial and loose categorisations, used by scuba diving groups to describe the broad areas of Komodo that can be explored by divers. Less often visited than the central and north regions. To get to both of these spots you need to take a boat trip from Labuan Bajo. Despite only covering 1 % of the worlds total ocean, the coral triangle represents 30% of the worlds coral reefs and has the worlds greatest marine biodiversity. octopus, sharks and rays. In the descriptions below, only a couple of dive sites are described for each region, however the reality is that all three of the regions each have many dozens of dive sites to be explored. Only during the summer season, their sightings are very common. A range of marine life is encountered here such as turtles, reef sharks and all kinds of fish. Batu translates to rock and Bolong means hole. Currently it costs around $10 to visit Komodo National park, which doesnt go a long way towards the upkeep of the park, yet does encourage everyone to go thus increasing the likelihood of an overcrowding problem in the near future. Huge schools of the brittle glassfish in miscellaneous shades embrace the diver. 4m deep, offering an unforgettable view. The best time to view Mola Mola also known as the sunfish is in the summer months of July and August. Wainilu located close to the Rinca Island is a place for macro diving that first gives an impression of nothing and surprises then with weird and amazing critters. Komodo National Park is home to over 1000 species of fish, mangroves, manta rays, sharks, dolphins and coral reefs. Chances are, youll be coming from some way away, so you deserve to be able to make the most of it from the moment you arrive! There are two locations for liveaboard divers to view mantas; in the north, it is Karang Makassar and in the south, it is Manta Alley. The wall is teaming with schooling fish like red tooth triggerfish and blue streak fusiliers as well as anthias as regular guests. This is the best region place for seeing eagle rays and Mola Mola / Sunfish! You may even bump into squids, And honestly, Komodo offers incredible scuba diving all year round, provided you visit the right place at the right time, which your diving school or liveaboard will ensure you do. Dont get stressed by the dead corals, sand or rubble, these are perfect housing for some hidden and rare creatures. The dives at Karang Makassar are mostly nice drift dives, because the exposed location of this site means that there is always a current here. One of the world class dive sites. The waters of south Komodo are a little cooler than the north and central regions, due to the large upswellings of water from deep within the Indian ocean coming into contact with the continental shelf. Mola Mola usually live very deep down, rising to the surface as if to soak themselves in sunlight hence the nickname sunfish and rarity of sightings. Expect reefsharks, turtles, rays, and keep an eye Many of the strongest drift dives in Komodo National Park are located here. Now dont get me wrong. Honestly, dont get in too much of a flap about this one. evenings, with this National Geographic-esque displaying lasting for around 15 minutes. Divers can find here centimeter long (or rather small) nudibranchs, different types of mantis shrimp, pipefishes, frogfish, seahorse, blue ring octopus or even a mimic octopus and Mandarin fish. To get to Padar island you will have to take a boat from the main land of Labuan Bajo which takes around 3 hours, but is usually combined with a trip to Komodo National Park. Sheltered dive sites boast a myriad of critters hiding among the slopes and walls of healthy hard and soft corals. This means that when there is great light it's an underwaterplayground for photographers. Three Sisters gets its name fromthe three huge rocks dominating the dive site. Tatawa Kecil is another great dive site in central Komodo National Park for those who love and know currents. An all time favourite dive site is Castle Rockcomprised of blue dragon coral, golden table coral and bronze hued brain coral; it also features an assortment of pink, orange and yellow tube and vase sponges. Best water conditions in the central region; where most dive operators and liveaboards operate, is from May September. Water temperature can be on the low side, sometimes dipping below 77F (25C), so bring extra layers of neoprene or a hood on top of a basic 3 mm suit to stay comfortable.
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