Central Komodo is the heart of the park and the bulk of our day trips. Gentler currents, easier dive profiles, and a serious cast of marine life — from manta rays at Karang Makassar to the turtle gardens of Siaba. There’s a site here for every level.

Skill level

Minimum: Open Water
Best for: every level — first divers through to instructors

The sites

Batu Bolong

The signature site of Komodo. A submerged pinnacle rising from the channel, blanketed in soft coral and gorgonian fans. One of the most fish-dense spots in the park — napoleon wrasse, giant trevally, surgeonfish in the thousands. Current can rip from any direction; entry timing is everything.

Marine life :

  • Napoleon wrasse
  • Giant trevally schools
  • Soft coral wall
  • Gorgonian fans
  • Reef sharks
  • Pygmy seahorse

Tips:

Dive slack or early flood. Never fight the current here. Best at high water. Multiple dive levels on the pinnacle — shallower north face is easier.

Season:

Year-round

Depth

5–40 m

Current

Strong to very strong

Visibility

10–25 m

Water Temp

26–29°C

Type

Seamount / pinnacle

Level

Advanced

Siaba Besar

Wide bay with sandy slopes and coral heads. The best turtle site in Komodo — green turtles resting and feeding on sponge and seagrass. Very relaxed diving, suitable for beginners and great for macro. Often used as a second or third dive.

Marine life :

  • Green turtles
  • Blue-spotted stingray
  • Ribbon eels
  • Cuttlefish
  • Ghost pipefish
  • Nudibranch

Tips:

Go early morning before day-trip boats arrive. Check cleaning stations on coral heads for wrasse activity.

Season:

Year-round

Depth

3–25 m

Current

Mild to moderate

Visibility

8–20 m

Water Temp

26–29°C

Type

Muck / sandy bay

Level

All levels

Siaba Kecil

Smaller, quieter cousin to Siaba Besar. Scattered coral bommies in a protected bay. Good for macro work and critter hunting. Occasional turtles and lots of reef fish. Less visited — good option on busy days.

Marine life :

  • Turtles
  • Scorpionfish
  • Leaf scorpionfish
  • Nudibranchs
  • Painted frogfish
  • Hawksbill turtle

Tips:

Best as a relaxed second dive. Combine with Siaba Besar for a full turtle-focused morning.

Season:

Year-round

Depth

5–22 m

Current

Light

Visibility

10–20 m

Water Temp

26–29°C

Type

Coral reef / bommies

Level

All levels

Tatawa Besar

A long sloping reef with a dramatic wall dropping into blue. Excellent hard and soft coral coverage. Strong surge possible on the upper reef. Good pelagic action — tuna and jacks patrol regularly.

Marine life :

  • Napoleon wrasse
  • Tuna
  • Schooling jacks
  • Soft corals
  • White-tip reef sharks
  • Moray eels

Tips:

Follow the wall east to west with current. Best coral structure 18–28 m. Watch for current reversals around the point.

Season:

Year-round

Depth

5–30 m

Current

Moderate to strong

Visibility

10–25 m

Water Temp

26–29°C

Type

Sloping reef / wall

Level

Intermediate–Advanced

Tatawa Kecil

Sheltered, healthy coral garden on the lee side. More manageable than Tatawa Besar, with exceptional coral diversity in the shallows. Popular with macro photographers and all-level groups.

Marine life :

  • Pygmy seahorse
  • Ghost pipefish
  • Leaf scorpionfish
  • Mantis shrimp
  • Coral diversity
  • Octopus

Tips:

Great for slower, macro-focused diving. The 8–15 m zone has the richest critter density. Works in most current conditions.

Season:

Year-round

Depth

3–25 m

Current

Mild to moderate

Visibility

10–20 m

Water Temp

26–28°C

Type

Coral garden / slope

Level

All levels

Manta Point (Karang Makassar)

A coral reef plateau and cleaning station where reef mantas gather year-round. Multiple cleaning stations along the reef. You settle on the sand and wait — they come to you. Being in the central zone means access all year, though quality varies by season.

Marine life :

  • Reef manta rays
  • Oceanic manta rays (occasional)
  • Cleaning station behavior
  • Eagle rays
  • Marble rays

Tips:

Never chase or approach mantas — settle on the sand downwind of the cleaning station. Thermoclines can drop water to 22°C — wetsuit essential. Visibility varies; some months murky.

Season:

Year-round

Depth

3–28 m

Current

Moderate to strong

Visibility

5–20 m

Water Temp

24–29°C

Type

Manta cleaning station

Level

Intermediate

Mawan

Protected bay on Komodo Island with mixed terrain — sand, rubble, and healthy coral patches. Good variety of reef fish and regular macro finds. A solid all-rounder for groups with mixed experience levels.

Marine life :

  • Ribbon eel
  • Cuttlefish
  • Ornate ghost pipefish
  • Turtles
  • Blue-spotted stingray
  • Banded sea krait

Tips:

Often done as a two-dive site — north slope and south wall are quite different. Check crevices for lobster and moray.

Season:

Year-round

Depth

5–28 m

Current

Light to moderate

Visibility

10–20 m

Water Temp

26–29°C

Type

Bay / coral slope

Level

All levels

Police Corner (Rinca)

A reef point near Rinca Island with strong current funneling through the channel. Good fish density on the corner — jacks, fusiliers, and sharks working the current. Dramatic terrain with overhangs and small caves.

Marine life :

  • Schooling fusiliers
  • Dogtooth tuna
  • Grey reef sharks
  • Overhangs & caves
  • Sweetlips schools

Tips:

Dive on the corner edge — the current deflects here and creates a calm pocket. Don’t drift past the corner into the main channel.

Season:

Year-round

Depth

5–30 m

Current

Moderate to strong

Visibility

10–20 m

Water Temp

26–28°C

Type

Corner / point

Level

Intermediate–Advanced

Pengah

A quieter reef site with a wall dropping to 25–30 m. Good coral along the crest and wall face. Occasional bumphead parrotfish schools on the incoming tide. Less crowded than Batu Bolong — a good alternative on high-traffic days.

Marine life :

  • Bumphead parrotfish
  • Napoleon wrasse
  • Reef sharks
  • Lionfish
  • Soft corals

Tips:

Time with the incoming tide for bumphead parrotfish. The reef crest at 8–12 m is the most productive zone.

Season:

Year-round

Depth

5–30 m

Current

Mild to moderate

Visibility

10–22 m

Water Temp

26–28°C

Type

Wall / coral reef

Level

Intermediate

Wainilu

Classic muck dive on a gently sloping sandy bottom near Rinca. Visibility can be reduced but critter density is exceptional. One of the best sites in Komodo for macro and unusual finds. Popular with underwater photographers.

Marine life :

  • Mimic octopus
  • Wonderpus
  • Frogfish
  • Flamboyant cuttlefish
  • Bobbit worm
  • Hairy shrimp
  • Seahorse

Tips:

Slow down. The best stuff is tiny and hidden in the sand. Bring a torch even in daylight. Fin carefully to avoid silt-out.

Season:

Year-round

Depth

3–20 m

Current

Light

Visibility

5–15 m

Water Temp

25–28°C

Type

Muck / sand slope

Level

All levels

When to dive the central

Year-round, all conditions. We rotate sites based on the day’s wind and tide so you always get the best window.

Dive central Komodo