Kalimaya Dive Resort, Komodo National Park

Diving Komodo National Park is simply world-class. Guests can dive with manta rays, sharks and giant trevally in the morning, drift over pristine corals for lunch, then search the muck for macro life in the afternoon. All without ever leaving the boundaries of the park! Komodo diving includes over 50 sites offering a complete range of experiences. From current-swept channels to walls, caves, boulder-strewn slopes, colourful reefs and barren sandy muck sites, Komodo has it all.

The diving in Komodo’s north and south is quite distinct, with each offering its own particular set of conditions and habitats. Yet despite their differences, Komodo’s dive sites all share one common trait, currents. No trip to Komodo is complete without a swirling drift dive through a channel. And, whilst they can sometimes make life difficult, these currents are what make Komodo’s diving so incredible. 

North Komodo diving

The diving in north Komodo is typical of other parts of Indonesia, with warm, clear water and vibrant coral reefs. North Komodo diving focuses on several channels and isolated reefs, including classic sites such as Castle Rock, Crystal Bommie, Gili Lawa Laut, Shotgun and Tatawa. Castle Rock is the best northern site for bigger fish, and sightings of reef sharks, eagle rays, big tuna, giant trevallies and even dolphins are possible. Darat’s ‘Shotgun’ is also ideal for spotting bigger species that gather in the strong currents. And for those that need their manta fix, Karang Makassar is well known for congregations of rays when conditions are right.

South Komodo diving

The diving in Komodo’s southern region is dominated by cold-water upwellings. Filter-feeders thrive in these cooler, plankton-rich waters, and hard corals give way to soft corals, fans and sponges. Smaller animals also become more diverse, and diving in the south often focuses on critter hunting. That said, the south is actually home to the best manta diving in Komodo, particularly at the aptly named Manta Alley. Here, divers can witness flying squadrons of feeding mantas, or get up close and personal as they hover over the cleaning station.

Visitors will also find plenty of diving on Komodo Island’s southern coast and across to Padar and Rinca. Sites such as End of the World, Cannibal Rock, Pillarsteen, Three sisters, Nusa Kode and Yellow Wall can be explored again and again. Every one, packed with unusual nudibranchs, crabs, shrimps, fire urchins and sea apples, as well as rarely-seen fish such as torpedo rays.