Komodo National Park is a protected area in Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands. It is famous for its population of Komodo dragons, but it is also a world-renowned dive destination with abundant marine life and stunning underwater landscapes. The park boasts over 1,000 species of fish and 260 species of coral, making it a must-visit destination for any diving enthusiast. Find below all the information concerning the best Komodo dive sites.
Manta Point
Makassar reef, a 1,5 km drift dive near Komodo Island, is famous for sightings of up to 40 manta rays. Strong currents limit coral growth, creating a lunar-like seascape with craters and dunes. Beyond mantas, the site hosts sharks, schools of bumphead parrotfish, marble and eagle rays, and hidden macro life in the rubble and coral bommies.
Batu Bolong
atu Bolong is like diving into a bustling aquarium. Ranked the 5th best dive site in the world, this pinnacle in central komodo plunges to 85m and teems with marine life. Strong currents create two distinct experiences—a gentle southern slope and a dramatic northern wall. With vibrant corals, pelagic species, sharks, turtles, reef fish, and rich macro life, the sheer volume of activity is astonishing.
Tatawa Besar
This site is located in the eastern part of the park and is known for its colorful coral gardens and abundant marine life. Divers can spot reef sharks, barracudas, and even the occasional grey reef shark.
Siaba Besar
Siaba Besar is a hidden gem in Komodo, perfect for courses due to its sandy bottom and calm waters, yet rich in marine life. Turtles are a constant presence, alongside cuttlefish, sweetlips, white-tip sharks, and blue-spotted stingrays. Rare encounters with dugongs, silver-tip sharks, and ornate ghost pipefish make this site truly special.
Pengah Kecil
Pengah is a dynamic dive site with variable visibility but incredible potential. On a good day, it’s among Komodo’s best. Divers enter at the split, encountering schools of giant trevally and sharks. The west side’s currents create pockets teeming with marine life, while the plateau is covered in vibrant hard and soft corals. Schooling fish, exciting macro life, and a large table coral sheltering six baby sharks make this site a thrill for confident divers.
Tatawa Kecil
Tatawa Kecil, south of Tatawa Besar, is an advanced dive site with strong currents and occasional down currents. Best dived at slack to rising tide, it features swim-throughs, valleys, and giant boulders. Home to large groupers, snappers, sweetlips, jacks, and sharks, this site is challenging to time but always rewarding.
Mawan
Mauan is Komodo’s lesser-known manta spot, offering fewer sightings but longer, closer interactions. Divers zigzag over a sandy slope, spotting shrimp and crabs before reaching a pastel-colored soft coral garden. The site is home to turtles, leaf scorpionfish, mantis shrimp, and a variety of reef fish.
Police Corner
Police Corner is a world-renowned dive site located in the northern part of Komodo National Park, Indonesia. It is known for its stunning underwater topography and incredible biodiversity, making it a must-visit for any scuba diving enthusiast.
Castle Rock
Castle Rock is one of Komodo’s top dive sites, known for strong currents. This seamount rises from 75m to just 3-4m below the surface. Divers enter via negative entry, descending to 25m to witness sharks, giant trevally, tuna, and mackerel schooling above. Drifting with the current, you’ll spot vibrant soft corals, sea fans, and pygmy seahorses.
Crystal Rock
Crystal Rock, one of Komodo’s northern gems, is a larger counterpart to Castle Rock. This pinnacle breaks the surface at low tide, revealing vibrant soft and hard corals. Prone to strong currents, divers use a negative entry to descend quickly and hold position while observing trevally, jacks, sharks, Napoleon wrasse, and occasional eagle rays. The site boasts clear waters, earning its
The Cauldron
Cauldron is an exhilarating dive site located in the northern part of Komodo National Park, Indonesia. It is famous for its unique underwater topography and impressive marine life, making it a must-visit for any scuba diving enthusiast.
Yellow Wall
A macro dive paradise, home to lobsters, decorator crabs, and nudibranchs.
Banta Wall
A stunning vertical wall with gorgonian fans and frequent manta sightings.
Manta Alley
The best place to see oceanic mantas year-round in Komodo, featuring strong currents.
End of the World
A steep wall dive with frequent sightings of surgeonfish, reef sharks, and giant groupers.
Loh Sera
Features pinnacles and cleaning stations attracting dogtooth tuna and manta rays.
Wainilu
Wainilu is Komodo’s own mini Lembeh, perfect for macro lovers. At first glance, its shallow coral rubble seems empty, but a closer look reveals rare critters. Ribbon eels, Indian walkman, mandarin fish, frogfish, juvenile harlequin sweetlips, and countless nudibranchs thrive here. Good buoyancy is key, as the sandy bottom stirs easily, and some residents sting. Treat it like a treasure hunt—you’re bound to spot something new!
Pillarsteen
Pillarsteen, east of Padar, is a pinnacle rock with walls, caves, and swim-throughs at various depths. Open water divers can enjoy it, but advanced divers will love exploring deeper at 30-40m. It remains diveable even in strong currents but can be affected by swell. The site features fusilier schools, diverse soft and feather corals, and occasional sharks and turtles.
Three Sisters
Three Sisters, located north of Pillarsteen, features three pinnacles just 10m apart, rising from 20m to 3-5m below the surface. This pristine site is rich in coral and marine life, with occasional strong currents. For adventurous divers, a hidden fourth pinnacle to the west drops from 20m to 40m, showcasing stunning sea fans and abundant marine life.