You will also see numerous whitetip and blacktip reef sharks. If you are lucky you can spot bigger sharks like the grey shark and even the Hammerhead shark! Komodo is also a terrific destination to dive with the magnificent peaceful Manta ray. You can spot them all year round but the best time to see them in ballet is during the rainy season when you can sometimes literally speak of schooling Manta rays ;-). You can watch this great video to see how it it is underwater!
Best time to Dive in Komodo Island
Scuba Diving in the Komodo marine reserve is possible all year round.
Best diving conditions run from March to October
Best season to see a lot of Manta rays is during the rainy season from December to February.
Visibility is best from November to January
From January to March the sea can be a bit choppy but nothing bad.
Scuba Diving conditions
Currents are usually very strong on every dive site and diving in Komodo is mostly reserved to experienced divers with confidence in drift diving!
There are however some quieter dive spots for those beginners but you may miss the incredible action of big fishes swimming into the current.
The current can sometimes reach 8 knots in some places. It is driven by tides so choose your dive site carefully which you can plan depending on the conditions. This current is due to the Komodo and Rinca island acting like a bottleneck between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. This current is why Komodo waters are so full of fishes and so clear.
Never question the decision of your guide if they decide to cancel a trip for safety reasons; these waters can be a real roller coaster with the risk of being washed away in the open sea and these guys are professionals.
Scuba Diving conditions
Currents are usually very strong on every dive site and diving in Komodo is mostly reserved to experienced divers with confidence in drift diving!
There are however some quieter dive spots for those beginners but you may miss the incredible action of big fishes swimming into the current.
The current can sometimes reach 8 knots in some places. It is driven by tides so choose your dive site carefully which you can plan depending on the conditions. This current is due to the Komodo and Rinca island acting like a bottleneck between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. This current is why Komodo waters are so full of fishes and so clear.
Never question the decision of your guide if they decide to cancel a trip for safety reasons; these waters can be a real roller coaster with the risk of being washed away in the open sea and these guys are professionals.
Diving Komodo Island Reef
Pristine Reefs around Komodo Islands National Park (Photo Credit)
One of the best things about diving Komodo is that you will often feel as you are the only ones underwater as there are just so many dive sites. Also the local dive centres agree on not diving the same site at the same time.
Fishes and Coral
Fishes
The Komodo waters are incredibly rich in marine life.
Pelagic fishes: Dogtooth Tuna, Giant trevally, Barracuda, Manta rays
Sharks: Blacktip, Whitetip, Grey, Hammerhead sharks
Macro: All kinds and rare nudibranchs, pygmy sea horse, frog fish
The best place for macro diving is Cannibal Rock located in the south of the marine reserve.
There is also a teeming reef life with myriads of fishes. Be careful not to lose your buddy because of the “walls of fishes” ;-)
Coral
The coral all around the park is just amazing, some of the best around the world. There are many shallow coral gardens offering wonderful snorkelling opportunities.
