Flores Diving Information

  29 December 2008, 04:13:49 (1717 hits)

MAUMERE BAY

HOUSE REEFS
The house reefs of Maumere are critter playgrounds with mimic octopus, frogfish and leaf fish among the stars of the show. Local dive operators will know the best spots for finding these little beasties.

WAIR TERANG
To the east of Maumere and just off the coast of Flores there is a WWII Japanese freighter lying on its side from 25 to 12 meters deep. Coral growth on the wreck has improved over the years and it now plays home to many fish and other marine creatures.

PANGAH BATANG
A sloping wall drops to around 30 mtrs here and there can be currents. Leather and soft corals are found in impressive quantities and colours alongside some large gorgonians. Sharks and eagle rays have also been spotted hanging in the current. The shallower parts of the reef are home to all manner of other critters such as mantis shrimp, pygmy seahorses.

BABI ISLAND
Good spot dive considered for this island. The reef wall is in pristine condition. The crystal clear sea water that is dropping down to a depth of about 50 metres, it is visible to the sea floor. Many collection of the marine creature including snappers, angelfish, parrotfish and damselfish all occupy the wall. Other more : sea apples add splashes of blue and red colour, the number of gorgonian sea fans along the wall.

SEA WORLD CLUB
A resort on the east of Maumere, about 30 kms east part from Maumere. At certain dive spots in Maumere there are few pelagics.

PEMANA ISLAND
A wall with nice coral growth and many small animals hiding in the crevices and holes. Maybe this wall still gives some impression of what Maumere was like before the earthquake. So diving has become more interesting in the meantime. Sea World Club has two dive boats one with twin 40-hp-engines and the other one with two 25-hp-engines.

WEST FLORES

KOMODO ISLAND
Komodo island is the island that lie in between the larger islands of Sumbawa to the west and Flores in the east along the Nusa Tenggara. With an extensive area of the surrounding ocean they form the Komodo National Park which was established and declared as World Heritage Site. The park is most famous for its enormous lizards, the Komodo dragon, however its underwater attractions should not be overlooked and are rated as some of the best dive sites in the world. The diversity of dive options around Komodo is astounding, colourful shallow reefs teeming with hundreds of reef fishes and crammed with invertebrates.

BANTA ISLAND
Lies off to the northwest of Komodo, currents are usually strong here as it is one of the widest gaps between islands in Nusa Tenggara. Cold water from the Flores basin in the north is forced through this channel which often attracts big pelagics.

GPS POINT
Located to the north of Banta. The submerged sea bank attracts barracuda, dogtooth tuna, spanish mackerel and sharks since the currents are usually strong. Up to five species of shark have been identified in a single dive at GPS Point.

STAR WARS
Has excellent small fish numbers that look like they're taking part in some epic space battle, very good coral growth and the occasional mantas. Pygmy seahorses may be found on close inspection of gorgonians at this dive site.

GALLEY ROCK
To the south of Banta is another big fish dive suitable only in the right conditions when the surface is calm. Topography is a gentle slope which changes into a wall, then flattens out at around 30m with large sponges abundant.

GILI LAWA LAUT
A couple of valleys play home to oriental sweet-lips and there are some big groupers around. The bigger feeders such as jacks and tuna can be found out. There are a few other interesting dive sites in the area which has a "honey hole" on the point that is home to sweet-lips and batfish.

CRYSTAL ROCK
Nice soft coral coverage here with some impressive table corals. There is a small mound northwest of the rock where different species of fish school seasonally, including tuna and mackerel.

CASTLE ROCK
Soft corals and sea fans are prolific at around 20 meters Currents can be strong, usually flow eastwards and are much stronger at the surface than in the deeper water but it is possible to find shelter near the top of the rock where conditions are calmer.

DARAT PASSAGE
Located between Komodo and Gili Lawa Laut is the Darat Passage. There are good dives available here when current is kind. Nice coral growth at 20 to 25 meters attracts myriad reef fish including coral trout, groupers, tuna and trevally.

TATAWA BESAR AND TATAWA KECIL
Starting at the northwestern tip of Tatawa is a good drift dive down the western side in about 15 to 20 meters of water. Fish life is plentiful and an endless field of stunning orange soft corals can be seen. Mantas are often seen in this area also and there is abundant fish life.

BATU BOLONG
This submerged sea mount is just south of Tatawa Kecil and offers some exhilarating diving. Huge rocks play host to swirling clouds of schooling fish such as fusiliers, sweet lips, anthias and red-tooth triggers.

PINK BEACH
This dive site has an abundance of fish life and critters including scorpionfish, nudibranchs and ribbon eels. Large coral outcrops are at around 25 meters with a slight vertical drop where glassfish swarm in the cracks and crevaces.

LOH NAMU
The Loh Namu peninsular has a nice spot for finding big groupers. The best way to dive it is south to north at around 25 meters, just before high tide. There are a couple of small caves housing other interesting specimes and a number of large coral. The small island of Indihiang has a couple of good walls with good coral.

TANJUNG LOH SERA
Several submerged large rocks and pinnacles form valleys to swim through however the current can be strong here. Marine life here includes dogtooth tuna, turtles, giant trevally, potato cod, bumphead parrotfish and malabar grouper ... a real big fish dive!

TALA ISLAND
Tala island are steep rocky walls and strong surge. One site called The End of the World has a sheer wall of black rock that drops to 100 meters deep. There are vast shoals of small fish in the shallows and some interesting invertebrates on the wall.

GERMAN FLAG
This dive site is a great place to spot them, drifting is the norm here since currents can be strong. Also spotted on this dive are Malabar groupers, potato cod and napoleon wrasse.

THE ALLEY
Is just along from German Flag in the channel that separates Komodo from Tala island. It is a relatively shallow dive to around 20 meters but if the season is right you wont want to stray from close to the surface where the mantas are from November through March.

LETUHOH REEF
The reef stretches south of Tanjung Letuhoh and has some large submerged boulders and pinnacles. Falling tide with a northerly flowing current is the best time to dive here. There are some large coral covered pinnacles that attracts a diverse quantity of fish life included reef sharks.

NISALEME ISLAND
Just off shore is Nisaleme island that is very exposed and drops off into deep water very quickly. Watch those down currents. More big pelagics here including dogtooth tuna, rainbow runners and jacks.


THREE SISTER
Also off the southern tip of Padar and north of Pillarsteen is Three Sisters or Tiga Dara. Three large submerged rocks around ten meters apart lie east of a reef off the eastern side of the island. The rocks are covered in soft coral and invertebrates and make a nice colourful dive.

PAYUNG ISLAND
Some bizarre shaped rocks at this site give the impression of a wreck dive, one is in the shape of a cannon. Best dived at slack tide this dive site has two possible dives, one at the northwest tip and the other off the south-eastern side of the island. Big schools of fish are common here.

CANNIBAL ROCK
Well protected and free of strong currents. The site is known for its rich and abundant soft corals and varied invertebrate life. Sea apples are also abundant, with golden beads with bright yellow or cream tentacles.

TORPEDO ROCK
Located just north of Cannibal Rock is this rocky patch of reef at around 15 meters is named after its topredo rays. Macro critters such as frogfish, worms and pipefish can be found living in the sandy patches and coral outcrops.

CRINOID CANYON
Its walls are teeming with invertebrates. Best dived in the morning to catch the sunlight at its finest Crinoid Canyon (or Corner) is an easy dive with little current. Life on the walls is astounding, feather and brittle stars, multiple varieties of nudibranch, urchins.

YELLOW WALL
Two walls runs down the east coast of Nusa Kode and is simply alive. Plankton feeding fish populate the shallows in vast numbers, these include anthias, butterfly fish and even the distinctively marked clown triggerfish. Spanish dancers, feather stars, tunicates, and coral polyps can all be found after dark.

TORO SIE
Out on the southeast coast is a rock with surrounding reef. The rock has a ridge that extends to the west, it is covered in crinoids and soft corals, the seabed around it houses lots of interesting critters. Further out over the sand are groupers and more fish life.