Why you should dive around the Komodo Islands….
I first heard about the incredible diving around the Komodo Islands at a bar in Zanzibar over a year ago. I was making small talk with a Swedish backpacker about his travels around Indonesia, a country I was curious to visit. I already knew about Ubud in Bali and the temples in Yogyakarta. The bit that stood out, that made my ears prick up and pay closer attention was when he told me I have to go diving around the Komodo Islands as it was the best diving he had experienced. I don’t remember much else from the conversation, but I have this nameless Swede to thank for his advice as this gem is one of the reasons I selected Indonesia as my travel destination this summer.
Getting to Komodo National Park..
I arrived in Labuan Bajo- the gateway to the Komodo National Park via a four day boat trip with Wanua adventures: see my summary of the boat trip here. I arrived at Dragon Dive hostel bedraggled and exhausted, yet headed straight to book my dive before I even checked in never mind showered or changed.
Unfortunately as I’d booked a flight out of Labuan Bajo two days after arriving I could only do two dives. However, the cost of diving was rather expensive- double what I paid in Amed so perhaps that was a blessing.
The amazing diving at Komodo..
I was lucky to get on a dive trip that was visiting the Northern part of the Komodo National Park which is where the more renowned dive sites are located with incredible opportunities for drift dives.
The Komodo National Park is located at a point where the Indian and Pacific Ocean meet. Hence why many islands have beautiful bays and interesting shapes due to erosion from each side as the waves batter the rock over time.
We set off at around 7.30am and headed to the Dragon Dive boat which took around two – three hours to reach our first dive site.
Dive Site 1- Crystal Rock, Komodo Islands
As an advanced Padi diver I went with the more experienced group. I was a little nervous as the currents around these sites are notorious and I don’t have diving experience in such conditions. I had visions of being whisked away in a current never to be seen again!
Once we arrived at the dive site we had to jump out of the boat fast- one after another. We didn’t even inflate our BCD before descending as otherwise the current would result in us quickly drifting away from the site. A quick ok sign and down we went. Due to the currents we had to swim down to the bottom kicking to get down.
As soon as we descended the ocean came to life. Fish were swimming around us in abundance and the coral.. the coral was unlike any I have seen before. A stunning variety of soft corals filled the ocean floor. They were in pristine condition. It was a true underwater garden of all sizes, shapes and shades.
The sea here allows for perfect coral growing conditions- a consistent sea temperature of 26-27C, clean and clear waters allowing sunlight access. Visibility of 20-40m. Diving here is a dream as a result.
As well as enjoying the incredible beauty and feeling I was in a underwater marine version of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory I had to pay attention to the instructor. We swam with the current to the first pinnacle and had to hold onto it while we observed our surroundings. It was difficult to know which direction to look – there was so much to see. Five minutes later and we swam with the current to the second pinnacle. Again the coral was breathtaking. A shark passed overhead but my attention was mainly on the amazing coral formations and the bright fish that survive here.
Due to the current and intensity plus the depth- almost 30m, me and two others ran out of air relatively quickly and signalled when we got to 50 bar of air. After a three minute safety stop we ascended to the surface. The dive lasted 37 minutes but felt like ten minutes. Time really flies by when you’re diving.
The dive master who took me and two others up had an orange flag to signal to the boat where we were. The boat came and collected us and it was time for coffee, biscuits and donuts.
After a surface interval of an hour it was time for the second dive. This dive site is famous in the diving world and this area offers some of the best diving in Indonesia if not the world.
Dive Site 2: The Cauldron, Komodo National Park
The site is called the Cauldron. It is a basin in the ocean floor hence the name the cauldron. To the left is a wall covered in beautiful soft coral. As we enter the Cauldron strong currents give the site its nickname of “the shotgun”. We were given a range of instructions- when the shotgun sign is given by the instructor we have to fully deflate our BCD, as we enter the current we have to turn to face the current and kick hard against it and hold on to a rock, when the instructors signal to let go we turn around, release our grip and the current will propel us up and out of the cauldron whee you swim left into what the instructors named the “China shop” named because it has everything!
You never know what you might see….sharks, barracuda, octopus, turtles, manta rays, sting rays… you name it.
This site is only for people with an advanced certification as there are a lot of instructions to follow plus strong and changing currents. As we arrived the instructors started mumbling and looking concerned. One said to the other one “shall we swap the next two sites around?” The lead guide replied “it’s too late to change now”. I was a little nervous after over hearing this.
We entered the water and descended, again very rapidly and swam down. My mask was letting in water – it wasn’t the right fit and I had to keep adjusting it and letting the water out which was annoying and affected my buoyancy and breathing.
Manta Ray at Komodo
The first major sight was a magnificent manta ray swimming slowly past us, his mouth open to consume the plankton. What a beautiful creature. He was huge and we got a really good view. What a much more pleasant and rewarding experience than the Komodo cruise at manta point with hundreds of snorkellers all vying for a glimpse of a manta ray.
I felt lucky. We aren’t in manta season so I had no expectations of seeing one. The rest of the site was pretty cool, lots of beautiful coral, a turtle. But the manta ray was my highlight.
When we emerged I asked why we didn’t do the Cauldron “chute” or the “shotgun” as they nicknamed it. The guide explained that the current changed. It wasn’t strong enough. Because two seas meet at this point the currents and tides change very rapidly and are unpredictable. Ah well, it would have been fun to take part in the natural waterpark ride,but nevertheless it was still an amazing experience. Nature has the power, we just have to go with the flow and enjoy the ride.I returned to Dragon Dive hostel tired and ready for pizza, cocktails and bed!
Thank you to Dragon Dive for an incredible experience, and especially Sebastian the Divemaster who really was a lovely, kind person and wasn’t annoyed when he had to emerge with those of us who used Air more quickly than others cutting his dive short.
Is diving in the komodos worth the trip? In my opinion definitely! The corals are stunning and there’s a huge variety of marine life to see.
If you’re in Indonesia and enjoy diving be sure to make Komodo National Park part of your itinerary. Overall I highly recommend diving in this part of the world. I only wish I had more time and money to explore more as I only had the briefest glimpse into the underwater world here. But I’m more than grateful for the experience I had.
When I’m next in a bar chatting about my travels I will do as the Swede did and recommend the Komodos for diving.
Have you been diving in the komodos? What did you think? Where in the world should I head for my next dive?!
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