10 Foot Reef – Komodo National Park Dive Sites
Our third Komodo National Park iconic site is the well named “10 Foot Reef” in Batu Monco Bay along the northern edge of Komodo Island. This large site is aptly named as the coral reef is very shallow and incredibly rich. For snorkelers, this is possibly the finest place to hit the water in the National Park. For divers, this site is the perfect late afternoon dive when staying shallow is important but diving on a beautiful site is key. The late afternoon light on this site is magical for underwater photography and video. The basic plan for this dive is to jump in along a sandy slope and descend to around 20m (60+ ft) to look for cuttlefish or turtles along the bommies. In this depth there are several large seafans which are perfect for underwater photography. Once a bit of time has been spent at depth, it’s time to head toward the shallows where the “10 Foot Reef” gets its name.
“A 10 Foot Reef”
The hard coral garden in the shallows is simply one of the healthiest and most beautiful in Komodo. Branching corals, finger corals, and table corals are all found here along with the colourful damselfish and chromis that call the coral home. This reef is also one of the finest areas in Komodo to shoot under/over or split photos. With the shallowness of this reef it’s possible to spend hours taking photographs.
For those interested in beach combing or a short hill walk, the beach here is a vast and long and the hill offers a beautiful view to the west and the opportunity to see the native deer. (watch out for stray dragons though!)
To see other entries in our Komodo National Park dive site descriptions please see Part One and Part Two on our blog.
