Komodo Diving

Batu Bolong

Batu Bolong (Hollow Rock) in northern Komodo is a rock pinnacle that lies in 75 metres of water between Tatawa Island to the east and Komodo main island to the west. It is one of North Komodo's signature dive sites as the fish life here is always a full-on festival.

Due to the rock's topography and exposure to strong currents the reef has not been targeted by fishermen and is in superb condition. Hard corals and sponges cover the walls and slopes, but the main beneficiary here must be the fish life. The volume of fish here is awesome, right from the deeper water areas where Napoleon wrasse and whitetip reef sharks cruise, to the shallow where thousands of smaller reef fish battle it out for territorial and feeding rights.

Hawksbill turtles are frequent feeders on the sponges and tunicates, giant sweetlips lurk in the gullies and overhangs, palette surgeonfish dance across the current swept upper reaches of the rock. Stay a while here if you can as this Komodo dive site is really a great place to educate yourself and witness the full gamut of what being a reef fish is all about. Fish mating, fish laying and guarding eggs, fish hunting, fish hiding, fish fighting, fish feeding - it's all here on display from dawn 'til dusk.

Perhaps the most spectacular side of the pinnacle is the north side, which is much steeper than the other gentler sloping sides. It has a small submerged pinnacle in the north east, and a huge deep gully from the surface down to about 27 metres. You can choose to drop down to depth here and either zigzag up the northern face, or spiral around the whole rock if the currents allow.

Batu Bolong should not be dived if the currents in north Komodo are very strong since the site is small and there is no opportunity to drift. Slack tide is really the only occasion that you should dive here.

Batu Bolong Reef Basics: Rock pinnacle
Depth: 5 - >40m
Visibility: 15 - 25m
Currents: Can be strong
Surface conditions: Can be rough
Water temperature: 21 - 27°C
Experience level: Advanced
Number of dive sites: 2
Diving season: March to December
Distance: ~500 km east of Bali (25 hours)
Access: Komodo liveaboard cruises

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