Scuba Diving Lankayan
Goby Rock
One of the 40+ diving sites surrounding the Lankayan Island Dive Resort, this reef is a clear example of the positive effects of marine protected area projects. Just 10 years ago this region was heavily over-fished and now there is a strong chance you will be diving here with white tip reef sharks patrolling the reef edge.
As its name would suggest, Goby Rock is home to gobies of all colours and descriptions. You can take your time on this dive checking along the sandy floor to witness the fascinating symbiotic relationship the gobies enjoy with their shrimp partners.
While the shrimp does all the work of building their home and keeping it clean, they are almost blind. The goby guards the entrance, thus alerting the shrimp of any danger before it leaves the safety of the burrow to push a load of debris from the tunnel. What a marvellous example of how 2 disparate species can form mutually beneficial partnerships for life.
While diving slowly close to the sandy bottom, one thing you will not help but notice is the large number of blue-spotted stingrays in the Lankayan area. There are so many and your presence could cause a number of them to suddenly take off from their sandy resting places. It is a startling sight; as if the ocean floor suddenly bursts into life.
Also home to jawfish and a wide range of nudibranchs, the hard coral garden that covers the upper part of the rock is in excellent health with so many different species growing in close proximity that you could spend your entire dive in a few square metres and still not be able to identify them all. Your 5m safety stop will surely fly by atop this coral masterpiece.
Goby Rock Basics: Rocky reef slope
Depth: 10 - 25m
Visibility: 5 - 20m
Currents: None
Surface conditions: Calm to rough
Water temperature: 26 - 30°C
Experience level: Beginner - advanced
Number of dive sites: 1
Diving season: All year round
Distance: 2 km (8 minutes) from Lankayan Island jetty
Access: Lankayan diving resort
• Lankayan Island travel information
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