Coral Garden - Inner Islands
Halik, on Gili Trawangan’s northern side, is a bit of a chameleon. We’ve had dives here where it’s just okay, a gentle slope with some decent table corals and a few turtles. Then there are days, usually in the early morning before the boats really get going, when it absolutely lights up. The site is a steep slope down to 18m, with some gullies etching into the sand. Our favourite feature is the large, healthy patches of staghorn coral. They’re home to so many small things – we often spot tiny seastar shrimp if we slow down enough. The real draw, though, is the sheer number of green and hawksbill turtles. They’re everywhere, munching on the seagrass patches closer to shore or just cruising past. We’ve had whitetip reef sharks glide by here too, usually deeper in the gullies. It’s an easy dive, mostly drift, and perfect for relaxed photographers or anyone who just wants to spend an hour watching turtles do their thing. Average visibility sits around 20m, but it can drop after heavy rain.
- Location
- Inner Islands, Seychelles, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- -4.287000, 55.744200
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Curieuse
Best Time to Dive in Inner Islands
The warmest water temperatures in Inner Islands occur in April, averaging 30.4°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 26.6°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.7°C
- February: 29.0°C
- March: 29.8°C
- April: 30.4°C
- May: 29.8°C
- June: 28.5°C
- July: 26.8°C
- August: 26.6°C
- September: 27.4°C
- October: 28.3°C
- November: 29.0°C
- December: 29.1°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Inner Islands
- Albatros (reef)
- Albatros (reef)
- ALDEBARAN - 26m (wreck)
- Aldebaran Wreck (wreck)
- Aldebaran Wreck (pinnacle)
- Amoujie Maman
- Anse Petit Cour (muck)
- Anse Petit Cour (reef)
- Aquarium (reef)
- Aquarium (reef)
- Aride Bank (reef)
- Aride Bank (reef)
- ATERPE-ALAI - 17m (wreck)
- Auberge Reef (reef)
- Auberge Reef (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Coral Garden
Marine Life in Inner Islands
Home to 184 recorded species including 156 reef fish, 8 hard corals, 6 sharks & rays, 5 sea snails & nudibranchs, 4 whales & dolphins, 2 other.
Notable Species
- Stripy (Katsuwonus pelamis) - Reef Fish
- Allison's Tuna (Thunnus albacares) - Reef Fish
- Kingston (Decapterus macarellus) - Reef Fish
- Bullet Mackerel (Auxis thazard) - Reef Fish
- Dorado (Coryphaena hippurus) - Reef Fish
- Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) - Reef Fish
- Rainbowfish (Halichoeres hortulanus) - Reef Fish
- Salmon (Elagatis bipinnulata) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) - Sharks & Rays
- Armed Squirrel-fish (Neoniphon sammara) - Reef Fish
- Threadfin (Chaetodon auriga) - Reef Fish
- Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) - Reef Fish
- Giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis) - Reef Fish
- Banded Toby (Canthigaster valentini) - Reef Fish
- Blue Surgeonfish (Acanthurus leucosternon) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) - Reef Fish
- Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Argus Grouper (Cephalopholis argus) - Reef Fish
- Blenny (Istiblennius dussumieri) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Coral Garden
Based on average water temperature of 28.6°C, currents 11 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories