Babi Island - Flores
Babi Island, off Flores, is a site that always makes us pause for thought. This place took a real hit in the 1992 tsunami, losing a thousand residents, but dive in and you'll find a wall that’s made a remarkable comeback. It drops down to around 50 metres, a healthy stretch of coral that's home to good numbers of snappers, parrotfish, angelfish, and damselfish. We've seen a few moray eels tucked into the crevices too. Visibility averages about 15 metres, though on a good day, you might even glimpse the seabed from the surface. It’s a solid wall dive, calm and reflective, suitable for most divers looking for a straightforward, pleasant exploration.
- Location
- Flores, Indonesia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- -8.416700, 122.416700
Marine Protected Area: Teluk Maumere
Best Time to Dive in Flores
The warmest water temperatures in Flores occur in January, averaging 30.6°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 30.6°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 30.6°C (air: 27.5°C)
- February: 30.6°C (air: 27.2°C)
- March: 30.6°C (air: 27.6°C)
- April: 30.6°C (air: 28.4°C)
- May: 30.6°C (air: 28.9°C)
- June: 30.6°C (air: 28.4°C)
- July: 30.6°C (air: 28.1°C)
- August: 30.6°C (air: 28.1°C)
- September: 30.6°C (air: 28.6°C)
- October: 30.6°C (air: 29.3°C)
- November: 30.6°C (air: 29.2°C)
- December: 30.6°C (air: 28.2°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Flores
- Adonara Island
- Awalolong (reef)
- Ayer Kosambe (reef)
- Flores Diving: Maumere Dive Adventures
- HONGKONG SURETY - 0m (wreck)
- Ibel D’Orange (wall)
- Karang Taka Basi (reef)
- Kojadoi Diving Exotic Coral (reef)
- Lambata Island
- LOUISANDA - 57m (wreck)
- Maumere
- OCEAN (PARTS OF) - 3m (wreck)
- Pangabatang South (reef)
- Santai Divers House Reef (reef)
- South Pangah Balang
Nearest Dive Centres to Babi Island
Marine Life in Flores
Home to 169 recorded species including 127 reef fish, 31 hard corals, 6 seagrass & algae, 2 whales & dolphins, 2 sharks & rays, 1 sea snails & nudibranchs.
Notable Species
- Staghorn coral (Acropora solitaryensis) - Hard Corals
- Branch coral (Acropora florida) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora cerealis) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora humilis) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora hyacinthus) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora secale) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora acuminata) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora hoeksemai) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora nasuta) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora tenuis) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora aculeus) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora selago) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora spicifera) - Hard Corals
- Cleaner Mimic (Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora yongei) - Hard Corals
- Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Table coral (Acropora clathrata) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora valida) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora austera) - Hard Corals
- Shortfin False Moray (Kaupichthys brachychirus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Babi Island
Based on average water temperature of 30.6°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 31°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