Tatawa Besar dive site - Komodo
Tatawa Besar is one of those drift dives that makes us feel like we’re flying. It’s on the east side of Komodo, and when the current picks up, you just go. The topography here is what sets it apart: a gentle, sloping reef that just keeps going, covered in colossal hard corals. We’re talking dinner-table-sized Pavona, huge open brain corals, and thickets of staghorn coral as far as you can see. It feels ancient, undisturbed. The drift itself is exhilarating. You’re not fighting the current; you’re letting it carry you past these incredible formations. Keep an eye out for the smaller stuff clinging to the coral, like the little bicolor blennies darting into their holes. We often spot schools of fusiliers here, moving in sync, sometimes so dense they momentarily dim the light. This is a site for divers who love a good current and appreciate the grandeur of a mature reef. Go when the current is running, ideally on an incoming tide, to experience the full express ride.
- Location
- Komodo, Indonesia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- -8.508359, 119.639725
Marine Protected Area: Komodo
Best Time to Dive in Komodo
The warmest water temperatures in Komodo occur in November, averaging 30.3°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 27.9°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 29.2°C
- February: 28.9°C
- March: 29.4°C
- April: 29.7°C
- May: 29.4°C
- June: 28.9°C
- July: 28.1°C
- August: 27.9°C
- September: 28.2°C
- October: 29.2°C
- November: 30.3°C
- December: 30.2°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Komodo
- 3 Sisters
- Amelia (reef)
- ARDADELDALI - 0m (wreck)
- Bahuluang Wall (reef)
- Batu Bolong
- Batu Bolong Dive Site
- Batu Bolong Komodo (reef)
- Batu Bolong Komodo (reef)
- Batu Tiga (drift)
- Batu Tiga (reef)
- Batu Tiga Dive Site
- Bhayangkara (reef)
- Bhayangkara
- Bidadari (reef)
- Bidadari (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Tatawa Besar dive site
Marine Life in Komodo
Home to 220 recorded species including 95 reef fish, 92 hard corals, 13 seagrass & algae, 5 sharks & rays, 4 sea cucumbers, 3 clams & mussels.
Notable Species
- Boring Clam (Tridacna crocea) - Clams & Mussels
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Staghorn coral (Acropora hyacinthus) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora solitaryensis) - Hard Corals
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
- seagrass (Halophila ovalis) - Seagrass & Algae
- Black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra) - Sea Cucumbers
- Species code: Ea (Enhalus acoroides) - Seagrass & Algae
- Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) - Reef Fish
- chocolate chip sea star (Protoreaster nodosus) - Starfish
- Pinkfish (Holothuria edulis) - Sea Cucumbers
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Common Mushroom Coral (Fungia fungites) - Hard Corals
- Bowl coral (Halomitra pileus) - Hard Corals
- Blue-lined Surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus) - Reef Fish
- Fluted clam (Tridacna squamosa) - Clams & Mussels
- halodule (Halodule uninervis) - Seagrass & Algae
- Feather Coral (Polyphyllia talpina) - Hard Corals
- Species code: Si (Syringodium isoetifolium) - Seagrass & Algae
Recommended Packing List for Tatawa Besar dive site
Based on average water temperature of 29.1°C, currents 5 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