Buyuk - Lombok & Gili Islands
Esmeralda Canyon really stands out from the other sites around Ambergris Caye, and it’s a site we always try to hit. Descending into what feels like a submerged maze, you weave through these incredible coral slot canyons. It’s a bit like swimming through a coral library, with walls of mustard hill coral, ridged cactus coral, and massive starlets towering above you. Our favourite part is navigating the tight turns, sometimes so narrow you can almost touch both sides, then suddenly opening into a sun-drenched sandy patch where a nurse shark might be resting. We usually spot a few grey snapper cruising the channels, and keep an eye out for yellowline gobies darting around the smooth flower coral. Visibility here typically holds at a solid 20 metres, making the sunbeams that penetrate the canyons particularly striking. It’s a pretty chill dive, maxing out at 21 metres, so it’s great for anyone comfortable with some close coral navigation. Just watch your buoyancy; those coral walls are ancient and we want them to stay that way.
- Location
- Lombok & Gili Islands, Indonesia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- -8.671600, 115.555500
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: KK Nusa Penida
Best Time to Dive in Lombok & Gili Islands
The warmest water temperatures in Lombok & Gili Islands occur in December, averaging 30.1°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 28.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 29.6°C
- February: 29.3°C
- March: 29.6°C
- April: 30.1°C
- May: 29.9°C
- June: 29.2°C
- July: 28.5°C
- August: 28.3°C
- September: 28.6°C
- October: 29.3°C
- November: 30.1°C
- December: 30.1°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Lombok & Gili Islands
- AB29 - 0m (wreck)
- Abwonderdive House Reef - 5-30m (reef)
- Abwonderdive House Reef (reef)
- Ada Reef (reef)
- Air Wall (reef)
- Air Wall (wall)
- Air Wall (wall)
- Alamanda (reef)
- Alamanda (reef)
- Alam Batu Housreef - 5-20m (reef)
- Amed - 5-15m (reef)
- Angel Reef - 5-20m (reef)
- Angels Canyon Bali (reef)
- Angels Canyon Bali (reef)
- Anker Point
Nearest Dive Centres to Buyuk
- 3Wdive
- 7 Seas International
- Absolute Scuba
- Abyss Dive Center - FFESSM, ANMP, CMAS, CEDIP, SSI
- Abyss Ocean World - ["PADI"]
- Adventure Divers
Marine Life in Lombok & Gili Islands
Home to 258 recorded species including 153 reef fish, 44 sharks & rays, 37 hard corals, 10 seagrass & algae, 4 other, 3 clams & mussels.
Notable Species
- sorrah shark (Carcharhinus sorrah) - Sharks & Rays
- Brown Spinecheek Gudgeon (Eleotris fusca) - Reef Fish
- Fluted clam (Tridacna squamosa) - Clams & Mussels
- Gendarme Fish (Acanthurus olivaceus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora hyacinthus) - Hard Corals
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Staghorn coral (Acropora solitaryensis) - Hard Corals
- cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
- Argus Grouper (Cephalopholis argus) - Reef Fish
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
- Boring Clam (Tridacna crocea) - Clams & Mussels
- Species code: Ea (Enhalus acoroides) - Seagrass & Algae
- Staghorn coral (Acropora austera) - Hard Corals
- Spine-cheek Gudgeon (Eleotris acanthopomus) - Reef Fish
- seagrass (Halophila ovalis) - Seagrass & Algae
- Species code: Hp (Halodule pinifolia) - Seagrass & Algae
- Staghorn coral (Acropora valida) - Hard Corals
- Bigmouth Goby (Redigobius bikolanus) - Reef Fish
- Sleepy Goby (Psammogobius biocellatus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora cerealis) - Hard Corals
Recommended Packing List for Buyuk
Based on average water temperature of 29.4°C, currents 23 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