Dive sites

Gili Islands Dive Sites

Diving around the Gili Islands is excellent all year round. Due to the currents, the majority are drift dives from a boat. March to October has very reliable weather, while the other months have the possibility of rain. However, this usually does not affect the diving. Water temperatures range from 27 to 30 celsius (80 to 86 Fahrenheit).

Shark Point

Suitable for: all levels

Situated on the north-west of Gili Trawangan and sloping off into the Lombok Strait, this dive site has it all: Deep ridges, a drop off to over 50 metres, schools of jack fish, sharks and and a tug boat wreck at 30 meters. Heading closer to shore, the site can get as shallow as 5 meters, where huge numbers of turtles can be found amongst the sea grass and bommies.

Shark Point is one of the most popular sites around the Gili Islands and is not to be missed. Whether you’re starting out or an experienced diver, we highly recommend this dive site.

Turtle HEaven

Suitable For: All levels

Turtle Heaven is situated on the north east side of Gili Meno. The majority of the dive site is a pinnacle that starts at 10 meters and drops down to 30 meters. It is covered in an abundance of hard and soft corals which make it an ideal habitat for both Hawksbill and Green turtles, as well as many other reef fish.

There are a number of man made objects as part of a coral propagation project which attracts huge numbers of sea life and makes this site suitable and of interest to all levels of diver.

If you can’t get enough of turtles check our post about interesting turtle facts.

Halik

SUITABLE for: All Levels

Halik Reef is on the north-west side of Gili Trawangan. Suitable for all levels of diver, the reef starts at around 6 meters with huge barrel sponges and gorgonian sea fans, and drops down to 40 meters and a series of coral ridges and canyons for Advanced divers to enjoy.

The currents on this site make it perfect for drift diving and you can expect to see schools of snapper, eagle rays, giant trevally, lion fish, white and black tip reef sharks as well as huge amounts of anemone (nemo) fish. During the full moon bump head parrot fish can be seen schooling on this dive site.

Sunset Reef

SUITABLE FOR: ALL LEVELS

Sunset Reef is located on the south-west side of Gili Trawagnan. This gradually sloping reef is suitable for all levels of diver. Covered in both hard and soft corals, it is an ideal home for a variety of marine life including snapper, sweetlips, sharks and turtles. Occasionally Manta Rays can be spotted passing through this site.

Deep Turbo

Suitable for: Advanced Open Water and above

A dive site of epic proportions! With massive coral pinnacles rolling up from the sandy bottom, diving Deep Turbo is like flying through space looking down on the moon. The reef starts at 16 meters where large schools of batfish, red tooth triggerfish and snapper can be seen. Dropping down to 30 meters, the sandy bottom is home to many blue spotted rays and sharks. Search the gorgonian sea fans for pygmy sea horses, and nudibranch fans won’t be disappointed. We recommend diving Deep Turbo on Nitrox.

Bounty Wreck

SUITABLE FOR: All LEVELS

Bounty Wreck is a pier that sunk in around 2003. The shallowest part of the wreck is 9 meters while the bottom is at 18 meters, making this a suitable site for all diver levels.

Over the years, many hard and soft coral have grown all over it, attracting sea life including scorpion fish, frogfish, damselfish and peacock mantis shrimp (if you don’t know what these are, watch this video).

There is a large bommie which is home to thousands of glass fish, which are another huge attraction on this particular site. On the southern side of the wreck there are old bicycles with coral growing over them, making them the perfect place for a photo shoot.

Bio Rock

SUITABLE FOR: ALL LEVELS

The Gili Islands are the second largest Biorock site in the world. These metal structures are fed with a low voltage current which stimulates coral growth. Trawangan Dive has proudly supported the Gili Eco Trust in this initiative to create these resilient reefs which have become homes to a vast array of sea life.

More than 120 structures have been places in the waters round the Gili Islands. For more information on how to get involved, visit our eco page.

Hans Reef

SUITABLE FOR: ALL LEVELS

Sandy bottom for most of the site, with independent bommies popping up. Home to turtles, barracudas, cuttle fish, stingrays, cow fish, ghost pipe fish, fields and fields of garden eels and, take note on this, the infamous harlequin shrimp (if you know where to find it).

If you know how to dive this site, it’s definately one of the best on offer.

Gili Meno Wall

SUITABLE FOR: ALL LEVELS

A great spot for night diving. The wall of Gili Meno starts at 5m, dropping down to a sandy bottom of 30m. Current varies greatly, sometimes non-existent to one of the strongest we have here in the Gili’s. This mean’s you’ll never quite know what you’ll see. On the wall, we have a lot of lionfish, scorpionfish, moray eels, lobsters, crabs, clownfish and groupers, but make sure to look into the blue to spot the likes of bumphead parrotfish and sharks.

Shallow Turbo

SUITABLE FOR: ALL LEVELS

A big beautiful site, great dive site for beginners, night dives and anyone wanted to see the BioRocks.

Being one of our typical drift dives, take to relax as you pass through a varying landscape of channels, fields and the beautiful BioRocks. You’ll be sure to see loads of turtles and schooling fish. And, if you’re lucky, unicorn fish, scorpionfish, trumpet fish and ornate ghost pipefish.

Simon’s Reef

SUITABLE FOR: Advanced open Water and above

Located North of the Gili Islands, Simon’s Reef is a deep site perfect for more experienced divers. Canyons spread across the site with massive coral bommies rising up from the sandy bottom. Large gorgonian fans spread across the site, with channeling currents bringing large and varying species of schooling fish.

Seahorse Bay

SUITABLE FOR: ALL LEVELS

Situated on the Lombok Coast, Sea Horse Bay is an amazing site for muck diving. Home to a large variety of macro life, this place turns to heaven as the sun goes down. If you like night diving, this site is one of the best on offer. If you have a keen eye, keep a lookout for SeahoresOctopus, hairy frogfish, ghost pipefish and the pigmy seahorses.

Hidden Reef

SUITABLE FOR: ALL LEVELS

Located east of Gili Meno, Hidden Reef is a paradise of soft and hard corals, starting at 12m, flowing down to 35m, this site is great for beginner divers too.

Typically a North to South current, making the site perfect for drift diving. Due to the vast amount of corals, there is plenty of marine life including stingrays, triggerfish, clownfish, angelfish and pipefish.

Technical Dive Sites

The ocean around the Gili Islands drops off to over 1200 meters creating tremendous topography from 200m deep walls to interlaced canyons and all are swept by tidal currents keeping the water clear and clean

Gili Islands Technical Dive Sites. JJ-CCR Diver diving out of Trawangan Dive

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