Derawan & Sangalaki · Indonesia · Wall
East Wall
Pygmy seahorses on the wall, marlin out in the blue
Area photo: Fahrian44 · CC BY-SA 4.0
A steep, long wall on the east side of the reef, 17 minutes from the Nabucco Islands and 13 from the Nunukan Islands. The face runs to 30 to 35 m before turning into a sandy slope, and the sightings split between macro on the coral and the occasional leopard shark or marlin out beyond it.
Where it is and how deep
2.1785° N, 118.6909° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The wall is on the east side of the reef, a 17-minute run from the Nabucco Islands or 13 minutes from the Nunukan Islands, and it is long enough that the dive is a straight traverse rather than a loop. It is dived with the left shoulder to the wall. The face is steep down to 30 to 35 m, where it gives way to a sandy slope, so the structure itself sets the deep limit of the dive.
Various hard and soft corals cover the wall, and the small subjects are the reason to dive it slowly: pygmy seahorses and leaf fish both take finding against the coral, and neither is spotted at swimming speed. The bigger sightings come off the wall rather than on it — a leopard shark, marlin passing in the open water — so it is worth breaking off the face now and then to check the blue.
Marine life and season
- Pygmy seahorses
- Macro critters
- Marlin & sailfish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Derawan & Sangalaki: April–October dry season gives the clearest water and most reliable manta encounters at Sangalaki.
Sources
- East Wall — Scubago
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