Gili Islands · Indonesia · Reef · Drift
Shark Point
Whitetip sharks and turtles on three coral levels at 18-24 m
Area photo: Magul · CC BY-SA 4.0
A deep drift east of Gili Trawangan, built in three levels of coral slope at 18 m, 20 m and 24 m with bands of open sand between them. The current is rated strong and the site is classified as a deep dive, so it is booked for advanced divers rather than for courses. Reef sharks and turtles are the draw, with napoleon wrasse, schooling trevally and the occasional manta ray.
Where it is and how deep
8.3567° S, 116.0264° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site is built in three steps: levels of slope at 18 m, 20 m and 24 m, each covered in soft and hard corals and separated from the next by an area of open sand. It is dived as a drift in a current rated strong, so the plan is to settle onto one level, hold your depth and let the water carry you along the coral rather than swim against it. The sandy bands make the transitions obvious even when the water is moving.
Reef sharks are what the boats come for, whitetips being the ones listed here, and turtles are numerous enough that they turn up through the dive rather than as a single sighting. Napoleon wrasse patrol the coral and schools of trevally hang off the slope; manta rays are spotted occasionally. With visibility of 20 m and more you tend to see the next level before you reach it. The site is classed as a deep dive, to 40 m, so plan the profile before you get in.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Sea turtles
- Napoleon wrasse
- Trevally & jacks
- Manta rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Gili Islands: Divable year-round; Apr–Nov brings the calmest crossings, and mola mola occasionally appear Aug–Oct on the deeper sites.
Know before you go
- The current is rated strong and the dive is run as a drift, so stay with the guide, keep the group in sight and plan to finish shallow.
- Depth eats gas and no-decompression time: the levels sit at 18-24 m and the site is classed as a deep dive to 40 m, so agree turn pressures beforehand.
Dive videos
Diving Gili Islands - Shark Point · SamudraVisions on YouTube
Shark Point. Gili Trawangan. Gili Islands. Lombok (Indonesia) Gili Air Divers. Baby sharks, turtles · Gdiver on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Shark Point in the Gili Islands?+
The three coral levels sit at 18 m, 20 m and 24 m, and the site is classified as a deep dive of 25-40 m. It is rated for advanced divers rather than for courses.
What is the best time of day to dive Shark Point?+
The morning. The site lies east of Gili Trawangan and is dived as a drift in a strong current, and reef sharks, turtles, napoleon wrasse and schools of trevally are what divers come for.
Sources
- Shark Point dive site — Divezone
In The Logbook
- Where to see reef sharks on your first divesBig animals · 14 min read
More dive sites in Gili Islands
Wall
A vertical face dropping from 5 m to 30 m off Gili Air
Old bicycles under coral on a pontoon that sank in 2003
Pinnacle
Sea mounds rising from sand at 30 m to about 18 m
Juvenile whitetips tucked into small caves along a drifting slope
Sand slope
Broken rubble ground from 5 m to 16 m, then open sand
Sand slope
Macro life on bommies scattered down a sand slope
Turtles in numbers along a wall that bottoms out at 22 m
Reef
Deep reef meeting sand at 30 m off the northern Gilis
Similar dives elsewhere
Resident turtles around an old wooden boat wreck
A gentle drift over coral and sand to 18 m
A swim-through at 14 m with shoals riding the current overhead
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Resident turtles around an old wooden boat wreck on the slope