Komodo · Indonesia · Sand slope · Reef
Crystal Bay Komodo
A calm northern bay for skills practice near Crystal Rock
Photo: Justin Philbois · CC0
Crystal Bay is a bay on the north side of Komodo National Park, five minutes from Crystal Rock, with a sandy slope dotted with big coral bommies. Without current and with good visibility, it is used for skills practice and refresher dives as well as for its turtles and rays.
Where it is and how deep
8.4492° S, 119.5675° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The sandy slope runs down to 16 m between big coral bommies, with no current and usually very good visibility. Turtles, eagle rays and blue-spotted stingrays are the regular sightings. The calm water makes the bay a place for skills practice and Scuba Skills Update refreshers.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Eagle rays
- Stingrays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Good | Prime | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Komodo: Liveaboards run all year: April is often rated the best month, July to September is the big-fish peak, and the rainy months bring the best visibility and the mantas.
Photos from Crystal Bay Komodo
Justin Philbois · CC0
Justin Philbois · CC0
Dive videos
Dive 4 - Komodo National Park, Crystal Bay · Nishant Balan on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is Crystal Bay in Komodo good for a refresher dive?+
Yes. It has no current and a sandy slope to 16 m, and it is used for skills practice and Scuba Skills Update refreshers.
Sources
- Crystal Bay Komodo dive site — Scubago
- Crystal Bay Komodo — ISC Diver
- Komodo dive sites — Komodo Dive Center
Photo credits
- A black, white and yellow bannerfish swims past a pale blue-grey parrotfish over a rocky reef. by Justin Philbois, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A whitetip reef shark cruises through blue water among a scattering of small reef fish. by Justin Philbois, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A dark green moray eel peers out between clusters of white soft coral polyps. by Justin Philbois, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Komodo
A holed rock at the surface, a coral-covered pinnacle below
Reef
Big-fish habitat in a current that usually runs strong
Soft coral and macro on a rock in the cold south of the park
A submerged pinnacle where the sharks hold in the current
Coral garden
The sheltered coral garden at the end of the Cauldron ride
Soft-coral mound with sharks holding in the flow
Reef
A sloping northern passage dived on generally strong current
Rock corridors on the south coast where the mantas feed
Similar dives elsewhere
Broken rubble ground from 5 m to 16 m, then open sand
Selayar's shark dive, with current that can run either way
Sand dunes full of garden eels, with eagle rays overhead
Coral blocks and open sand to 30 m, worked slowly