Komodo · Indonesia · Reef
Tatawa Kecil
A central-Komodo reef for divers who know currents
Area photo: Siharaditia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tatawa Kecil is a central Komodo site for divers who know currents, and it is dived only by those with the experience to handle them: the flow here can be very strong. In exchange it offers good visibility, pelagic fish out in the blue, small creatures on the reef and coral in good condition. The normal diving depth is 10 to 25 m.
Where it is and how deep
8.5296° S, 119.6268° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
This is a current dive first. The flow can be very strong, which is why the site is described as one for divers who love and know currents, so the descent is immediate and the first job is getting onto the reef rather than past it. Visibility is good enough to read the site on the way down and to see the pelagic fish holding out in the blue while you work along the coral.
Once you are settled the dive has two scales to it. Out in the water column there are pelagics moving through, and down on the reef there are small creatures on coral in good condition, so a camera choice made on the boat tends to decide what kind of dive you get. The normal diving depth is 10 to 25 m, so the profile stays on the upper reef rather than running down it. Ascents are made off the reef into open water, which in this part of the park means an SMB up and a boat following bubbles.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| 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.
Know before you go
- Currents can be very strong and the site is rated for experienced divers only: plan the entry on the tide and carry an SMB for a blue-water pickup.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Tatawa Kecil?+
The normal diving depth is 10 to 25 m. Depth is not what makes this site demanding: currents here can be very strong, which is why it is rated for advanced, experienced divers only.
Sources
- Tatawa Kecil - Scubago — Scubago
- Tatawa Kecil - Divezone — Divezone
- Labuan Bajo — Wikipedia
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
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A submerged pinnacle where the sharks hold in the current
Coral garden
The sheltered coral garden at the end of the Cauldron ride
A calm northern bay for skills practice near Crystal Rock
Soft-coral mound with sharks holding in the flow
Reef
A sloping northern passage dived on generally strong current
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