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A single chambered nautilus with a white shell banded in red-brown stripes, tentacles out, against black water — Lifou

Lifou · New Caledonia · Pinnacle · Reef

Gorgones Reef

Two gorgonian-clad pinnacles with a giant archway next door

Area photo: Pujolle · CC BY-SA 3.0

Gorgones Reef is an open-ocean site off Lifou's north-west coast, where two pinnacles rise from white sand below 30 m. A regular current flowing north keeps the reef covered in gorgonians and soft corals, and the clear blue water brings plenty of fish and the occasional shark.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Gorgones Reef: typical dive to 30 m (to 100 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit30 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

No published position for this site — the map shows Lifou and its other sites; operators know the mooring.

The dive

The two pinnacles stand on white sand at 30 m and more, their flanks thick with gorgonians and soft corals fed by the current running north along this open stretch of coast. Big dogtooth tuna cruise past in the deep, and a grey reef shark of around 2 m may swim slowly by at depth.

Whitetip sharks are sometimes found resting on the sandy seabed. A short swim away stands the Arch, a gigantic archway hung with red and golden gorgonians.

Marine life and season

  • Reef sharks
  • Tuna
Month-by-month season rating for Gorgones Reef
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimeFairFairPrimePrimeGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodPrime

Season follows Lifou: The warmest water runs from December to May; February and March bring the heaviest rain, and September is the driest month.

Know before you go

  • A regular current runs north across this open-ocean reef, so the dive is exposed to the flow.

Dive videos

Lifou, Lagoon safari Gorgone reef du 1803 p1 · Samiy Diver on YouTube

Sources

  1. Diving Lifou, a fossil atoll — Divernet
  2. Lagoon Safaris - Les sites de plongée — Lagoon Safaris

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