Togian Islands · Indonesia · Wall · Pelagic & blue water
Batu Gila
The Togians' best odds on schooling scalloped hammerheads
Area photo: Arian Zwegers · CC BY 2.0
A rocky ridge jutting out from a deep north-facing wall, some 25 m wide and 50 m long, lying between 28 m and 42 m. It is the most extreme northern point of a long reef, which is what makes it: current runs across it, the water stays clear, and it is the Togians' best chance of schooling scalloped hammerheads.
Also known as Batugilla.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Togian Islands and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The ridge is the feature: some 25 m wide and 50 m long, pushed out from a north-facing wall that drops away below it, with the whole of it lying between 28 m and 42 m. That is the dive in outline. You get down onto it, find a spot out of the worst of the flow and stay put. Being the most extreme northern point of a long reef is what gives the site both its current and its visibility, and the two together are what bring the fish in.
What you are waiting for is the hammerheads. This is the best place in the Togian Islands to see scalloped hammerheads schooling, and the same water holds grey reef sharks, silvertips, manta rays, tuna and barracuda over the ridge. Blue marlin come up out of the deep here too, an endangered fish that can comfortably grow to three and a half metres, so the open side of the ridge deserves as much attention as the reef side.
Marine life and season
- Hammerheads
- Reef sharks
- Manta rays
- Tuna
- Barracuda
- Marlin & sailfish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Togian Islands: Mar–Sep is driest and calmest; the wet season from November to February brings rain and rougher inter-island crossings.
Know before you go
- Depth and current arrive together: the ridge tops out at 28 m and its exposed northern position means flow across it, so a missed descent leaves you drifting off the reef in deep water.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Batu Gila?+
The ridge lies between 28 m and 42 m, with a north-facing wall dropping away below it. That puts the whole dive in deep water, and there is no shallow section of the site to fall back on.
Can you see hammerheads at Batu Gila?+
It is the best place in the Togian Islands for schooling scalloped hammerheads. Grey reef sharks, silvertips, manta rays, tuna and barracuda use the same ridge, and blue marlin come up out of the deep.
Sources
- Togian Islands Diving Sites — Dive The World
- Togian Islands — Wikivoyage
In The Logbook
- When and where to dive with hammerheadsBig animals · 16 min read
More dive sites in Togian Islands
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Reef
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Reef
Reef network from 30 m down to a small wreck at 10 m
The Crack, a swim-through at 50 m, and night dives at Little Lembeh
Wall
A north-pointing finger from 15 m down to 34 m
Reef
Shallow 12-15 m reef that links across to Pinnacle 2
Reef
An 18-30 m point with good visibility year round
Pinnacle
A pinnacle topping out at 5 m and falling past 60
Similar dives elsewhere
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A long northern wall with hammerheads in the current below
Leave the reef at 30-35 m and watch open water for hammerheads
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A northern wall from 15 to 40 m where current draws the big fish