Gili Lawa Laut Liveaboard Diving

Liveaboard Diving in Gili Lawa Laut

What To Expect On A Gili Lawa Laut Liveaboard

Liveaboard diving to Gili Lawa Laut in the Komodo National Park, Indonesia will delight divers with it's sheer numbers and diversity of marine life. Renowned for its beauty with stunning bays, crystal clear waters and gentle green slopes, Gili Lawa Laut is understandably a magnet for visitors on land and sea. The island is in the Lesser Sunda Islands and sits to the North of Komodo Island and the other small islet of Gili Lawa Daret and as such is protected as part of the Komodo National Park. Geologically the islets are volcanic like much of the region and they have beautiful hills popular with hikers who come for the stunning views and secluded beaches.

The island is uninhabited but has numerous trails for walking up the hills to see the surrounding area. The wildlife above water is slightly less of a draw than the sea life on this island as there is less vegetation than in other areas. The hills are grassy though, and the landscape is very beautiful and a popular photography spot for visitors to the national park. A wide selection of Indonesian liveaboards offer dive itineraries that visit Gili Lawa Laut.

Gili Lawa Laut Underwater

The area between the islands of Laut and Daret is very popular for diving, although the currents can be quite extreme making most sites drift dives. The conditions and potential for dangerous currents in this passageway mean that occasionally diving here is not possible.

The visibility in most of the sites can be 30 meters plus and the depth of most sites is fairly shallow, around 20 m/65 ft. Divers will notice that the currents caused by this shallow space between the islands can make the water feel colder than in other areas. The currents also bring plankton from the deep and so draw some bigger fish such as turtles, mantas and even the occasional dolphin pod.

One of the most impressive things divers will notice when visiting Gili Lawa Laut is the sheer number of fish and the size of the shoals. Trevally, snappers and silverside are here in great numbers which attracts in turn black and white tipped reef sharks, mobula rays and the dolphin pods.

Dive Sites Of Gili Lawa Laut

The area between Gili Lawa Laut and Gili Lawa Darat islands is an excellent dive site, albeit one with severe currents. Named The Passage, this dive site is a current highway with plankton rich water which means mantas can be seen feeding here along with mobula rays as well as tuna and jacks. The currents here mean this site can only be dived at certain times and normally at slack water. Even when it is possible divers should stick firmly to the walls to prevent from getting caught in what can be several knots of current. It is well worth it for the chance to see several mantas and rays passing by.

Crystal Rock and Castle Rock dive sites sit to the north of Gili Lawa Laut and are around a kilometre apart. They are not very deep but both are quite exposed which means strong currents and fantastic fish life with groupers, reef sharks and at Castle rock, sometimes even pods of dolphins. If you are lucky at Crystal Rock, you can see turtles and octopus as well. The Lighthouse dive site sits to the east of the island and offers areas that are more sheltered from the currents and a wall for shelter. There are fantastic corals here along with oriental sweetlips and batfish.

Top Tips for Divers

• Some liveaboards offer the chance to go ashore and walk up the hills to see the stunning views so bringing sensible walking shoes and clothes is a good idea.
• Stick close to your guide as the currents here can be some of the most unpredictable in the Komodo National Park.
• Some of the dives offer a mix of macro and bigger fish so photographers should remember to be prepared for both.

Getting to Gili Lawa Laut

Gili Lawa Laut can be reached from both Labuan Bajo and Bali by dive liveaboard. There are a number of different kind of Indonesian liveaboards available both motor vessels and traditional Indonesian phinisi, two-masted sailboats that have been converted for diving. These sailing vessels make for a peaceful and relaxing stay with everything you need for a smooth diving experience too.

Bali International Airport (Ngurah Rai) offers regular flights to Asia and connections further afield making access easy to get to liveaboards departing from the Bali area. There are connecting flights to Labuan Bajo also from Bali or a several day long ferry ride if you are feeling adventurous.