Lighthouse Reef Dive Site

Lighthouse Reef Dive Site is a reef dive site in Komodo National Park, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.

Overview

Lighthouse Reef takes its name from the navigational lighthouse on Gili Lawa Darat, one of the small islands at the northern tip of Komodo National Park. The reef wraps around a headland that channels tidal flow, creating productive upwellings that feed the coral ecosystem. The site sits in the northern park zone, a region increasingly popular with liveaboards that enter from the Flores Sea and are frequently visited in the same itinerary as the famous Castle Rock and Crystal Rock pinnacles nearby.

The reef itself is a sloping hard coral garden descending from about 3 metres at the crest to 20 metres at the base. Massive Porites corals anchor the structure alongside branching Acropora tables and large sea fans facing into the current. The fish life around this northern zone is consistently impressive — schooling barracuda, surgeonfish, and snappers are typical, and reef sharks are regularly reported patrolling the reef edge. The lighthouse landmark makes boat navigation simple and allows divers to orient themselves throughout the dive.

Visibility is generally good in the northern park, often reaching 20–25 metres on clear days, and the shallow reef top makes this a good site for a safety stop or a post-dive snorkel. The current exposure is moderate compared to the park’s more demanding pinnacle sites, making Lighthouse Reef accessible to intermediate divers who want an introduction to northern Komodo diving.

Key Species

• Schooling barracuda (Sphyraena sp.) in mid-water
• Whitetip and blacktip reef sharks on the reef edge
• Bumphead parrotfish on morning reef visits
• Sea fans hosting pygmy seahorses (with close inspection)
• Surgeonfish and rabbitfish grazing on coral algae

Dive Profile

Most divers enter upcurrent of the lighthouse and drift along the reef crest before descending the slope. The reef crest at 3–5 m provides a productive safety stop zone. A typical dive covers 60–80 metres of reef frontage, finishing in calmer water in the lee of the headland.

Conditions

Attribute	Details
Depth range	3–20 m
Visibility	15–25 m
Current	Light to moderate (stronger on spring tides)
Water temperature	26–29°C
Best season	April–November; northern sites particularly good in April–June
Entry/Exit	Boat drift entry

Tips for Divers

The northern Komodo zone around Gili Lawa Darat offers some of the park’s most consistently clear water. Lighthouse Reef works well as either a first or last dive of the day given its sheltered aspect. Combining it with Castle Rock or Crystal Rock in the same trip gives a representative sample of northern Komodo diving. Look closely at the larger sea fans for pygmy seahorses.

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Sources: Blue Marlin Dive – Komodo Dive Sites, Dragon Dive Komodo – Komodo Dive Sites, Scuba Junkie Komodo – The North. Last updated 2026-06-10.