Flores: Labuan Bajo Area – Rinca Dive Site – Flores Island

Site Overview

Rinca Island lies between Flores and Komodo, forming part of the Komodo National Park buffer zone, and its surrounding reefs benefit from nutrient-rich currents flowing through the strait to create exceptional diving conditions. The site features a fringing reef system around Rinca Island with vertical walls dropping from 3 meters to beyond 30 meters, interspersed with coral slopes and overhangs covered in vibrant soft corals. The moderate current keeps the hard corals exceptionally healthy and attracts pelagic species from the open water. The shallower sections at 3 to 10 meters feature dense staghorn and plate coral gardens with abundant reef fish, including schools of bannerfish, angelfish, and butterflyfish. The wall sections at 10 to 20 meters are covered in sea fans, barrel sponges, and soft corals, with grey reef sharks, eagle rays, and Napoleon wrasse patrolling the blue. Hawksbill and green turtles are resident throughout the reef system. The overhangs and crevices at 15 to 25 meters shelter whitetip reef sharks, moray eels, and lobsters. The deeper sections at 25 to 30 meters feature sandy ledges where garden eels colonize the substrate. Rinca is best dived from April through December when the dry season provides calmer seas and better visibility. The boat ride from Labuan Bajo takes approximately 45 minutes, making it a popular day-trip destination often combined with Komodo dragon viewing on the island. The site offers both exceptional reef diving and the unique opportunity to see Komodo dragons on land during the surface interval. Rinca's reefs are less frequented than the central Komodo sites, providing a more exclusive diving experience.