Komodo: Karang Makassar Dive Site – Komodo National Park

Site Overview

Karang Makassar is a diverse reef system in the southern section of Komodo National Park near Komodo Island, offering an excellent drift diving experience across coral slopes and bommie fields. The site features a reef slope descending from 3 meters to approximately 22 meters, with scattered coral bommies rising from the sandy bottom at 8 to 18 meters that create a varied underwater landscape. The moderate current carries divers along the reef in a gentle drift, delivering nutrients that sustain healthy coral growth and attract abundant marine life. Whitetip reef sharks rest on the bommie ledges, Napoleon wrasse cruise curiously along the reef face, and schools of barracuda and fusiliers form dense clouds in the current. Blue-spotted stingrays glide across the sand channels between the bommies, and hawksbill turtles are regularly encountered feeding on the reef. The coral coverage is healthy and diverse, with hard and soft corals, barrel sponges, and gorgonian sea fans covering the bommies and slopes in a colorful display. The sand channels add variety to the drift, with garden eels poking from their burrows and occasional rays resting on the sand. Karang Makassar is best dived from April through December and is accessible from Labuan Bajo by speedboat. The site is often included in southern Komodo itineraries alongside Manta Alley and Pink Beach, providing a solid drift diving experience that complements the wildlife and scenic focus of those sites.