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Pillarsteen, Padar Island, East of Komodo

South Komodo has other distinctive dive sites off island od Padar and Tala. Pillarsteen is off south Padar and is topographer’s dream with huge chunks of rock buckled into channels and canyons, caves, swim-throughts and chimneys.

This dive is totally different from other diving in Komodo – it is fun and action filled when the current are running. W Reef, a few hundred meter to north of Pillarsteen, is a series of four underwater pinnacles extending perpendicularly from island to a depth of 30 meters. To the south lies deeper water and a series of caves, chimneys and rocky outcrops. Here you'll find large mid night snappers, huge boxfish, and six-banded angelfish.

To the west Pillarsteen's walls are painted yellow, green and orange by the dense colonies of soft corals. Yellow and white sea squirts are found here in their thousands. With funnel-shaped bodies and spout-shaped open mouths, these colourful creatures can easily be mistaken for aqautic versions of pitcher plants.

In the shallow waters the wall ends and becomes a sloping reef. Here are masses of gigantic soft brown leather corals (Scleronephthya, Sinulana and Sarchphyton). You'll see tiny bright yellow sea cucumbers attached to most of the corals. They look surprisingly like members of the sea slug family, but Pentacta Lutea are indeed Holothurians. Strong surge can make this area hazardous amongst the rocks and corals, especially with the presence of highly toxic but brightly coloured red and purple fire urchins.

Off north west Tala is The Alley, which feature large, lazing schools of manta rays November – March. Langkoy Rock is fully exposed and so buffered by strong current, which explains the regular pressence of large pelagics. It is reputedly a mating site for gray sharks in April.

Lehoksera is a high-voltage dive on the southeast tip. Dive begins midly enough, with a gentle current that allows divers to get ready with reef hooks, gloves and other accountrements.