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Batu Bolong

📍 Komodo, Indonesia

Reef Manta Ray (Mobula alfredi) - recorded at Batu Bolong

Batu Bolong is a dive site in Komodo, Indonesia. It lies within the Komodo National Park. Currents typically run at 3.2 km/h and reach 5.8 km/h on the strongest days. Water temperatures range from 28°C in August to 30°C in November. The typical daily tidal range is about 1.4 m. Species recorded in the area include Spine-cheek Clownfish, Blackback Butterflyfish, Lined Bristletooth, Redfin Butterflyfish and Reef Manta Ray.

Dive Conditions

💨
Current
3.2 km/h (5.8)
🌡️
Water Temp
28–30 °C

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Typical Current 3.2 km/h (up to 5.8)
Water Temperature 28–30 °C
Tidal Range 1.4 m (typical daily)
Protected Area Komodo National Park
GPS -8.5381°, 119.6140°

Data sources: currents and water temperature from Open-Meteo Marine (CC BY 4.0), hourly model values 2024. Tidal range is the median daily range of modelled sea level from Open-Meteo Marine, hourly values 2024. Protected area boundary from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Species observations from iNaturalist, checked against the World Register of Marine Species.

Conditions at Batu Bolong through the year

Sea surface temperature at the site coordinates, averaged per month from hourly model values for 2024. The water is warmest in November at about 30 °C and coolest in August at about 28 °C, a spread of 2.2 degrees across the year.

Monthly sea surface temperature at Batu Bolong (°C)
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
28.4 28.4 29.0 29.5 29.3 28.6 28.1 27.9 28.2 28.9 30.1 29.5

Ocean current at the site runs at a typical 3.2 km/h. In the strongest tenth of the hours modelled for 2024 it reaches 5.8 km/h, which is when entries are normally timed to slack water at the turn of the tide.

The tide moves the water level by a median 1.4 m over a day, and by up to 1.9 m on the largest days of the month. That range drives how much water is exchanged over the reef and when the current turns.

In the open sea off Batu Bolong, the highest wave of the day exceeded 1.5 m on 0.8 % of days between 2015 and 2024. The roughest month was January (5 % of days), the calmest April (0 %). Land within 10 km blocks some of the directions these waves come from (open to about 71 % of them), so conditions at the site are likely calmer than these open-sea values.

Share of days with waves above 1.5 m, open sea near Batu Bolong (%, 2015–2024)
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
511000000002

Batu Bolong lies inside Komodo National Park. Protected areas can carry their own rules on entry fees, permits, anchoring and fishing; check the current rules with a local operator before you dive.

Satellite habitat mapping places Batu Bolong on a deep lagoon, over a seabed mapped as coral and algae. The classification comes from the nearest mapped reef polygon, about 123 m from the listed coordinates, so it describes the reef the site sits on rather than a single point on it.

How Batu Bolong compares

These comparisons use only the measured values above, set against the 376 dive sites published on findadive.com. A percentage shows the share of other sites with a lower (or higher) value, so it reads the same way wherever the site is.

Batu Bolong compared with all listed sites and with Komodo
MeasureThis siteCompared with all sitesMedian in Komodo
Mean water temperature28.8 °Ccooler than 84 % of the other 375 sites28.8 °C (68 sites)
Water temperature in the coolest month27.9 °Ccooler than 74 % of the other 375 sites27.9 °C (68 sites)
Typical current3.2 km/hstronger than 85 % of the other 375 sites1.2 km/h (68 sites)
Current in the strongest 10 % of hours5.8 km/hstronger than 85 % of the other 375 sites2.7 km/h (68 sites)
Median daily tidal range1.4 msmaller than 54 % of the other 375 sites1.5 m (68 sites)

Water temperature, current and tide from Open-Meteo Marine (CC BY 4.0), hourly model values for 2024 at -8.5381°, 119.6140°. Protected area boundary from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Wave statistics from ERA5-Ocean via Open-Meteo Marine (contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2015–2024), daily maximum wave height on a 0.5° grid; land shelter tested against Natural Earth coastlines. Reef structure and seabed cover from the Allen Coral Atlas © 2018–2023 Allen Coral Atlas Partnership and Arizona State University (CC BY 4.0).

Marine life recorded at this site

Research-grade observations from iNaturalist within about 12 km of these coordinates.

Spine-cheek Clownfish (Amphiprion biaculeatus)
Spine-cheek Clownfish Amphiprion biaculeatus A stocky orange clownfish with two white bars, the first bar behind the eye is wide and the second is mid-body. It has a distinctive spine on its cheek.to 11 cm · 1-16 m · by dayhost anemones, often on sheltered reef flats or slopesLook for its host anemone, often the bubble-tip anemone; the fish will retreat into the tentacles if approached. (c) Piotr Lukasik, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation
Blackback Butterflyfish (Chaetodon melannotus)
Blackback Butterflyfish Chaetodon melannotus A butterflyfish with a white body, yellow fins, and a distinctive black patch covering its upper back and dorsal fin.to 18 cm · 3-25 m · by daycoral-rich areas of lagoons and seaward reefsOften seen in pairs; look for them near branching corals, especially Acropora, which they feed on. (c) Zara, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation
Lined Bristletooth (Ctenochaetus striatus)
Lined Bristletooth Ctenochaetus striatus A brown surgeonfish with numerous fine blue lines along its body and a yellow tail, grazing algae with comb-like teeth.to 26 cm · 1-30 m · by daycoral-rich areas of reef flats, lagoons and seaward reefsLook for it singly or in small groups, often moving slowly over coral or rubble while picking at the surface. (c) Zara, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation
Redfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunulatus)
Redfin Butterflyfish Chaetodon lunulatus A butterflyfish with a white body, yellow tail and dorsal fin, and a distinctive black band through the eye. The pelvic and anal fins are bright red-orange.to 15 cm · 1-30 m · by daycoral-rich areas of reef flats, lagoons, and seaward reefsOften seen in pairs; look for the red fins and the black eye band while it feeds on coral polyps. (c) Zara, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation
Reef Manta Ray (Mobula alfredi)
Reef Manta Ray Mobula alfredi A large, flat ray with a dark grey to black upper side and white underside, often with distinctive shoulder patches. It swims by flapping its wing-like pectoral fins.to 5.5 m wingspan · surface to 30 m · day and nightnear coral reefs, cleaning stations, and channelsObserve from a distance at cleaning stations; mantas will circle the area repeatedly, allowing for extended viewing. (c) Heather Dawnstar Sabin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation
Philippine Chromis (Chromis scotochiloptera)
Philippine Chromis Chromis scotochiloptera A small, dark blue damselfish with a black spot at the base of the pectoral fin, often seen in large, shimmering schools above the reef.to 8 cm · 5-30 m · by dayouter reef slopes and drop-offsLook for a dense, moving cloud of fish high in the water column; the school often parts around a diver. no rights reserved · CC0 · observation
Redlip Parrotfish (Scarus rubroviolaceus)
Redlip Parrotfish Scarus rubroviolaceus A large, robust parrotfish with a reddish upper lip and a body that changes colour from greenish to bluish-grey as it matures.to 70 cm · 3-30 m · by dayouter reef slopes and surge channelsListen for the crunching sound of its beak scraping algae from coral; it often leaves a cloud of white sand behind. no rights reserved · CC0 · observation
Brassy Drummer (Kyphosus vaigiensis)
Brassy Drummer Kyphosus vaigiensis A silvery-grey to brassy schooling fish with a robust body, often seen grazing on algae-covered rocks.to 70 cm · 1-30 m · by dayrocky reefs and algal-covered bommiesLook for large, slow-moving schools near the reef crest where algae growth is strong. no rights reserved · CC0 · observation