Gili Tepekong SCUBA Dive Sites
Category: Amuk Bay › Gili Tepekong
| Gili Tepekong at a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Access: | 30 minutes speedboat ride from Padang Bai |
| Marine Life: | Pelagics |
| Visibility: | 10-30 meters |
| Current: | Strong current, down current, toilet drift |
| Difficulty: | Difficult |
Do not expect beautiful coral reef here! That is the message I got when first reading a book about diving Tepekong. So what makes so many adrenaline junkies divers comes here? Hearing a lot about Tepekong bad reputation like toilet drift and strong current, I would like to know about this site more and find out why despite of the dangerous still there are many divers come here.
We dive there! Our first impression is it is not like another tropical dive sites, especially the Canyon, which is situated in the southern area of the island. I can not describe what it looks like, you have to dive it on your own. Shortly speaking, this is a dive site with mystique things. You feel like doing meditation. It is like watching the sunset in a quiet place. Lucky us, at that time neither current nor cold water accompanies us. It was November the beginning of southwest monsoon that is considered as the best time to dive these sites. The visibility here on average can reach 20 meters. The temperature is 26° Celsius but often under 20° Celsius.
In around 21 meters depth you will find a hole that connect east side of the island to the west side, you should try entering it. When I entered the hole and found the end, all I saw is blue water which group of ribbon sweetlips (Plectorhinchus polytaenia) and diagonal banded sweetlips (Plectorhinchus lineatus). It was really beautiful and mystic.
Written by: Erwin Kodiat
