Coral Garden

Description

Located between the Liberty Wreck and Drop-Off dive sites, the Coral Garden is a shallow reef abounding with colorful corals and rare marine life.  This easily accessible reef stretches for about 150 meters along the shore of Tulamben Bay.

The reef rests on a bed of black sand and is dominated by table corals, anemones, and sponges. One of the unique features of this site are the sunken Balinese statues that are scattered around the area, including figures of Buddha and various Hindu gods. These artistic structures serve as an artificial reef, attracting a variety of marine life.

Because of it’s shallow depth, the Coral Garden is an excellent location for beginner divers to practice their skills, as well as a rewarding site for snorkeling. Underwater photographers also frequent this site due to it’s clear waters and abundance of macro life.

Marine Wildlife

The Coral Garden is rich in macro life, including hard to find species such as ghost pipefish, leaf scorpion fish, and harlequin and mantis shrimps. It is also home to plenty of striking nudibranches – during night dives keep an eye out for the alluring spanish dancer. This site is also one of the best places to see one of the most recognizable reef dwellers, the brightly striped clownfish, which can be found peeking out of the large patches of anemones. The Coral Garden is an excellent place to spot bright blue and yellow ribbon eels. You may also see squid, cuttlefish, and schools of trevally, sweetlip and snapper, along with the black and white tip reef sharks that often prowl the area.