Coral Fan Garden

Coral Fan Garden — also known locally as Halik Reef — is a remarkable 1 km-long site stretching along the northern tip of Gili Trawangan and down the island’s western coast. The topography offers something for every experience level: a plateau at 6–12 m dominated by extraordinarily diverse hard coral is home to huge concentrations of reef fish, giving way to a rubble slope at around 23 m, and then to a succession of coral ridges that run deeper still toward 30 m. The soft corals throughout the site are noticeably bent toward the west — shaped over years by the powerful currents that funnel through the Lombok Strait — which gives the reef a distinctive, swept aesthetic unique to this location.

This is primarily a drift dive, and the current is what makes it special. At the right state of tide, the water carries divers effortlessly along the reef at a steady clip, allowing excellent fish-watching without exertion. The shallow reef between Coral Fan Garden and Shark Point is particularly dense with hawksbill turtles, yellow-striped snappers, and red-tooth triggerfish. As the dive progresses deeper along the ridge system, bumphead parrotfish and moray eels become more common, and blacktip reef sharks patrol the deeper outer edge. Cuttlefish, octopus, ribbon eels, and mantis shrimps occupy the rubble and coral heads throughout.

Current can range from gentle to very strong and is site-dependent on tidal phase. Visibility typically reaches 20–30 m in the dry season (April–November). Suitable for all certified divers on mild-current days; intermediate and above when the Lombok Strait current is running strongly.

Diver tips: The current always flows west, so plan accordingly — you’ll drift from the north tip of Gili Trawangan along its western coast. The hard coral plateau at 6–12 m is the richest section; consider doing a multi-level dive starting deeper and ascending to the plateau for your safety stop surrounded by schooling fish. Early morning dives often have cleaner water before afternoon boat traffic stirs the shallows.