Diving Gili Trawangan – Shark Point

One of the most popular dives around Gili Trawangan is Shark Point. This is a dive site on the northwest side of the island. Just a short 15-20 minute boat ride from Gangga Divers at Villa Almarik, it’s easy to get to and dive a couple of times before heading back to the hotel for lunch and some relaxation time. To learn more about this exciting dive and what you can see there, keep reading.

What will you find at Shark Point?

When you enter the water at Shark Point you’ll find a coral reef plateau that slopes down to around 18 metres. There is a sandy bottom that turns into impressive canyons that run parallel to the shoreline of Gili T. These canyons get progressively deeper down to a maximum depth of 35 metres.

As the name suggests you’re likely to find sharks! This may sound scary to non-divers but you will know that diving with reef sharks is an absolute thrill! The black tipped and white tipped reef sharks that prowl these waters are actually quite timid and don’t pose a threat to humans.

This isn’t only a great spot for sharks, cuttlefish, and stingrays can be found settled in the deep canyons. Huge schools of trevally pass through frequently and every full moon schools of massive bumphead parrotfish stop by. You may also see schooling dogtooth tuna, various snappers, and batfish.

Some of the smaller inhabitants of Shark Point include graceful ribbon eels, spiny scorpionfish, a number of species of octopus, and anemone fish.

Gili Trawangan is well known for its resident populations of green sea turtles and Shark Point is an excellent place to find them. They like to settle on sandy ledges and rest in the shallower water. Diving with sea turtles is truly a magical experience, so add this to shark spotting and you’ll never forget this dive.

The reef itself is made up of some of the best displays of coral and fans in Gili Trawangan. Sea whips, stoney corals, beautiful sea fans and enormous barrel sponges make for quite a feast for the eyes. Underwater photographers will be thrilled with the variety of subjects.

Who can dive at Shark Point?

Shark Point isn’t the best dive for newbie divers as the currents and depths can be quite challenging. It is however a perfect drift dive for intermediate and advanced divers. In fact, Gangga Divers often uses this site as part of the PADI Open Water Diver and Advanced Open Water Diver courses.

Are you tempted to visit the sharks of Gili Trawangan at Shark Point? Or perhaps this is a challenge you haven’t yet taken and feel you’re ready for. We’d love to help you plan your trip to Gili Trawangan and dive at Shark Point. If you have any questions about this dive or other dives around the Gili Islands, we are happy to answer if you leave a message in the comments box below.