Golden Passage
Golden Passage is the channel between the north-east tip of Komodo Island and Gili Lawa Darat. It is named for the golden soft corals on the raised saddle in the middle of the passage. The bottom is gravel with reef patches; barracuda, schools of sweetlips and snappers, whitetip reef sharks and occasionally mantas and eagle rays use the current, and the west-to-east drift ends in a coral area with jacks, trevally and coral boulders covered in glassfish.
Facts
- Region: Komodo National Park
- Area: North Komodo (Gili Lawa)
- Depth: 5–25 m
- Level: advanced
- Current: strong
- Type: channel, drift, reef
- Coordinates: -8.481, 119.56 (approximate)
- Highlights: golden soft coral, barracuda, manta rays, eagle rays, sweetlips, snapper, whitetip reef sharks, trevally, glassfish
- Tips: Keep away from the southern edge, where the current can push down and out. Snorkellers can stay in the shallows near Gili Lawa Darat.