Siaba Besar
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily — treat everything here as planning ranges.
Siaba Besar is the exhale between Komodo's adrenaline dives, a becalmed bay where green turtles gather in such numbers that guides call it Turtle City. They graze the seagrass, nap on sponges, and surface unbothered beside divers of any experience level. The sand between bommies pays attention-tax to those who look: cuttlefish hovering mid-hunt, blue-spotted rays, garden eels, frogfish on occasion, and mushroom-coral pipefish for sharp-eyed guides. Because it is protected from the main tidal stream, the site handles training dives, check dives, and long relaxed profiles, and it moonlights as one of the area's better night dives. It proves Komodo has a gentle register too.
The moment you come for: Green turtles in bulk; relaxed shallow profiles; surprisingly good macro in the sand.
Topography: Sheltered sandy bay with seagrass patches, coral bommies, and a sloping reef edge.
Current: The bay is sheltered from the strait's main flow; drifts are gentle when present.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Little beyond boat traffic at the surface and the usual shallow-water sun exposure on long dives.
Who you'll meet
Blue-Spotted Ribbontail Ray
Broadclub Cuttlefish
Frogfish
Garden Eel
Green Sea Turtle
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★☆ · Macro: ★★★☆☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting