Shadowlands Map Partial species list

This unique site rounds a cliff that juts into the sea. The shallow flat is at a depth of five to seven meters. It measures between zero meters from the cliff to twenty meters from the ancient coral rock bench fronting the beach. Because of the angle at which the cliff pushes into the sea and the closeness of the mountain above it, the wall rarely receives direct sunlight. In this twilight, the dense corals of neighboring sites are replaced with thick encrustations of dazzling color. The cliff directly faces the heavy surf from east winds. This has and continues to cause cavern formation and falling boulders.

This site is about 450 meters long.

Depth: 5 - 40 meters

Highlights: caverns, tropicals (fusiliers, 16 species of butterflyfish, 6 species of angelfish, 9 species of triggerfish), nudibranchs, thorny oysters

Conditions: The shallow flat can have a moderate to strong current. Strong currents at the top or heavy wave action can cause down currents. Heavy rains or days of heavy surf can reduce visibility to ten meters. Typical visibility is 20 meters.

Special Note: Bring your underwater torch to search the wall's many holes and enjoy its dramatic colors. But also remember to cast a glance away from the wall towards blue water. Pelagics often pass.

Virtual Dive

The dive typically begins with a descent along the eastern most corner of the wall (a sharp right angle), under that corner at a pointed overhang, to a pair of knobs at about a 30-meter depth. Several full-sized Dogtooth tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor) rush past. From here divers pass three round caverns, the largest of which is garage-sized. Above the "garage" is a roadway cut into the wall rising from 15 to about seven meters. The wall bends four times before divers encounter a startling cut in the wall that leads all the way back to the cliff edge. Inside the overhang of this cut hang long strands of blue rope sponge. Inside you can hear the pounding of any waves above. There are so many holes in this area that fish swim in and out of the wall! Curiously, sometimes there is more light inside the wall than in front of it. High concentrations of nudibranchs are found here, particularly Loch's nudibranch (Chromodoris lochi).

After this, the wall is marked by a large number of fissures and holes, followed by a complex series of buttresses and cuts. The top of the wall here forms a noticeable overhang, further restricting the light. The last sharp bend in the wall forms a bowl whose other side is marred by heavy sloughing of the wall.Within another 100 meters at a depth of 12 meters is a cave with a skylight punched into the top of the reef flat. A Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) likes to slumber here as fish enter and exit the cave through the roof. Enjoy the colorful tropical fishes during your rest stop.

Shadowlands Map Partial species list

Virtual Dive

Dive in Gorontalo