Giant frogfish beside a feather star at Cannibal Rock, Komodo National Park

Photo: Dan Bender, cropped, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cannibal Rock

Horseshoe Bay, Rinca, Komodo National Park, Indonesia

Advanced
Moderate current
Best Apr to Nov

Cannibal Rock is an advanced dive site in Horseshoe Bay, Rinca, Komodo National Park, Indonesia. Dives run from 5 to 30 m, with moderate current. The best months are April to November. Marine life here includes frogfish, nudibranch and scorpionfish. 6 dive shops on Scubalo run trips here.

Updated 21 October 2026

Conditions at Cannibal Rock

Max depth: 30 m
Depth range: 5–30 m
Current: Moderate
Level: Advanced

Depth profile

Safety

Water: Cooler in the south; bring a thicker wetsuit.

About Cannibal Rock

Cannibal Rock is a pinnacle in Horseshoe Bay off southern Rinca, in Komodo National Park, rising from deep water to about 5 metres. Its cold, plankton-rich water feeds a rock covered in soft corals, sponges and crinoids, one of Komodo's great macro dives.

Cannibal Rock sits in Horseshoe Bay, at the southern end of Rinca in Komodo National Park. The rock rises from around 45 metres to within about 5 metres of the surface, and almost every surface on it is covered in soft corals, sponges, tunicates and sea apples, with crinoids in every colour.

The south of the park is fed by cooler, nutrient-rich water, and that richness shows. It is one of the best macro dives in Komodo, with pygmy seahorses, frogfish, ghost pipefish, many nudibranchs and Coleman shrimps on fire urchins. Schools of yellow snapper and surgeonfish swirl around the rock, trevally and barracuda pass through, and large barramundi cod live here.

Plankton can cut the visibility and the water is cold, often 19 to 25°C at depth, so a thick wetsuit helps. The current can be moderate to strong, making it a site for advanced divers. Most divers reach it on a liveaboard heading to the south of the park.

When to dive Cannibal Rock

Season

Right now
Best months: November to March, when boats head south to these sites.
Good to know: The south is cooler, around 19 to 25°C at depth, so bring a 5 mm wetsuit.

Marine life at Cannibal Rock

What divers report seeing here. Tap one to see where else it turns up.

Type of diving

Location

Questions about Cannibal Rock

Where is Cannibal Rock?

In Horseshoe Bay at the southern end of Rinca, in Komodo National Park. Most divers reach it on a liveaboard trip to the south of the park.

What can you see at Cannibal Rock?

Soft corals, sponges and crinoids on every surface, and macro life such as pygmy seahorses, frogfish, ghost pipefish, nudibranchs and Coleman shrimps, plus schooling snapper, trevally and barramundi cod.