Whitetip reef shark near Gili Lawa, Komodo National Park

The Cauldron (Shotgun)

Gili Lawa, Komodo National Park, Indonesia

  • Advanced
  • Very strong current
  • Best Apr to Nov

The Cauldron is an advanced dive site in Gili Lawa, Komodo National Park, Indonesia. Dives run from 8 to 25 m, in very strong current. The best months are April to November. Marine life here includes white-tip reef shark, manta ray and napoleon wrasse. 16 dive shops on Scubalo run trips here.

Updated

Conditions at The Cauldron

Max depth
25 m
Depth range
8–25 m
Current
Very strong
Level
Advanced
Depth profile: dives from 8 m to 25 m.

Safety

Current
Very fast through the channel; follow the guide's timing and stay together.

About The Cauldron

The Cauldron, also called Shotgun, is a channel between Gili Lawa Laut and Gili Lawa Darat in northern Komodo. Divers sink into a sandy bowl at about 25 metres, then the current shoots them over a ridge and through the channel at several knots.

The Cauldron lies in the channel between Gili Lawa Laut and Gili Lawa Darat, in the north of Komodo National Park, and most divers know it by its other name, Shotgun. The dive starts calmly: you descend into a large, sandy bowl, the cauldron, with its floor at about 25 metres.

Then the current takes over. As you rise out of the bowl and over its rim, the water funnels through the channel and fires you along at speeds often put at 3 to 6 knots on an incoming tide. The ride slows as you come out the far side, and the dive ends in calmer water over coral.

It is entirely tide dependent and not for beginners. Dive centres take divers with experience in strong current, and you need to stay close to your guide, ready to move when they do.

When to dive The Cauldron

Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November.

Season

Right now
Best months
April to December, for the best conditions and visibility.
Good to know
Dives are timed to the tide, as the current is strongest between tides.

Marine life at The Cauldron

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

Type of diving

Location

Questions about The Cauldron

Why is The Cauldron called Shotgun?

The current funnels through the channel between Gili Lawa Laut and Gili Lawa Darat and shoots divers through it, often at 3 to 6 knots on an incoming tide.

How deep is The Cauldron?

The bowl's floor is at about 25 metres, and the channel itself is shallower, mostly between 8 and 25 metres.

Who can dive The Cauldron?

Experienced divers only. It is a fast, tide-dependent drift, not suitable for beginners or divers new to strong current.

Where is The Cauldron?

In the north of Komodo National Park, in the channel between Gili Lawa Laut and Gili Lawa Darat.

When is the best time to dive The Cauldron?

April to December brings the best conditions. Every dive is timed to the tide, so the day matters more than the month.

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Dive shops that go to The Cauldron

16 shops in the directory run trips here.

Dive sites near The Cauldron

All dive sites in Komodo

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