Considered as the most renowned site to dive in Layang Layang and only 10 mins by boat from the resort, this incredible site is perfect for drift dives, wall dives and reef dives. Popular with scalloped hammerhead sharks in particular, this spot attracts huge schools of them, both young and old, and the wonderfully clear viz up to 50m, makes this site especially good for underwater photography.
Starting with a gentle reef slope full of colourful macro creatures and giant clams, you’ll see hundreds of gorgeous small reef fish like red tooth triggerfish, rounded batfish, pyramid butterfly fish, harlequin sweetlips and unicorn fish swimming amongst stunning warty and bottlebrush coral formations. Vast groups of snappers and groupers gather here for feeding, and keep an eye out for the hawksbill turtles coming in fast on the current.
As you descend 12 metres down to the drop off reef wall, and drift further down, you’ll discover a dense and breath-taking forest of giant barrel sponges, hard and soft corals and stunning yellow and orange Gorgonian sea fans all swaying gently on the wall, as surgeonfish, tunas, fusiliers, grey reef sharks and barracudas together with thousands of horse-eye jacks swim alongside the wall.
Due to the strong currents here, which lure in many large schools of pelagic predators such as manta rays, giant trevallies, massive dogtooth tuna and whale sharks, and with depths of up to 40m, Gorgonian Forest is ideal for moderately experienced to expert divers.