Wainilu

Wainilu sits off Rinca island within Komodo National Park, in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, along the channels that separate Rinca from smaller islets such as Nusa Wainatu. Unlike many sites in the park, the current here runs light, and it is rated a beginner dive to a maximum depth of around 30 metres over a sandy bottom, with good visibility. It has built a reputation as a muck diving spot, with frogfish, mandarinfish, mantis shrimp, mimic octopus, nudibranchs and octopus all present, and divers have also reported flying gurnard, garden eels, ghost pipefish, hairy frogfish, harlequin shrimp, pipefish, rhinopias, scorpionfish, seahorses and squid. Blue ringed octopus has also been reported here, so care with hands and buoyancy over the sand is worthwhile. Dive operators typically reach it by boat from Labuan Bajo.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• NudibranchNudibranchConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• Mantis shrimpMantis shrimpConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Flying gurnardFlying gurnardReported here · unconfirmed
• PipefishPipefishReported here · unconfirmed
• Ghost pipefishGhost pipefishReported here · unconfirmed
• SquidSquidReported here · unconfirmed
• Hairy frogfishHairy frogfishReported here · unconfirmed
• OctopusOctopusConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• ScorpionfishScorpionfishReported here · unconfirmed
• Many-lobed CeratosomaCeratosoma tenueReported here · unconfirmed
• Ribbon EelRhinomuraena quaesitaReported here · unconfirmed
• Fingerprint TobyCanthigaster compressaReported here · unconfirmed
• Slender ceratosoma nudibranchCeratosoma gracillimumReported here · unconfirmed
• Varicose Wart SlugPhyllidia varicosaReported here · unconfirmed
• Whitelip MorayGymnothorax chilospilusReported here · unconfirmed
• Moorish IdolZanclus cornutusReported here · unconfirmed
• Reef Manta RayMobula alfrediReported here · unconfirmed
• MandarinfishMandarinfishConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Harlequin ShrimpHymenocera pictaReported here · unconfirmed
• Mimic octopusMimic octopusConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• SeahorseSeahorseReported here · unconfirmed
• Garden eelGarden eelReported here · unconfirmed
• RhinopiasRhinopiasReported here · unconfirmed
• FrogfishFrogfishConfirmed present · 3 independent sources