Fan Canyon

Also known as: Sea Fan Canyon · Seafan Canyon

Fan Canyon is a ridge of granite boulders running east from Tulai (Coral Island) out of Genting Bay, and at its heart rocks the size of a two-storey house enclose a narrow canyon lined with dozens of huge gorgonian sea fans. The surrounding boulders are so thickly covered in soft corals that the rock barely shows, a narrow tunnel at about 16 m is filled with tiny anchovies, a sea-whip garden stretches across the sand to the south, and a shallow hard-coral garden in the bay attracts feeding bumphead parrotfish. Nudibranchs and flatworms are especially varied, alongside scorpionfish, angelfish, pufferfish, glassfish, cuttlefish, turtles, snappers and yellowfin barracuda with hunting jacks. The usual plan follows the lower reef edge at about 22 m and then returns into the bay; currents are usually weak, and divers are asked to stay out of the canyon itself to protect the fragile fans. Open Water divers can enjoy the shallower parts, while the deeper canyon makes it a favourite for Advanced divers and photographers.