Bali
Whilst Bali may not be as famous for scuba diving as some of its other Indonesian cousins such as Raja Ampat it does boast some really top class diving and a wonderful chance to see the ever graceful manta ray and the elusive Mola Mola or sunfish. If you’re thinking of heading to this tourist paradise island then why not combine it with a spot of scuba diving?
Bali is a popular tourist destination with millions flocking there each year to get their fix of Bali’s beautiful beaches, cultural temples and vibrant nightlife, but did you know it is also a top class scuba diving hot spot where you can see Manta Rays, Mola Mola and all sorts of other wonderful underwater life? It also offers the chance to dive on one of the most accessible and beautiful shipwrecks in the world as well so Bali really does offer something for everyone!
Getting to Bali is pretty easy when compared to some of the other Indonesian scuba diving destinations such as Raja and Komodo, the Ngurah Rai international airport at Denpasar has direct flights into it from all over the world and if you happen to be located in southeast Asia then it is just a few hours on a flight before touching down in Bali itself. Bali being quite a large island has a number of different areas that tourists head to such as the ever lively Kuta, not far from the airport to the cultural heart of the island, Ubud located right in the middle. The best place to stay if you want to combine a bit of culture, a bit of a beach holiday and some diving is Sanur. its just under an hour from the airport which is ideal and offers gorgeous beaches, great hotels and resorts and is close enough to Denpasar where a number of really great dive centres are located such as the one I normally use, Joe’s Gone Diving.
where to dive
Bali offers a number of different areas to scuba dive for all levels of diver, from the gentle protected Padang Bai to the currents and large pelagic fish of Nusa Penida it really does offer something for everyone. the range of life that you can see is also quite spectacular, we’ve seen the rare and beautiful rhinopias scorpionfish at Padang Bai and spectacular and graceful manta rays of Nusa Penida. It really depends on what you are looking for and how long you’re prepared to travel in a van for as some of the dive sites can take a few hours to get to by road. here we summarise some of the different areas you can dive and the various dive sites there.
Pedang Bai & Candidasa
Located on Bali’s most easterly point, Padang Bai and Candidasa offer diving for all levels. They are about a 2 hour drive from Denpasar which means they are a great option for a day trip. Padang Bai also offers the chance to dive in the famous Blue Lagoon which is protected from some of the stronger currents that can be found in the area. expect to see all sorts of live from Turtles, whitecap reef sharks to the weird and wonderful.
Blue Lagoon:
A protected bay often used for courses and snorkelling due with great visibility.
Depth: 19m
Life: Turtles, cuttlefish, moray eels, scorpionfish, trumpetfish, moorish idol, clownfish, parrotfish, titan triggerfish, clown triggerfish, yellow boxfish, white spotted boxfish, longhorn cowfish
Coral Garden:
Another site in the blue lagoon, a sloping sandy bottom that leads down to a reef.
Depth: 20m +
Life: Green turtle, moray eels, cuttlefish, shrimp, blue spotted stingray, garden eels, leaf scorpionfish, cockatoo waspish, peacock flounder, pipefish, trumpetfish, goatfish, sweetlips, moorish idol, clownfish, parrotfish, surgeonfish
Lucky Dive: Seahorse, rhinopias scorpionfish.
Gili Menpang, Candidasa
Also known as Batu Tiga (3 rocks) it is part of a ridge that runs north to south and also offers a chance of seeing the oceanic sunfish (mola mola) if you are really lucky, although we didn’t manage to see one.
Depth: 30m
Life: Trevally, lionfish, schooling yellow snapper, nudibranchs, porcelain crab, leaf scorpionfish
Lucky Dive: Mola Mola (Sunfish)
Gili Tepekong, Candidasa
Tepekong offers some really spectacular diving with steep walls, some strong currents and normally great visibility.
Depth: 25m
Life: Whitetip reef shark, lionfish, tasseled scorpionfish, nudibranchs, moray eels, banded boxer shrimp, big eyed trevally, batfish, grouper, parrotfish, unicornfish, sweetlips.
Nusa Penida
Nusa Pendia is one of the most famous diving areas in Bali, located just across the Badung Strait it offers some brilliant dive spots. But, beware, the journey here can be quite bumpy if the waves get up and the area is famous for strong currents like those found in Komodo. The temperature here can be lower than other areas in Bali and a full wetsuit may be required depending on the time of year you decide to dive. But for those that make the trip you have the chance to see manta rays, turtles, sharks and even the mola mola during the right season.
Manta Point
As the name suggests, this dive site is all about one thing - manta rays. The dive site has some really lovely corals and is home to a manta cleaning station where the manta rays come in to get cleaned, make sure you don’t venture over the station as you could scare off the manta rays so stay close to your guide and stay alert. If you do you’ll be rewarded by an unforgettable experience.
Depth: 20m
Life: Manta Rays, reef sharks, blue spotted stingray
Jack Point:
This is a great drift dive as the current can really pick up but it is fairly uniform and offers a nice relaxing dive that is a great second dive of the day. Suit up, jump in and drift along and watch the show
Depth: 20m
Life: Lionfish, grouper, wrasse, parrotfish, unicornfish, jacks
Crystal Bay
Crystal bay is legendary in Bali diving circles, it offers probably the best chance of seeing the oceanic sunfish or mola mola in the right season but is also home to some dangerous and unpredictable currents so best dived by advanced open water divers with experience of current. Don’t be surprised if you’re a little out of breath afterwards.
Depth: 20m
Life: Turtles, banded sea krait, peacock mantis shrimp, cockatoo waspfish, peacock flounder, moray eels, parrotfish, wrasse, nudibranchs, lionfish, scoprpionfish
Lucky Dive: Mola Mola
Tulamben
This tiny little village on the east coast of Bali may not spring to mind as a scuba diving destination but it is home the the famous USAT Liberty shipwreck. This wreck is one of the most accessible anywhere in the world as ti can be accessed from the shore and starts just a few meters below the surface. The liberty was originally involved in world war 2 where it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942. The ship managed to make it to Tulamben where it remained for until 1963 when the erupting mount Agung caused it to slide into the sea and tilt onto its side. However, this has now become home to an amazing array of saline and is a favourite spot for divers from all over the world.
Depth: 30m
Life: Lionfish, peacock flounder, titan triggerfish, orange lined triggerfish, clownfish, oriental sweetlips, moorish idol, parrotfish, bumphead parrotfish, surgeonfish, mimic octopus, blue spotted stingray, short nosed pipefish, yellow boxfish, great barracuda, porcupine fish, pufferfish, shrimp, blacktop reef shark
How to get there
As mentioned earlier, the best and easiest way to get to Bali is via air and most major cities in southeast Asia offer direct flights into Ngurah Rai international airport. A flight direct from Kuala Lumpur takes around 4 hours with multiple airlines offering competitively priced flights. For those coming from further afield then it is almost as easy and you can often fly direct into Ngurah Rai airport or at worst connect at any of the major hubs around southeast Asia.
Best time to visit
It is possible to dive Bali all year round and have reasonable conditions like most places in southeast Asia. Typically, the high dive season is from May to November, if you want the best chance of seeing manta rays then April and May are your best bet and for sightings of the famous Mola Mola then the best time is August to October. Having said this we have dived all year round, even in December and been lucky enough to see manta rays at Nusa Penida so it really is an all year destination, the only drawback may be the surface conditions are a little choppier than normal.
who to dive with
There are a number of really good dive operators located all over the island, we tend to dive with Joe’s Gone Diving, located in Denpasar who offer a professional and reasonably priced service and will pick up from as far away as Ubud which is a major plus for those combining scuba diving with other pursuits!