Includes:
Pick up time:
Free pick-up area is Sanur, Kuta, Legian, Nusa Dua. For all other areas there is a charge of $25 per car each way. Pick up is from the hotel lobby and punctuality is appreciated to avoid keeping other participants waiting in the first car outside.
Equipment rental charges:
Safety:
Highlights:
World famous for the USS Liberty shipwreck and the amazing variety of marine life found there. You can also dive a drop-off, a shallow coral graden, and a deep coral reef. Tulamben is the best place to night dive in Bali and you can take a majical sunrise dive.
Conditions:
No currents here, or very mild. Black volcanic sand. Usually very calm flat surface though full moon can bring in big waves. Temperatures generally around 28C°. Suitable for all levels of diver.
More information:
USS LIBERTY WRECK
Difficulty: 1
One of the jewels of Bali, and a truly world-class dive site. Reliable counts put the number of resident reef fish at a staggering 400, with ocean dwelling visitors numbering more than a hundred. The shallowest part of this coral-encrusted wreck is at 6m, sloping down to the bow at more than 30m. Garden Eels sway gently in the surge, and Thorny Oysters & Giant Clams snap closed at the first sign of a diver's approach. The resident school of Jackfish swirling around divers as if they weren't there.
DROP OFF
Difficulty: 1
A short section of steep wall, and then a more gentle coral-covered slope make this a very satisfying dive. Giant Gorgonian Fans & giant Barrel Sponges. A good place to see Octopus & Cuttlefish, adult Lionfish, Rays and a big mean-looking Barracuda. The wall carries all the way down to 90m, and if you look hard enough you can find the umbilical chord of one of our Divemaster's sons buried down there at the bottom.
BATU KELEBIT AND AROUND
Difficulty: 2
This deep coral site is is just round the corner from the Tulamben Drop Off. The coral starts from about 25m down to more than 90m. Lots of big Triggerfish, Sweetlips, Midnight Snapper and colourful Clownfish & Angelfish. Big pelagics & Sharks. Access just a few minutes by traditional boat from Tulamben itself. This long stretch of coast is all diveable so you can take multiple dives along here.
CORAL GARDEN
Difficulty: 1
A shallow reef, down to just 12m, but colourful and full of life. If you overnight at 'Paradise' bungalows then this is your house reef; step out of the restaurant and there it is. Lots of Blue Ribbon Eels, Razorfish, and the glorious Emporer Angelfish. A variety of Sweetlips and Fusiliers. Darting Moonwrasse and Damsels. Lots of macro.
Includes:
What to Bring:
Towel, and certification card or logbook (for certified divers)
Safety:
Pick up time:
Free pick-up area is Sanur, Kuta, Legian, Nusa Dua. For all other areas there is a charge of $25 per car each way. Pick up is from the hotel lobby and punctuality is appreciated to avoid keeping other participants waiting in the first car outside.
Equipment rental charges:
Bali Dive in Sanur (Difficulty 1)
Sanur Reef is also a good dive site for dive training or for scuba review if you need to refresh your dive skills because it is shallow and has a sandy bottom next to a coral reef. We usually dive to 8 metres at Sanur Reef. If you dive Sanur Reef you can almost always see a school of Batfish very close, and a variety of other fish. You can often see White-tip Reefsharks and Seasnakes are very common too in Sanur.
Includes:
Pick up time:
Free pick-up area is Sanur, Kuta, Legian, Nusa Dua. For all other areas there is a charge of $25 per car each way. Pick up is from the hotel lobby and punctuality is appreciated to avoid keeping other participants waiting in the first car outside.
Equipment rental charges:
Safety:
Discovered within the last 5 years, this muck diving site has taken over from Secret Bay as the best macro site in Bali. It's also more conveniently located than Secret Bay and can be dived as a day trip from the resorts in South Bali (Sanur, Kuta, Nusa Dua, Ubud). There is one large dive site directly in front of the resort, and to the right and it will take a number of dives to cover this area.
Within a small area guides can spot Harlequin Shrimps, Frogfish (of various colours), Pipefish, Decorator Crabs, Spider Crabs, Boxer Crabs, Hermit Crabs, Comensal Shrimps, a wide variety of Nudibranchs, Squat Lobsters, juvenile Lionfish, juvenile and adult Morays, Seahorses (Thorny and Common), juvenile Cuttlefish and Dragonet. There is also less commonly dived healthy reef a few hundred meters from the macro diving area. This reef is best dived by boat from Seraya.
Difficulty: 1
Location: Two hours by road from Sanur and just a few minutes south of Tulamben.
Highlights: Macro subjects
Conditions: Dive from the shore. Usually no currents, though the full moon can bring big waves making for a hazardous shore entry.
Includes:
Pick up time:
Free pick-up area is Sanur, Kuta, Legian, Nusa Dua. For all other areas there is a charge of $25 per car each way. Pick up is from the hotel lobby and punctuality is appreciated to avoid keeping other participants waiting in the first car outside.
Equipment rental charges:
Safety:
Highlights: Usually warm and full of colour and life. Great reefs and macro diving too.
Conditions: Generally good and calm, with warm waters. Good visibility is the norm, except after heavy rains in the rainy season (Jan - March).
BUNUTAN
Difficulty: 2
A rich coral slope, masses of reef fish, and an unmissable colony of giant Garden eels. The best corals at 25- 30m, so ideally dived on Nitrox. Generally calm conditions and warm waters.
MACRO DIVES AMED
Difficulty: 1
Several macro photography dive sites around Amed. A good alternative to the more common Seraya and Tulamben muck diving sites.
UNDERWATER ISLAND
Difficulty: 1
Swim out to the descent point, then follow the bottom down to this underwater mound starting at around 22m. Interesting formations of healthy corals scattered among white sand. Sea snakes, various Nudibranchs and good macro opportunities. Makes an interesting night dive if you decide to spend the night in Amed.
Includes:
Pick up time:
Free pick-up area is Sanur, Kuta, Legian, Nusa Dua. For all other areas there is a charge of $25 per car each way. Pick up is from the hotel lobby and punctuality is appreciated to avoid keeping other participants waiting in the first car outside.
Equipment rental charges:
Safety:
Bali Dive Sites: Nusa Penida and Lembongan
Latest news from Nusa Penida: Mola season is over now (though you still may be lucky sometimes!) which means warmer water and no crowds of Mola-mad divers. Enjoy the peace and quiet. Lots of Manta still around and still the best reefs in Bali.
Highlights: The healthiest corals in Bali, and home to a huge variety of reef fish. Great for drift diving, and the best place to see Mola Mola & Manta in season. Dramatic above-water scenery.
Conditions: Usual temperature around 28°C, but the strong currents and sharp thermoclines can occasionally bring it down to the low 20°. Good visibility. Not uncommon strong currents and swells.
NUSA PENIDA NORTH COAST (FROM SD TO BATU NUNGGUL)
Difficulty: 3
The most dived area of Nusa Penida, and rightly so. Rich & healthy stands of coral which are home to an amazing variety of reef fish. Good coral diversity, including long spiraling Wire Corals, Tables and Domes. A great place to see Mola mola in season, and the best drift diving in Bali. This entire North Coast is one long stretch of healthy reef with at least five distinct dive sites.
TOYAPAKEH
Difficulty: 4
The best coral in Bali and clear waters. Towering bommies, and a rich slope. Pufferfish and Giant Trevally. Anything & everything has at sometime been seen here; Mola mola, Shark, Manta and other Rays, and lots of big ocean fishes. Sometimes fierce & unpredictable currents, sometimes still and gentle.
CRYSTAL BAY (ALSO KNOWN AS PENIDA BAY)
Difficulty: 5
Inside the bay is sheltered from the currents, with a wonderful array of soft corals. Move outside the bay and feel the current pick up, sometimes trying to pull you down the sand & coral slope. Stick with our experienced guides and stick close to the reef. These currents bring with them good chances of encounters with the larger schooling ocean fishes and Mola mola in season. Usually great visibility here and often very cold. In the corner of the bay is a small bat cave you can surface in and take a breath.
GAMAT BAY & TOYAPAKEH WALL
Difficulty: 4
Inside Gamat Bay is truly beautiful; below the crystal clear waters lies a colourful carpet of both hard & soft corals, home to a variety of Nudibranchs and other macro delights as well as some big Groupers. Leaving the gentle waters of the bay let the current take you as you drift along the wall of the channel between Nusa Penida & Nusa Cenigan. The currents can be very swift. Keep good group contact, stick close to the wall. Keep one eye to the channel for Sharks and big fish.
MANTA POINT
Difficulty: 2
Further than most other dive sites in Bali. Not only mantas, but frequent Nurse Shark sightings and lots of soft corals. You need to be flexible because its exposed location means that sometimes the conditions are too rough for the boat to make it down there, and on arrival giant swells can make diving impossible. But if conditions are good & the Mantas arrive it is well worth the extra effort to get there. Above water sheer cliffs are a dramatic sight.
BATU ABAH
Difficulty: 4
The furthest dive site we go to, and one of the toughest to dive too. Yet this pristine site offers up all of the most sought after marine life Bali has to offer; Mola mola, Manta, Turtle, Sharks. Abundant Lobster & Nudibrancs. It's an ocean-facing site so can get rough at the surface with some big ocean swells. As with Manta Point (above) you need to be flexible in your dive plan and it's only suitable for the most experienced divers.
CENINGAN WALL
Difficulty: 5
Another advanced site, divable only at certain times, yet the best wall south of Menjangan. Divers are more than rewarded for their perseverance. The coral is stunted due to the strong currents, but schools of Tuna & Trevally, big Moray Eels & Barracuda are common. Leopard Shark sightings. The swell here means you need take care to do your safety stop & your surfacing away from the sheer rockface.
MANGROVE (ALSO KNOWN AS JANGKA POINT)
Difficulty: 2
Lined with Mangrove trees, this is a good long site for drifting in the current. The nearly flat profile - in contrast to the steep slopes at most of the other sites around Nusa Penida - gives a wide-angle viewpoint. Lobsters are among the most commonly seen marine life here, and various Triggerfishes and Surgeons. Be careful the gentle slope doesn't fool you into drifting towards the open ocean; stick with your guide.
BLUE CORNER (ALSO KNOWN AS ENTAL POINT)
Difficulty: 5
One of the toughest sites in Bali, with wild currents not uncommon. A flat terrace at about 25 meters and as you round the corner be ready to hang on to any available outcrop. While you wait, watch out for the Mola mola which are abundant here in season. All the other big ones are often seen here too. Often great visibility, but the dives can get very cold.