Top 5 Diving Spots in Bali

by Barrie | August 15th, 2011   Tweet

Bali is a scuba divers paradise and being one of the most beautiful islands in the world, it’s only natural that it attracts divers from around the globe. As an island for diving, Bali is never disappointing in what it has to offer the lover of the depth. It [Bali] has a rich and stunning marine biogeographic zone and underwater ecosystems with a colourful and diverse marine life.

What sets Bali apart from a lot of dive sites around the world is the variety of sites available. With a panoramic backdrop of volcanoes or rices paddies and stunning beaches, diving in Bali is a sheer oceanic pleasure for those wishing to imbibe in off-shore diving. Another special aspect of diving in Bali is the deep drop-offs and steep banks with picturesque coral ridges. Whether your preference is offshore diving or from a boat Bali has it all.

The Bali dive season runs all year round. Overall, the best diving conditions exist from April to December, with sunfish, sharks and other pelagic fish visiting from June to September. Here are top 5 spots to check out:

Tulamben: A small fishing village on the north-east coast of Bali, it is among the most popular dive sites on Bali since the wreck of the USS Liberty, a US Army Transport ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942 lies just off shore. During high-season, up to 100 divers descend to the wreck each day. The wreck lies in shallow water and is considered appropriate for divers of all certification levels. The ship rests in 30 meters of water, is roughly 25 meters from shore and can be reached with a short swim from the beach. The highest point of the wreck tops out about 5 meters from the surface. The best conditions for diving here are during October and November.

Padangbai & Candi Dasa: Padangbai is a small town in eastern Bali near Candidasa. It serves as a ferry port for travel to Lombok and the Gili Islands. Besides the beach near the ferry terminal there is a beach just to the north known locally as the Blue Lagoon and the especially nice Secret Beach just to the south of town. Many people go to Padangbai to scuba dive and the popular spots are Tepekong’s Canyon and Mimpang’s Shark Point. Night diving at the Blue Lagoon is also excellent.

Nusa Lembongan: Twelve kilometres of the Badung Strait separates Nusa Lembongan from Bali. The island is surrounded by coral reefs with white sand beaches and low limestone cliffs. Nusa Lembongan is separated from Nusa Cenignan by a shallow estuarine channel which is difficult to navigate at low tide. The waters here are cold but water clarity is surprisingly clear. Stunning coral reefs and an rich variety of marine life is to be found.

Amed: A perfect place for those wishing to get right away from it all. Amed is a very slow paced village where technology hasn’t caught up. There are a number of dive sites in the area that offer some nice drop offs with good coral and diver fish. Most of the diving is done out of local boats, however shore diving is available from Jemeluk Bay.

Menjangan Island: A small island, located 5 miles to the north-west of Bali. The island is considered to be an important part of the local tourism industry, due to the fact that its marine fauna incorporates one of the best-preserved coral reefs in the area. All scuba-diving shops arrange daily trips to the island. Visibility in these warm waters can be as much as 50 metres and has excellent wall diving. Take note that the island exists in a National Marine Park.