This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series “Top 6 dives in Bali you probably have not heard of”
Bali Diving offers many different sites and there really is something for everyone to see, from huge Reef and Oceanic Manta Rays and seasonal Mola Mola to the tiniest fish and even smaller invertebrates such as alien-looking shrimp and crabs. For a Marine Biologist like me, this is simply heaven and I never get bored of diving all these different sites in Bali, there is always something new to spot! To be able to educate others about this amazing diversity makes it even better. Let me introduce you to my top 3 dive sites in Bali!
4. Anchor Wreck, Menjangan Island
I just love Menjangan Island! It lies in the West Bali National Park and offers some of the best wall dives in Bali. On top of that, the visibility seems to be almost infinite! Apart from other popular sites such as Pos 2, Bat Cave and Underwater Cave, my favorite spot here is Anchor Wreck. It’s a tricky deep dive, because the visibility makes you believe you’re just doing a 10 metre shallow reef dive. The dive starts at about 7 meters where the anchor still sits. The wall plummets to about 40-50 metres where you’ll find the remnants of an old 19th century Dutch wooden slave ship. The story goes that it was sunk on its way to trade slaves for rum, back in the old days when the Dutch occupied parts of Indonesia. Most of the bottles now have been removed but if you’re lucky you’ll still find some remains of this trade. Plan your dive carefully, because you can only spend a few minutes here as the “wreck” lies in 35 meters of water. This is an awesome opportunity to do complete your PADI Deep Diver Specialty! When you are about to start your ascent, you’ll be blown away by the diversity of life on the wall. Drifting towards Eel Garden, you’ll find big Gorgonian sea fans and large sponges, some more than three times your size! Don’t go too fast and see if you can find those incredibly well camouflaged pygmy sea horses hiding on the Gorgonian Fans. As you slowly move in to the shallow part of the reef, it’s time to de-gas. No better way to do your long safety stop in the crystal clear waters of Eel Garden. You would most likely Fairy Basslets, Octopus, Butterflyfish, and maybe even some grazing turtles. Don’t be surprised to find a white tip reef shark around the corner here. I can only suggest having a look at the amazing Menjangan dive packages we have to offer, you will not be disappointed!
5. Ceningan Wall
A site we don’t dive so often, but one that I think is well worth a visit. This site lies on the east coast of Nusa Ceningan, a small island between Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida. Ceningan Wall is a drift and wall dive. The boat will drop you off on the shallow reef in about 7 meters of water. Swim out a little bit, and the current will hopefully pick up in a southerly direction. It’s a perfect dive to find out about your buoyancy and trim. If you do it right, you’ll only have to adjust your body position slightly. The cool thing about drift diving is that you can cover a large distance and use relatively little air. It’s almost like a movie! You’ll follow the steep and almost vertical wall during the whole dive. There are a few lee areas where you can take a break and protect yourself from the current. I think you may have to share those spaces with some lazy fish as well! Enjoy big Angelfish and seasonal Mola Mola out in the blue. Just be aware of any down currents, and be ready to complete your safety stop out in the blue after a thrilling ride!
6. Toyapakeh Reef & Wall
Each time that you dive Toyapakeh it never seems the same! Situated in the waters on the west coast of Nusa Penida, Toyapakeh is subject to a lot of water being pushed from the Indonesian basins to the shallow Lombok Strait. The currents attract bigger creatures, such as Eagle Rays and Mola Mola. But don’t go down the slopes too quickly, the shallow reefs have loads of colourful nudibranchs such as Chromodoris and Aeolidae There are also bigger fish like Giant Trevally and Fusiliers. If you go south, you will find an amazingly colourful wall, whereas if you go north you will find a gentler slope. Either way, Toyapakeh is almost always a drift dive and currents can be fairly strong here. Try to go a bit deeper if this is your first dive of the day and with a bit of luck you can find sharks, rays or Mola Mola on their way to Crystal Bay. A few Tuna or Trevally usually hang out under the diving platform, so keep an eye out for them when you make your way to the shallow. Don’t forget to deploy your SMB, there’s usually quite a bit of boat traffic around! Have fun!
You might want to read the first part of the story.
