NUSA PENIDA
Where: Actually three sister islands - Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan. Dry limestone islands about 20 km off the South East coast of Bali, reached by speedboat in a 45 minute journey from Sanur.
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. Surface currents & surface swell.
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 and an infinite number of starting points.
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. A booking doesn't guarantee a dive here; Nature rules these dive sites.
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 killer sites in Bali, with wild currents the order of the day. 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 can get very cold.