Dive Sites
PADANG BAI
Situated in Amuk Bay on the South East coast a few kilometres East of Candi Dasa, hosts some of the most spectacularly beautiful dive sites Bali has on offer. To the North of Padang Bai is Blue Lagoon with many varieties of marine life. The two islands of Tepekong and Mimpanglie just outside the bay, and Biaha lies a little further to the North.
Reef characteristics: drop-off
Visibility: 15-30 metres
Current: moderate
Coral growth: stone and soft coral
Marine life: many species of reef fish, chance of shark encounters
Highlights: large staghorn coral, large gorgonie fans
Amuk Bay - with Padang Bai to the south and Candi Dasa to the north, is about 6 km across and located along the south side of Bali’s eastern point. Just north of Padang Bai is Blue Lagoon. Tepekong and Mimpang are islands outside the bay. Biaha is a little to the north and Gili Selang is off Bali’s northeast tip. All offer some of the most breath-taking diving in Bali (detailed below). Due to conditions though, these sites need to be treated with care and respect. The currents coming from the Lombok Strait create unpredictable water movements that can result in a washing machine effect.
Mimpang, Tepekong and Biaha are all surrounded by remarkably healthy reefs, but they are generally low-lying due to the (at times) torrential current that sweeps the east coast of Bali. This current brings nutrients to these reefs and accounts for the diversity of their marine life. You will find a vast number and great diversity of fish, abundant sharks and frequent pelagic visitors set against a dramatic backdrop of craggy black walls, with beautiful, healthy corals and often superb visibility. The water can be cold, although it is precisely this that makes these sites what they are: the deep basin 100 km south of Bali from which upwells extremely cold water to replace that taken away by currents to the west of Bali. This upwelling brings with it some of the marine life for which this area is famous (schooling pelagics, mola-mola).
Blue Lagoon - is actually a small bay with a steep white sand beach, located just northeast of Padangbai. The steepness of the beach means there are waves which means a 5 minute jukung (outrigger boat) ride from Padangbai. The topography is not spectacular: white sand bottom, which slopes gradually to 22 m, has scattered rocks, soft corals and a huge area of staghorn coral. The fish life however is amazing! A large napoleon wrasse lives here, as do several kinds of unusual reef shark, stonefish, moray and blue ribbon eels, nudibranches, rays, squid and octopus, leaf scorpion fish in every hue and stargazers.
While the diving at Blue Lagoon is easy experienced divers and photographers also thoroughly enjoy the site. Visibility is 15-20 m, there is sometimes a little surge and a mild current, but the bay is fairly protected. The site has a good variety of sweetlips, angelfish and surgeonfish.
Reef characteristics: drop-off
Visibility: 15-30 metres
Current: moderate
Coral growth: stone and soft coral
Marine life: many species of reef fish, chance of shark encounters
Highlights: large staghorn coral, large gorgonie fans |
