Bali is a paradise for divers, offering an array of underwater wonders to explore. You can experience colorful marine life, magnificent coral reefs, hidden shipwrecks, and mesmerizing manta rays.
Regardless of your skill level, Bali’s dive spots cater to divers of all levels, ranging from beginners to advanced and professional divers. Local dive centers with expert guides are available to ensure your safety while exploring the mesmerizing underwater world of Bali.
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at some of the best diving spots in Bali, as well as offer tips on how to prepare for your dive. So, immerse yourself in Bali’s enchanting underwater world and make memories that will last a lifetime.
Best Diving Spots in Bali for Beginners
1. Amed
Amed is one of the most popular diving sites in Bali, especially for beginners. There are several diving spots just off the shore and the current is not too strong. So any newbie divers can explore the colorful sea life without worrying too much about the difficulty level.
However, there are several diving spots, The Wall, a Japanese Wreck and The Pyramids are most popular for their unique features.
The Wall is home to pygmy seahorses, lionfish, and potentially even manta rays and black-tip reef sharks. You can go to the wall by a short boat ride from the shore. The Wall is a great spot for novice divers.
The Japanese Wreck is only 10m below the ocean’s surface. You can expect to see a variety of sea creatures here, including hair crabs, candy crabs, seahorses, lionfish, barracudas, and damselfish. Undoubtedly, it’s a prime location for capturing stunning underwater sights, especially if you bring an underwater camera when diving.
The Pyramids is easily accessible from the beach. This dive site was designed to help grow the ecosystem, and it was very successful! Now, it’s packed with underwater creatures and sea life thriving in a healthy environment. It’s only 5m below the shore, making it one of the most popular dive spots in Amed. So, you’ll see many divers and snorkelers exploring this vibrant underwater world.
2. Padang Bai
If you’re a beginner looking for great diving spots in Bali, don’t miss Padang Bai. Basically, this port is visited year-round for fast boats to the Gilis, Nusas, and Lombok, but not many people know about its diving potential. The calm water and tiny macro-critters make the Padang Bai a perfect diving spot for novice divers.
The Blue Lagoon is the most popular diving site in the area of Padang Bai. You may be familiar with the Blue Lagoon as a popular snorkeling site, but did you know that it’s also a great spot for diving? You can explore the underwater world to find stunning displays of colorful and diverse marine life. So, if you want to go diving adventure without any challenges, be sure to add the Blue Lagoon to your list!
3. Pemuteran
If you are searching for an adventure away from the crowds of tourists, Pemuteran in the northwestern point of Bali is an excellent choice. It takes about 3 hours to drive through the winding jungles and roads to reach these peaceful fishing towns with pebble bays. These Northern dive spots are perfect for beginners due to their great visibility, calm currents, and easily accessible sites. Just a few meters below the surface, you’ll find huge schools of fish and coral reefs teeming with life.
Secret Bay in Gilimanuk is a fantastic spot for muck diving. Basically, it is not a coral reef, it is a black sandy reef. It provides a great opportunity to explore and find hidden creatures such as octopuses. Secret Bay is also a calm and shallow dive site, making it ideal for beginners and underwater photographers.
Napoleon Reef, near Pemuteran, is teeming with colorful tropical fish attracted to the area for mating. The reef boasts vibrant corals, gorgonian fans, and other sea plants for a stunning underwater spectacle.
Temple Garden is another dive site located just a 10-minute boat ride from Pemuteran Beach. It’s a funded project aimed at encouraging the growth and health of Bali’s sea life, where a vast range of statues and a temple were planted underwater. Sitting 15-30m below the ocean, you can explore the hidden crevices of the statues to find tiny creatures.
Pura Tembok is a vast home for every type of creature. Covered in a variety of plant life, it’s a healthy ecosystem protected from harmful fishing methods. Spot manta rays, eels, scorpion fish, eagle rays, and white-tip reef sharks. Overall, this is a must-try wall dive for beginners.
4. Tulamben
Tulamben is the final addition to my list of beginner diving spots in Bali. Situated on the east coast of the island, this calm and easily accessible area is perfect for those new to diving. There are several unique dive sites in Tulamben, including:
The Liberty Shipwreck is one of the world’s most famous wrecks due to its easy accessibility. Just 30 meters below the surface, beginner divers can explore the sunken vessel and witness an incredible array of sea creatures, from reef sharks to tropical fish, all surrounded by beautiful coral formations.
Coral Garden, is a picturesque reef teeming with marine life. This underwater paradise is home to a wide variety of sea plants, fish, and creatures, including the beloved clownfish (a.k.a. “Nemo”), statues, shrimps, and octopuses. With calm waters, it’s an ideal spot for divers of all levels to enjoy the awe-inspiring sights beneath the waves.
Best Diving Spots in Bali for Professional Divers
5. Nusa Penida
Nusa Penida is a popular tourist destination in Bali for those seeking a more laid-back and adventurous experience including diving. This tropical island is surrounded by white sandy beaches and clear blue waters that attract advanced divers from all over the world.
Whether you’re on an extended day trip or a short vacation, exploring Nusa Penida will reveal sea life and corals that can’t be found in Bali. While the dives can be challenging due to strong and unpredictable currents, Nusa Penida has some exceptional diving spots where you can see manta ray or mola-mola by taking small initiative.
Manta Point is considered one of the best dive sites in Bali. The reef is a popular manta-ray cleaning spot with both shallow and deep sections. The enormous creatures swim leisurely around the protruding rocks, allowing smaller fish to remove parasites from their skin. The shallow cleaning station can be filled with up to 10 mantas, while the deep cleaning station can have 20-30 mantas. If you’re looking for a truly amazing diving experience, Manta Point is a must-visit.
Crystal Bay can also have unpredictable currents, making it suitable only for experienced divers. During sunfish season from July to October, divers flock to the area in hopes of catching a glimpse of these incredibly unique creatures. Crystal Bay is also occasionally visited by turtles, making it one of Bali’s best places to dive for finding tropical sea life.
Bat Cave is part of Crystal Bay, but it deserves its own special mention. Diving down 10-20m, you’ll emerge into a cave sparkling with theatrical lights and lined with hundreds of bats. It is an exceptional diving spot.
6. Nusa Lembongan
Discover the mesmerizing diving spots in Bali with Nusa Lembongan, a neighboring island of Nusa Penida.
It is located just a short boat ride away from Bali. It boasts crystal-clear waters and white sand reefs, which makes it a popular destination among experienced divers who seek to explore rare sea life.
As its currents are rough, it is not suitable for beginner divers unless they are accompanied by a reliable and confident dive instructor. There are three well-known diving spots as follows:
Lembongan Bay, which reaches only 10m deep, is the calmest dive site in Nusa Lembongan. This site is packed with nommies and homing tropical frogfish, unicorn fish, and moray eels, making it the most suitable dive site for beginner divers on the island.
Blue Corner, on the other hand, is suitable only for experienced divers as it dips dramatically into a 50m fall. The overhang conceals bamboo sharks, nurse sharks, mola-mola, and groups of dolphins. To see these impressive creatures, you need to reach at least 40m down. Nevertheless, the 5-meter coral reefs are a stunning view, teeming with vibrant colors and abundant marine life.
Mangrove is a drift dive spot where seasoned divers can glide across the reef in the current. It is home to an array of marine life, including puffer fish, eels, nurse sharks, turtles, manta rays, and whale sharks, making it a true aquarium of underwater creatures. Moreover, the dive site is located just a quick boat ride from the beach, making it a perfect spot for those who want to try drift diving and witness some amazing sea creatures.
7. Candidasa
Candidasa offers a more thrilling experience suited for experienced and advanced divers due to the strong currents and boat jumps. This seaside small town is located on the eastern coast of Bali and at a distance of 30 minutes by boat from Padang Bai. This site is a less crowded area. Here you can discover marine creatures, drift with the currents, and explore the reefs teeming with tiny sea life.
There are three diving spots nearby Candidasa which are:
Gili Mimpang is also known as Sharks Point. It is a dive site abundant with marine life. Here, you can witness a variety of large fish, and vibrant corals, and if luck favors you, you can meet with white-tip, wobbegong, or cat sharks. This spot is just a 10-minute boat ride distance from the shore. Strong and unpredictable currents help you to grab the exciting opportunity to try drift diving in Gili Mimpang.
Gili Biaha, located 25 minutes away by boat from Padang Bai, offers a reef slope dive exclusively for advanced divers. You have a high chance of face-to-face with sharks and a diverse array of fish species. Besides, this site features Shark Cave, so you need extra caution to dive here.
Gili Tepekong promises a thrilling and diverse diving experience. You can discover here beautiful sea fans, towering boulders, and rock pinnacles. Moreover, you can discover hidden marine life and breathing creatures. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of white-tip sharks accompanied by their offspring in the canyon of Gili Tepekong.
How to Prepare for Your Dive
Diving is a thrilling underwater activity that every adventurous traveler aspires to try. However, it’s important to undergo proper training to ensure safety and success. The good news is that learning to dive is easy and can be achieved within 1-3 days by mastering basic skills such as floating, kicking, and breathing.
In Bali, where diving is a popular activity, you can find several reputable dive centers to facilitate your diving training. Choose the one that best fits your requirements and obtain your diving certification. With proper preparation, you can confidently explore Bali’s enchanting underwater world. Here are some tips on how to prepare for your dive:
1. Get Certified
Before you embark on your diving adventure, it’s important to obtain the certificate. There are many reputed dive centers in Bali that offer courses for novice and experienced divers.
2. Research the Dive Centers
Choosing the right dive center is an important task for a diver. So before enrolling in a dive center, it is essential to gather information about the center’s services. You should read reviews from other divers to ensure the center meets your needs. While you select the dive center, you make sure that it has all necessary certifications, and provides proper safety equipment for your dive.
3. Choose the Right Time of the Year
The diving season in Bali spans from April to November. However, the best time for diving in Bali is between July and September. Moreover, you should check the weather and water condition before booking your dive.
4. Bring the Proper Equipment
Make sure you have all the necessary equipment for your dive, including a wetsuit, mask, and fins. If you don’t have your own gear, most dive centers offer rental equipment.
Final Thoughts
Bali stands as a true diver’s paradise. Whether you’re an experienced diver or a beginner who wants to dive, the diving spots in Bali have something for everyone.
The vibrant marine life, stunning coral reefs, and intriguing shipwrecks present an enchanting spectacle that will leave you in wonder. With each dive, Bali’s underwater realm unveils a mesmerizing adventure where you can swim alongside vibrant schools of tropical fish and encounter majestic manta rays.
Fortunately, Bali’s dive centers are well-equipped to accommodate divers of all skill levels. With their expert guides and unwavering commitment to safety, you can embark on your underwater exploration with confidence.
When you are preparing for your dive, take time to familiarize yourself with the chosen dive spots and ensure you have the necessary equipment. Respect for the environment and adherence to diving guidelines are essential to preserving Bali’s natural treasures for future generations. So, let your senses dive into Bali’s underwater world, immersing yourself in its captivating beauty.
