Nusa Penida close to Bali presents a incredible alternative to dive with mola mola (the oceanic sunfish) and manta rays, two of probably the most outstanding giant creatures to swim throughout the ocean. On this article, we focus on our diving expertise right here, the place is the perfect place to dive from Padang Bai, Nusa Penida or Nusa Lembongan, the perfect mola mola and manta season for Nusa Penida, dive operators, dive websites round Nusa Penida, dive costs and lodging. For the perfect diving throughout Indonesia see our Full Indonesia Dive Information.
Nusa Penida
Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningan, and Nusa Lembongan are three small islands separated from Bali on the east aspect by The Bandung Strait, a spot to not miss when touring to Bali. Nusa Penida is the biggest of the three at 17km lengthy. There’s a lot to discover across the island, spectacular cliffs, pristine seashores, bat caves, temples, and waterfalls, however for us, it was all about diving from Nusa Penida island.
Diving Nusa Penida
There’s some incredible diving round Nusa Penida, the highlights are the unimaginable cleansing stations at Manta Level and swimming with mola mola at Crystal Bay. This little neighbor to Bali has much more diving to supply than sunfish and manta rays.
We did among the longest drift dives we have now achieved all over the world, gliding over the attractive reefs surrounding Nusa Penida. I’ll advocate the drift dives round Nusa Penida for extra skilled divers because the currents might be robust and unpredictable.
The water flowing across the island is an up-welling from the deep and is usually chilly water with temperatures within the low twenty diploma Celsius vary, even dropping to 16C! I’ll advocate diving right here in a 5mm wetsuit (your dive middle ought to present one). Water temperatures are the bottom from June to October and better from November to February.
The visibility is sweet diving within the space, ranging between 10 and 40 meters!
Many of the diving is completed at depths ranging between 10m and 20m, there are some deep dive websites all the best way to 40m.
For extra superior issues to do within the space see this Bali journey itinerary.
Finest time of 12 months to Dive Nusa Penida
January and February are the height of the wet season and never probably the most nice time to be on the island. Diving is sweet from November to Might when the ocean is calm. Manta Rays might be seen from Nusa Penida all 12 months spherical. August to October is the perfect time of the 12 months to dive with Mola Mola from Nusa Penida, we focus on this later within the article. Take a look at our complete Bali Information for all the data wanted to Dive and Journey to Bali.
Marine Life Diving Nusa Penida
The island is understood for Mola mola (the oceanic sunfish) and manta rays, two monumental bucket checklist animals for many divers to swim with! Mola mola, generally generally known as the oceanic sunfish is the heaviest recognized bony fish on the earth weighing as much as 1,000 kg. These animals are native to tropical and temperate waters across the globe. The mola mola seems just like a fish head with a tail, and its most important physique is flattened laterally. Manta rays are giant rays belonging to the genus Manta. The bigger species, M. birostris, attain as much as 7 meters in width. Each these animals might be very giant and make incredible photograph topics! In the event you stay calm and swim sluggish they will come very shut!
This isn’t the one outstanding marine life discovered diving round this superb little island. Silvertip and Gray Reef sharks typically swim within the currents round Nusa Penida. Hawksbill turtles and quite a lot of puffer fish and lionfish are generally encountered floating over the reef. Examine-in holes and crevasses, Large Moray eels dwell right here. Don’t simply seize or put your knees on any piece of reef, scorpionfish dwell on the reef and the sting could be very toxic. Shiny-colored anemone fish make anemones everywhere in the reef their house. Preserve a watch out for quite a lot of stunning nudibranchs (sea slugs) when you have a great information he’ll level some out. In sandy areas swim rigorously to identify blue noticed stingrays and backyard eels, they’re troublesome to {photograph} since they pull again into the sand as quickly as they sense you. We had been fortunate to swim with some large marble rays whereas doing a deep dive in a powerful present.
In the event you take pleasure in wreck diving take a look at our submit on diving the Wreck of the USAT Liberty from Bali.
Manta Level Nusa Penida
When speaking about diving with manta rays round Indonesia Komodo and Raja Ampat are all the time the primary locations talked about. I knew there have been mantas someplace round Bali, however by no means would have imagined a cleansing station visited by so many manta rays as Manta Level from Nusa Penida. Loads of manta rays come all 12 months spherical to benefit from the cleansing station. It’s a tremendous place to dive or snorkel with Manta rays. They are surely plentiful right here, in the event you stand on the encircling cliffs you possibly can spot many mantas near the cliffs.
Mola Mola Nusa Penida
The water round Nusa Penida is pretty chilly as a consequence of a deep up-welling south of Bali and the nutrient-rich deep-water trench is famend as one of many high locations on the earth to identify mola mola, the enormous oceanic sunfish. The strange-looking mola mola appears like an enormous head swimming round with no physique. It’s the heaviest recognized bony fish on the earth. These fish often dwell very deep however they arrive as much as shallow waters to be cleaned of pores and skin parasites.
In South Africa, I’ve been fortunate sufficient to swim with mola mola on a number of events, however in Bali, we had been very unfortunate and arrived a day after the dive middle noticed 9 mola molas throughout a single dive! We did nonetheless see many extra manta rays than we did whereas diving in Komodo Nationwide Park. Throughout a distinct sort of superb dive on the web site PED, Alya and I acquired engaged to be married throughout a drift dive in delicate present, you possibly can see the video beneath.
Finest circumstances for seeing Mola Mola in Bali, Nusa Penida
Nusa Penida is among the greatest locations on the earth for seeing Mola Mola additionally known as Oceanic Sunfish. The excessive season to see them is from August to October. Tides and currents will decide if mola mola are round. One of the best time is simply between the brand new moon and the complete moon throughout lengthy slack tide. On the day of the complete moon (we arrived a day late) our dive chief noticed 9 molas! We dived for the next three days with out having any luck.
Dive websites for Mola Mola from Nusa Penida
One of the best dive websites to see them are Crystal Bay, Gamat Bay, Toyapakeh, and Ceningan Wall within the Ceningan channel and Blue Nook in Nusa Lembongan. If you must decide one web site Crystal Bay is the place to go. The mola mola comes up from the deep in chilly water, so that you need temperatures beneath 25C and these large “swimming heads” don’t like present, so little present or look in a bay the place they will conceal.
Diving Nusa Penida from Bali (Padang Bai), Nusa Penida or Nusa Lembongan
Diving the websites round Nusa Penida from the island itself is a good suggestion since it’s cheaper than diving from Padang Bai or Nusa Lembongan with a pace boat, as you’d count on. We loved staying in Nusa Penida, it has some stunning websites and wholesome reef, see our entry Issues to do in Nusa Penida, for all about this stunning island. Since Manta Level is simply across the nook snorkeling with these stunning beasts isn’t very costly and you are able to do it day-after-day! There’s much more to do in Bali than diving, listed below are a pair extra concepts for accountable journey actions round Bali.
Dive Centres and Costs for Diving Nusa Penida
As a result of Nusa Penida is situated near each Nusa Lembongan and Bali the websites round Nusa Penida might be dived as day journeys from both of those islands. Is that this your first dive? Manta Bay and Nusa Penida diving is a good place for newbie divers with a great probability to see manta rays 12 months spherical on the well-known manta level dive websites. Examine this Uncover diving tour.
Nusa Penida
We did go to a number of dive resorts in Nusa Penida earlier than deciding on a dive middle to dive with for 3 days. We went diving with Penida Dive Resort; skilled, organized, pleasant, educated dive professionals and off-course good costs.
Dive with the famend Pure Dive Resort in Nusa Penida to discover the deep blue, whether or not you’re open water or extra superior, an expert dive grasp will present you the treasures of the totally different dive websites across the islands of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida.
Bali (Padang Bai)
Padang Bai is the place to dive from if you wish to dive round Nusa Penida from Bali itself. OK divers was a pleasant dive middle in Padang Bai. You possibly can simply e-book a tour to select you up at your lodging in Bali akin to this Scuba Diving in Nusa Penida Island and Manta Level tour together with pick-up and drop-off out of your Bali lodge.
Nusa Lembongan
- Tamarind Dive Middle
- Small, regionally owned, well-rated dive middle on Nusa Lembongan providing scuba diving and snorkeling round Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida, and Nusa Ceningan.
- Breeze Villa – well-rated lodging near the dive middle.
5 Enjoyable Dives from Nusa Lembongan
Lodging Nusa Penida
Dive Websites Nusa Penida – from my logbook
Crystal Bay Dive Web site
Max Depth: 29m, Avg Depth 15m, 23C, viz 20m
Among the finest dive websites of Nusa Penida in mola-mola season. Sturdy currents over the coral reefs, ready at 25-30m for many of the dive ready for giant stuff – mola mola and sharks to return previous with our dive guides drift diving. The water temperature was good for the principle attraction the uncommon mola mola, it was chilly however the present was very robust on each our dives, perhaps explaining the molas not exhibiting up. We noticed some white tip reef sharks, eagle rays, a turtle, and a tuna in pretty deep waters on this dive journey.
On the finish of the second dive right here, we completed within the shallows and noticed good coral, a number of nudis, backyard eels, and quite a lot of reef fish.
Blue Nook dive web site
Max Depth: 38m, Avg Depth 16m, 23C, viz 20m
Probably the most well-known dive websites across the island of Nusa Penida. Circumstances will not be all the time favorable. Sturdy currents are higher at this dive web site and it is a web site for superior divers. Some dive operators solely take scuba divers with greater than 100 dives on a day journey to Blue Nook. A well-liked web site with a easy deep slope with terraces and a quick drift dive. Mola mola is usually seen in season, we had been hoping they’re hiding from the present across the nook, however sadly didn’t make it across the nook – no Mola mola. We did nonetheless see eight large marble rays! They had been swimming at 38m.
Manta Level
Among the finest spots to see majestic manta rays within the wealthy waters of the manta cleansing station. There are two websites known as Manta Level; Manta level (Manta Level 1) and Manta Level 2 (Manta 66). Manta Level 1 is shallow (10m) and really near the rocks. Many mantas might be seen swimming right here from the cliff above. The height season is from March to June, however the mantas are right here all 12 months spherical. Some dive retailers give a money-back assure for seeing them. Our determination to go snorkeling as a substitute of diving was a great one. You possibly can speak to the boat that spots them and swim in that path. We had a number of mantas swimming round us on the floor for some time.
PED
Stunning sloping reef coated in wholesome coral. Dived it twice, the present was medium and robust. We noticed a big number of reef fish, turtles, white-tip reef sharks, if A thermocline is current mola mola might be seen right here in season.
Komodo Island is certainly one of our favourite dive spots in Indonesia! ↓↓↓↓↓↓ GO PRO HERO 11
I requested Alya to marry me diving on this reef
Useful issues to pack in your underwater journey
MARES STAR |AEGEND FOLD AWAY| RASH VEST |ANTI-FOG |HAVAIANAS FLIP FLOPS|GO PRO HERO 11| COLUMBIA SHIRT|OSPREY TOILETRY BAG
Occurring a dive journey? – Dive Journey Packing Record+Ideas
Extra Diving Indonesia Sources
The island Sulawesi has among the greatest diving in Indonesia, diving within the South of Sulawesi see the ‘off the crushed observe’ island Bira. Lembeh Strait for Muck diving within the north and the Togian Islands to actually dive a hidden paradise.
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The robust half of Stingy Nomads, a nomadic aquaman that will be joyful to spend all his life within the water diving, browsing and spearfishing however typically has to compromise with Alya and go mountain climbing as a substitute. Campbell is accountable for all our marine adventures and following them with write-ups. He loves touring, braai (BBQ in South Africa), purple wine and spending the day in a wetsuit.
