Types of Diving in Bali

Bali offers a huge variety of world class dive sites and conditions for all levels of divers. Check out the many different types of diving and the best sites for them below!

Muck diving

For those of you who have never done any muck diving – try it! The sediment bottom offers a very different variety of marine life to that you will see around coral. We have some excellent muck diving sites here in Bali, such as Seraya, Puri Jati and Padang Bai.

Here you might see creatures such as the mimic octopus, pygmy seahorse, nudibranch, shrimp or Indian walkman devil fish. Truly a photographer’s paradise!

Wall Diving

Bali has some wonderful wall dive sites for the more experienced diver. At Mejangan the wall plunges down to 60m so care is required but the little nooks and crannies are filled with interesting marine life and there are some spectacular sea fans! Nusa Penida also offers beautiful wall diving and if you are lucky in the season you may spot the Mola Mola that Bali is famous for.

Drift Diving

Nusa Penida is also a great location to do drift diving. Feeling lazy? Well then, get neutrally buoyant, let the current do the work for you and drift along while observing the beautiful coral gardens and the gorgeous creatures and fish that call it their home. At Candidasa you can drift along at your leisure and hopefully spot a few sharks!

Wreck Diving

Bali is of course world famous for the USAT Liberty wreck which was torpedoed by the Japanese in World War II and slid down into the sea from the beach at Tulamben when Mount Agung erupted in the 1960s. Lying at a depth of between 7-27m this is one of the most accessible genuine wrecks you will find and over the decades it has developed a beautiful growth of soft and hard corals. It is home to a huge number of fish and other marine life, including rays, jack fish, bat fish and even turtles. No diving holiday in Bali is complete without a dive on the Liberty!

At Kubu you can find a brand-new artificial wreck called the Relax Bali, named after the resort that placed it there. There is not much growth on the wreck yet but an impressive amount of fish has moved in already!

Slope Coral Diving

For an easy, relaxed dive along a beautiful sloping coral bottom check out Padang Bai. A large and healthy variety of corals and fish can be found here and for those with good eyes there is macro life aplenty. The depths and generally good conditions make this a wonderful site for both beginners and experienced divers.  

Marine Life

Are you diving in Bali hoping to see any specific sea creatures? While we obviously can never guarantee what we will see on a dive we can increase the probability of you seeing your favourite fish or animal by visiting the right site!

If you would like to experience seeing the haunting grace of the manta ray we can take you to Manta Point or Manta Bay off the coast of Nusa Penida.

For those who have never seen a mimic octopus we would recommend a dive at Puri Jati where you might get lucky and spot one of these elusive camouflage experts.

Are you a keen macro photographer with a passion for colourful little nudibranchs? If so, take your camera with you and dive at Seraya, home to myriad nudibranch species.

If you visit Bali around July – September and you would like to see the famous Mola Mola or ocean sunfish (at an average weight of 1000kg the heaviest bony fish in the world!) come with us to Candidasa or Nusa Penida. Be aware though that these dive sites are not for the inexperienced!

For the shark lovers among you Candidasa is most certainly worth a visit where many white-tip reef sharks hang around. Keep your eyes open to spot these sleek and beautiful predators.

Who doesn’t love turtles? You can get lucky and see one in many dive sites around Bali but to improve the odds you should dive on Tulamben where the wreck houses a large hawksbill turtle or go diving in Candidasa where you may find a green turtle.