{"id":17330,"date":"2009-06-15T20:43:33","date_gmt":"2009-06-15T20:43:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwphoto.onpressidium.com\/book\/bali-diving-report\/"},"modified":"2025-08-15T06:57:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T06:57:16","slug":"bali-diving-report","status":"publish","type":"book","link":"https:\/\/www.uwphotographyguide.com\/book\/underwater-photography-guide\/underwater-photography-destinations\/bali-diving-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Diving Bali"},"content":{"rendered":"

Diving in Bali<\/a> is excellent, and Bali underwater photography is even better, with many great wide-angle and macro subjects underwater. The diving here is easily accessible from shore or a short boat ride, often at a good price. Critters, wrecks, walls, coral, muck-diving, schooling fish, pelagics – Bali has it all. It would be difficult to find a better mix of diving options combined with excellent food, accommodations, culture and other unique things to experience<\/a>. For Bali logistics, see the end of this article.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bali Marine Life<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Big stuff” in Bali<\/h3>\n

As long as you do your research, Manta Rays, Reef sharks, Schooling jacks, Bumphead parrotfish and  a large Great Barracuda can be seen in Bali. Tuna, Napolean wrasse and Wobbegong shark can also be seen. Mola-mola season is July to October, and they can be seen in deeper water at cleaning stations. The more popular dive sites can get quite crowded with divers looking for molas though.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

White-tip, Black-tip and Gray Reef sharks are common but are usually seen at 90ft or deeper when there are currents, so many divers don’t get to see them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bali Macro subjects<\/h3>\n

Macro life in bali is great, and you can see frogfish, many nudibranchs, cuttlefish, stingrays, leaf scorpionfish, pipefish, eels, mantis shrimp, pygmy seahorses, larger seahorses, various octopus, bobbit worms, muck creatures, most of the various info-pacific fish, and the list goes on and on.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Best Dive Locations in Bali for Underwater Photography<\/h2>\n

  <\/h2>\n

\"bali<\/p>\n

Map showing bali dive sites such as Tulamben, Manta point, Nusa Penida, Padang Bai, Amed, Puri Jati, Secret bay and Menjangan Island.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nusa Penida, Manta Point<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nusa Penida is an island in southeast bali. Manta point, on the south side of Nusa pedina, speaks for itself, with a great manta cleaning station. Wide-angle photography here is great. Nusa Penida has beautiful coral reefs, lots of fish, pelagics, great visiblity, and large mola-molas getting cleaned in “mola season” (July – October). It also has strong currents much of the time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"dive<\/p>\n

 On the way to Manta point from Padang Bai.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Manta<\/p>\n

Manta ray from Bali at Manta point in Snell’s window<\/a>. F7, 1\/200th, ISO 200, Tokina 10-17mm<\/a> at 10mm<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Reef<\/p>\n

Reef at Nusa Peneda, Bali. F11, 1\/320th, ISO 200. Tokina 10-17mm lens at 10mm<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"wire<\/p>\n

Wire coral, deep at nusa penida. F9, 1\/200th, ISO 200. Tokina 10-17mm at 17mm<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gilla Tepekong, Biaha and Mimpang<\/h3>\n

Tepekong, Biaha and Mimpang are 3 small islands just north of Padang bai. There is beautiful diving here for wide-angle and macro, although it must be timed with the currents, which can be dangerous. It’s a 20 minute boat ride to the north of padang bai on a fast boat. Some of the best nudibranch diving<\/a> in Bali can be found in front of the Biaha shark cave. Mimpang is known for its sharks and schooling fish<\/a>. I once saw a large Mola-mola at the Tepekong “canyon”.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"cuttlefish<\/p>\n

Cuttlefish at Tepekong, Bali. F13, 1\/160th, ISO 200, Tokina 10-17mm at 17mm.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"dive<\/p>\n

My dive buddy at the shark cave at Biaha, Bali. F6, 1\/80th, ISO 200, Tokina 10-17mm at 14mm<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Padang Bai<\/h2>\n

 <\/h3>\n

Padang bai is a 90 minute drive from the airport. There are several dive shops here, and the dive boats are only 10 meters from the dive shops. You can easily dive blue lagoon, Jepun, nusa pedina, manta point, tepekong and Biaha all from here. There are excellent muck and macro opportunities here, especially near the Jepun artificial reef. I enjoy staying in Padang bai because it has a nice village “feel”, it’s very compact with lots of good choices for eating out inexpensively.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"flutemouth,<\/p>\n

Flutemouth, padang bai, bali. F13, 1\/250th, ISO 200, 60mm + 1.4 teleconverter<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Seahorse,<\/p>\n

Seahorse, Padang Bai, Bali. F9, 1\/250th, ISO 200, 60mm lens.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Mantis<\/p>\n

Mantis shrimp eyes, Padang bai, bali. F11, 1\/250th, ISO 100, 60mm lens<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"yellow<\/p>\n

Yellow boxfish, Jepun artificial reef, bali. F8, 1\/160th, ISO 200, 60mm lens.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Ceratosoma<\/p>\n

Ceratosoma magnificum nudibranch, padang bai, bali. F20, 1\/160th, ISO 200, nikon d300, 60mm lens.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"schooling<\/p>\n

schooling juvenile catfish, padang bai, bali. F10, 1\/160th, ISO 200, 105mm lens<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"rice<\/p>\n

Rice terraces and volcano in central bali, on the to Tulamben\/Amed from Padang Bai.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Diving in Amed<\/h2>\n

There’s good diving in Amed, which lies 30 minutes east of Tulamben in northeast Bali. The best dives are at the Japanese fishing wreck. Amed in Bali<\/a> is beautiful, and most accommodation is spread out, so if you stay in Amed, you probably won’t leave your hotel much, except to dive. Watching the beautiful fishing boats go out in the early morning is quite a sight. I always visit Amed to experience some of the “real” Bali.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"sunrise<\/p>\n

Sunrise in amed, bali<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"male<\/p>\n

Male sand diver making a rare display for his harem. Amed, Bali. F5.6, 1\/160th, ISO 400, 105mm lens<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Schooling<\/p>\n

Schooling glassfish, japanese fishing wreck, Amed, Bali. F13, 1\/250th, ISO 200, 105mm lens<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Pygmy<\/p>\n

Pygmy seahorse, Japanese fishing wreck, Amed, Bali. D300, 105mm lens + subsee +10 diopter. F32, 1\/250th, ISO 200<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>Tulamben & The Liberty Wreck<\/h2>\n

I could dive this area in northeast bali for weeks. Large fish, macro, wrecks, walls, muck, reef photography – it’s all here. The Liberty wreck can be dove many time for wide-angle and macro opportunies. The Liberty wreck is 100 meters long, 6 meters deep at the top, and 28 meters deep at its deepest point. It is teeming with life, large and small. Most of the wreck can be experienced at 10-22 meters depth.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tips for diving the Liberty wreck in Bali<\/h3>\n