Diving in Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan

Diving around Nusa Penida is just fantastic! It offers incredible dive sites where you have great chances to see the famous and rare Mola Mola also called Oceanic Sunfish. The best period to spot it is from August to October.

The Mola Mola usually live very deep (and therefore not easy to see) but during these months they come up to shallow waters to be cleaned of their parasites. During this period divers from all over the world come to Bali especially for the Sunfish and it can be a good idea to book your dives in advance as they can get pretty full.

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The best place to see the Mola Mola is the dive site Crystal Bay. However the current can be strong and tricky and it is not always possible to dive there.

One of the most famous dive sites around Bali is Manta Point where numerous manta rays come all year round to enjoy the cleaning station. Seeing Manta Rays there is not always a 100% guarantee but they are there almost every day so you have a good chance of spotting them. Also some dive companies offer money back if you do not see the Manta Rays. The surrounding is very beautiful with limestone cliffs all around the bay.

Diving Manta Point is quite easy and shallow (max depth 15 m) and suitable for all divers. This site is very popular and often crowded so try to get there early in the morning to avoid the crowd. Moreover the conditions are better in the morning, after the sea could become choppy and visibility less good. If the Manta Rays are not there it can be a boring dive.

Nusa Penida is also great for hard and soft coral with many gorgonian sea fans along the steep walls.

Safety Warning! The current can be very strong and unpredictable around Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan. Having 4 knots of current is not rare and most of the dives are drift dives. Diving there is NOT recommended for beginners and inexperienced divers. See Below for more information.

In this page you will find more detailed information about scuba diving in Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan.

Photos Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan

How to dive Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan?

Padi Dive Training in Lembongan Island:

If you want to get Diving Courses, I can recommed you Blue Corner Dive Centre. They have a nice pool to practice and their two Padi instructors Cody and Andrew are great teachers!

Dive Centres:

Nusa Lembongan is the best base for you to dive around Nusa Penida. It takes just a few minutes to go to Nusa Penida dive sites from the dive centres on Nusa Lembongan.

You can also go diving around Nusa Penida on a daytrip:

From Padangbai: it takes about 1.5 hours with a fast boat. Everything is arranged by the local dive centres.

From Sanur: It is a 45 min boat ride to get to Nusa Penida dive sites. Everything is arranged by the local dive centres.

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Scuba Diving conditions

The water around Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan is usually quite cold due to cold water coming from very deep. Sometimes it can go as low as 22°C and even right down to 16 °C! So it is better to dive there with a 5 mm full wet suit! The coldest months are from June to October and hottest ones are from November to February.

The water is also very clear among the best visibility around Bali. This clear water is due to the strong current sweeping the area.

But if you know how to deal with the current it can offer you unforgettable drift diving memories of literally flying over the reef! You should always be guided by an experienced guide and try not to question his judgement as they know the area very well. If the conditions are good it can be amazing dives but if not careful, it can rapidly become a nightmare and there have been cases of accidents in the past. But this is this current which brings big fishes and clear water

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Travel Guide

Now that you know all about the underwater world, you might want to start planning your scuba holiday! Check out our Nusa Penida / Nusa Lembongan Travel Review for information about how to get there, activities and excursions, where to stay, and more.