Northeast coast of Bali

The east side of the north facing shallow bay of Cemeluk has dense stands of sloping staghorn corals, teeming with cardinalfish. Here you can see striped convict tangs, sailfin tangs and orange-lined triggerfish quite close to the shoreline.

Tube sponges and sea fans - Amed, Indonesia

Off the slope, you will come to a steep wall of hydriods, sponges and sea fans, dropping down to over forty metres. The fish life here is prolific with bluefin trevally, bumphead parrotfish, tuna, black and white snappers, Indian triggerfish cascading down the walls. Dense growths of gorgonian fans and barrel sponges, and large outcroppings dot the reef, harbouring common lionfish and bearded scorpionfish.

The west side of the bay offers some quite contrasting Bali scuba diving. Here, you'll start in the shallow coral flats with scattered bommies and metal artificial reef crates on the grey sand bottom, before making your way to the deeper ocean-facing wall. There are gorgonians here too, colourful soft coral trees and masses of tube sponges. Dozens of blue-spotted stingrays rest in the shallows and red octopus are quite common here too.

Back in the sandy shallows of the bay there is some coral bleaching from the El Niño of 1998, where the natural reef recovery process is slow but gradual. However, keep your wits about you, as this is one of the best places on the island to find shy ribbon eels in the sand, and clown triggerfish.

East coast of Bali

You can be forgiven for questioning the wisdom of diving here as you are thrown around on the surface before descending at this site. A quick glance into the water below will reveal countless fish being tossed back and forth by the swell.

Pink beauty or mexichromis mariei, Gili Biaha

Once down it is unlikely to be too much trouble. Good buoyancy and position-awareness will help you enjoy what is one of the best east coast spots for scuba diving in Bali. The dive will start with a visit to cave at about eight metres. Here the swell seems to disappear remarkably but you may feel its effects as pressure variations in your ears. Concentrating on the sights will reward you with several white-tip reef sharks in this cave. Bali scuba diving is renowned for its sharks so the sight of at least half a dozen together is not uncommon. Lionfish and a few good sized lobsters also call the cave home and combine to make the first few moments of this dive more than entertaining.

Leaving the cave you will re-enter the to-and-fro of the swell as you turn right heading along the wall where above you the waves break against the island's shore. The wall is a tapestry of colours and activity. Sponges, hard and soft corals, whip corals, crinoids and featherstars are among the sessile splashes of colour. Cracks and crevices in the wall provide homes for mantis shrimps, morays, lionfish and octopus. You won't have a dull moment here as there is always something to catch the eye when you dive Bali.

For those who take pleasure in small things there are various types of colourful nudibranchs dotted around and plenty of commensal shrimps creeping in perfect camouflage along the length of the sea whips upon which they station themselves. Rising slowly along the wall you will come to a sharp point where the wall then disappears back at a sharp angle. Depending on your remaining air at the end of your dive, you will either explore this area from 15 m or so or ascend to the waiting boat as hundreds of red tooth triggers flutter their blue farewell.

East coast of Bali

Three kilometres southeast from Candi Dasa, Amuk Bay, lies the little rocky islet of Tepekong that has some of the most spectacular scuba diving Bali has to offer. Tepekong is just 100m wide, the coral walls are steep, the water is cold, and the current can be strong but, for an experienced diver, drifting with an up to five knot current through Tepekong's canyon is an unforgettable and dramatic underwater experience.

Gavin Macaulay diving with a whitetip reef shark - Candi Dasa

Lying to the southwest of Tepekong, the canyon starts at 24m and drops to 32m. The canyon is also known as "The Toilet" as the currents can be very strong with down-pull into the canyon when there is surface swell. However, the clear rushing waters are sure to bring you teeming encounters with white-tip reef sharks and huge schools of big-eye trevally and rainbow runners, as you hang on to the boulders.

East and north of Tepekong you can dive to 25m and the relatively protected sloping reef is dominated by table corals, gullies and boulders, fallen from above.

In the shallower diving waters the overhang at the bottom of Tepekong's walls is a great place for rock groupers, Napolean wrasse and schools of yellow-ribbon sweetlips.

Two kilometres southeast from Amuk Bay, lies Gili Mimpang, a cluster of three exposed rocks. The atmosphere here is often charged and alive with action. White-tip reef sharks patrol the scattered rocks and boulders and pelagic fish such as tuna and sunfish are commonly seen. Pink squat lobsters can be found in the barrel sponges. Bali scuba diving has alluring, colourful charms as well as more dramatic action packed encounters. The dive bottoms out at 30m, and you'll come across bumphead parrotfish, longfin bannerfish as well as schooling batfish. Acropora table corals and leather corals dominate the shallows with blue-spotted sting rays and black-blotched sting rays occupying the surrounding sand patches.

Islands east of southeast Bali

Lying across the Badung Strait from Sanur is Bali's premiere scuba diving destination - the clear waters of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida islands.

With its adjacent deep water trenches, the main attraction at Lembongan Island is the common encounters with the curious and otherwise very rare oceanic sunfish, or mola mola. Sunfish are pelagic fish growing two metres long. They are found in tropical and temperate waters, feeding off large plankton and jellyfish. They have large, blunt heads, heavy bodies and stubbed tails, with elongated dorsal and ventral fins that can span four metres. You will never misidentify a sunfish! They can often be seen at cleaning stations with attendant cleaner wrasse. They are most often seen in this area from July to September.

Mola mola - sunfish, Nusa Penida

Blue Corner at Lembongan Island can be one of the most exciting dives of your life but you will need to make sure that you listen very carefully to the advice you receive from your divemaster. When you descend to about 18 - 20 meters the current grabs you and you begin the natural rollercoaster ride of a lifetime. There is plenty to see as you race by, as the currents bring with them lots of food for the residents of the reef. The Nusa Lembongan currents also attract pelagic fish so keep an eye out in the deep blue for them and sunfish.

Ped is the most popular site on the nearby Nusa Penida north coast, as it tends to offer currents milder than some of the other sites at Lembongan. Healthy low lying hard coral reef banks slope gently to 20 metres, then down to 40 metres. Occasional manta rays and schools of chevron barracuda add to the rich variety of smaller fish which seem to prefer the calmer waters of Ped. Wonderful barrel sponges and gorgonians can be seen in the deeper waters, and sea snakes can be seen on almost every dive. With the reef extending up to within five metres of the surface your safety stop will allow time to spot moray eels, titan triggerfish and the brilliantly coloured emporer angelfish. Be careful not to touch the reef as the local scorpionfish are notoriously difficult to spot.

Blue Point, or Jack Point, offers an excellent snorkelling destination on Nusa Penida and interesting shallow dives which can be enjoyed by divers of all levels of experience. If you descend below 12 metres however, the currents become strong and more experienced divers can enjoy a great ride over unusual corals. Keep an eye to the deep water as sunfish and white-tip and black-tip reef sharks are regular visitors to this Penida dive site. Given the possibility of strong currents it is a good idea to have your own safety sausage and a signalling device for attracting attention at the surface. Expect to encounter chilly thermoclines in the deeper water.

Diving conditions around Lembongan Island can vary. While there are plenty of dive sites which, at the right time, can be perfectly suitable for the less experienced divers, those who actively seek strong current will not be disappointed. The currents can usually be predicted from the tide tables but at certain sites they can increase (sometimes reaching five knots), decrease or shift direction with no advance notice, and may also vary dramatically with depth. All divers should be aware that the upwellings from the deep water south of Bali, which keep visibility here clear, can also make the water rather cold so you may wish to pack your scuba gear accordingly.

Tulamben, north east coast of Bali

Just 30 metres from shore lies the broken 120 metre long wreckage of this World War II cargo ship. The Liberty was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine out in the Lombok Strait, 11 January 1942, but was able to limp back to shore. Unable to quite make port, its captain steered the ship onto the beach at Tulamben. Here the boat remained until 1963, when laval flow from Bali's last great volcanic eruption from nearby Mount Gunung Agung pushed the vessel back into the water. The wreck now lies parallel to shore on its side, with its deck facing furthest from shore.

Staring down the barrel ... Tulamben Liberty Wreck

The most famous and popular of Bali scuba diving spots, the wreck is now completely covered in healthy coral growth, and the numerous structural holes provide endless opportunities for exploration. Soft corals dominate here, with crinoids, featherstars and hydroids.

Large fish species that frequent the wreck include sunfish, great barracuda, Napolean wrasse and scribbled filefish.

Reef fish here common to Bali diving are peacock grouper and coral trout, regal angelfish and surgeonfish.

Heading back towards shore on your dive you'll see a colony of spotted garden eels, heads swaying as if in a breeze, and goatfish nuzzling through the sandy rubble.

Night diving on the Liberty Wreck is particularly memorable and popular, being so close to shore. There are spectacular colourful beams of marigold cup corals, and hundreds of shrimp greet you at every corner. Common lionfish stalk their prey as well as the rare and nocturnal oscellate dwarf lionfish. Cocooned and sleeping parrotfish are quite common, and you may even see the rather strange sight of free-swimming crinoids, in search of a new hold.

Northwest coast of Bali

Eight kilometres off the north west coast in Barat National Park lies Deer Island, or Menjangan, one of the more popular Bali scuba diving destinations. Due to its protected location, waves are rarely a problem and the visibility is occasionally mind blowing.

Lined butterflyfish with red knotted coral fan - Menjangan

Menjangan's walls drop down to 30 metres on the south coast and 60 metres to the east. They are decorated with an enormous proliferation of gorgonian fans, pink, purple, green, yellow, orange, and some very large specimens too. You can find minute yellow and pink pygmy seahorses, especially around the 25 metres depth. The walls are scarred with many nooks and crannies, caverns and overhangs, covered with soft corals and sponges. It's an excellent diving opportunity to look for black-spotted moray eels and ribbon eels. Often you'll find hingebeak shrimps and cleaner shrimps waiting at the crag openings for passing clients. Coral trout arrive, mouths agape to have their teeth cleaned of parasites and small food incrustations by transparent palaemonid shrimp.

Ever-curious roundface batfish, cuttlefish and Picasso and titan triggerfish are often seen here, as are gold-striped and giant fuseliers.

The north side of the island holds the infrequently visited Anker Wreck, a 25 metre long 19th century wooden ship, that carried ceramics and copper. A large coral-encrusted anchor in five metres of water marks the location of the wreck at the top of the reef edge. Follow the wall down to thirty metres depth. The bow of the wreck lies at the bottom of the wall and whip corals and gorgonians. The deepest section is the stern at 50 metres, and this is home to white-tip reef sharks.

All diving trips to Menjangan leave from Labuhan Lalang, a small jetty on the Bali mainland. Eight metre simple park service boats must be used for transportation to the island.

Southeast coast of Bali

Pura Jepun lies fifty metres off shore directly in front of the shrine after which it was named.

The reef starts as a shallow ledge at a depth of ten metres. Swim further to sea, and a slope will take you down to 20 metres, after which a sandy bottom levels out at 40 metres. The slope is dominated by magnificent anemones, black and yellow featherstars and sea squirts. Oriental sweetlips, boxfish and yellow trumpetfish are common on Bali scuba dives here.

Peacock flounder - Padang Bay

On the sand you can see lizardfish or you may be lucky to spot the heavily camouflaged peacock flounder, peering up at you with its two eyes, both on the same side of its flattened head. In the shallows cruise crocodile long toms, or needlefish.

Tanjung Sari is the name of the headland on the left as you come out of Padang Bay. It is the most different and surprising of all the dives here. It has a distinct population of sharks, such as cat sharks, nurse sharks, wobbegongs and reef sharks. Rare critters such as shrimps, crabs and nudibranchs, mean this site is very popular for night diving. As ever, Bali can turn up the most amazing creatures, just when you least expect it.

Blue Lagoon lies just around the corner from Padang Bay, and is rather imaginatively named since it is neither blue nor a lagoon. It's a protected and shallow, patchy reef of scattered staghorn corals and hydroids. Its unremarkable nature belies the potential for unusual sightings such as stonefish, octopus and eels.

Tanjung Bungsil is a shallow scuba dive to the south of Padang Bay Harbour, but the fish life here is still very good. Blue-faced and six-banded angelfish and clown triggerfish will brighten up your dive.

Northwest coast of Bali

Two kilometres to the east of Pemuteran (Permuteran) and a couple of kilometres offshore lies Napoleon Reef. This submerged reef rises to five metres from the surface and slopes down to thirty metres to the north, providing some easy paced scuba diving in Bali.

Sea spider on soft coral - photo courtesy of Marcel Widmer Seasidepix.com

The slopes are dominated by soft corals, sea fans and small table corals. Shy masked porcupinefish peek out from under the ledges with their large, round eyes. Pygmy seahorses and spider crabs hang out in the pink gorgonians. The Pemuteran sea bed is covered with fields of clasping flower corals and delicate blue vase sponges. Close by on twenty two metres lies the empty 16 metre long hull of a scuttled diving boat, generously "donated" by one of the local Bali dive operators. Reef-fin squid and large cuttlefish can be seen as well as the occasional school of bigeye trevally.

Other dive sites in the Pemuteran area, such as Close Encounters - famed for its encounters with big fish such as mackerel, tuna and barracuda, and Rock Garden, offer large fields of shore-based hard coral reefs and boulder pinnacles with a large array of macro life including colourful nudibranchs and flatworms.

In 1998 the House Reef at Pemuteran was devastated by El Niño. So in 2001, this reef became the first in Bali to be sponsored by an artificial re-generation project, funded by the Global Coral Reef Alliance and Yos Marine Adventures. Over forty large grid-like structures of all shapes and sizes were sunk, and live coral samples were attached. The reef receives electronic stimulus from shore and responds with remarkable growth rates. The local village has buoyed the area and guard it as a no-fishing exclusion zone, so that fish stocks can re-group too. So far, although still incomplete, the project has proven to be a well-deserved success.

You can visit the area and dive around the various shapes and structures of the artificial reef and see for yourself the remarkable results of this ground-breaking, yet controversial method of preserving the marine habitat.

Gilimanuk, northwest coast of Bali

Just to the east of the Bali-to-Java ferry terminal, lie the calm waters of Secret Bay. Although not in the same league as other macro diving destinations such as Lembeh Strait, this dive Bali spot has a fair collection of its own treasures waiting to be discovered; it's definitely worth a dive or two.

Dragonet, Secret Bay - Bali

Heading out north west from the shore side, you'll descend onto a very shallow and bare, brown sandy bottom. First thing you'll notice no doubt are the red and white segmented sea cucumbers, very common in this bay. Striped goatfish nuzzle through the sand with their barbels, filtering food. Dragonets can be seen by the keen eyed scuba diver, crawling across the bottom, with their brightly coloured, spiny dorsal fins raised when agitated. Pink and grey seahorses are quite common and you can find them riding across the open sands, or hooked to a fallen branch.

Wind your way further away from shore, inspecting the cement blocks and other man-made detritous. These objects often harbour more unusual Bali scuba diving sights. Brown hairy frogfish lumber into striking position, lures poised for a catch. Bearded scorpionfish lurk too for unsuspecting fish. Yellow-margin moray eels peer out from the under-edges.

Deeper sections of the sand bottom attract large beds of black slate-pencil sea urchins and diadema sea urchins, their long spines protecting brown cardinalfish from falling prey to devil scorpionfish. Here too you can find snake eels, staring up from the sand bed, only their heads revealed.

Complete your dive back towards shore, near the police boat mooring station. Here you can find harlequin (ornate) ghost pipefish, cockatoo leaf fish, upsidedown jellyfish and the rather unusual green-striped pufferfish. Hermit crabs and blue crabs scuttle across the bottom looking for scraps of sunken food.

Secret Bay is very shallow, has no coral and hardly any usual fish to speak of. As such, scuba diving in Bali here will only appeal to those that have an active interest in searching out the odd and unusual species that form part of our underwater world.

Eastern most point of Bali

Diving with schooling trevally - Gili Selang

Gili Selang is a small islet lying just off the east coast. Its relatively isolated location make it a popular choice on liveaboard cruises for diving in Bali. The protected areas in the shallows between the mainland and Gili Selang host large colonies of leather corals and brain corals. Directly to the north of the island lies the most protected section of the site. As you work your way down the black sand reef slope you'll find big black coral bushes and gorgonian fans, hosting Bargibant's seahorse.

However, it's the proximity to deep water channels that makes this Bali scuba diving site popular with adventurous divers. The cobbly east side of the island plunges sharply beyond recreational diving limits, and the swift currents attract giant trevally, grey reef sharks and deepwater pelagics such as hammerhead sharks.

Schools of jacks rotate in perfect gyres during daylight. They form their schools for protection from barracuda. Then at night they seperate to hunt smaller fish.

'Current-swept' can be an understatement here and down currents can be treacherous. You may need to make the most of any protection offered by lee pockets to the south of the islet, to make for shallower waters. Drifting down the outer edge of Gili Selang, you can sense the full and sometimes alarming strength of the Lombok Strait.

Northeast coast of Bali

At the east end of the beach is the famous Bali dive site of Tulamben Wall. The wall drops off to 60 metres, has large barrel sponges, and is characterised by three main spurs and an overhang at 18 metres. There is one magical, purple gorgonian fan at 27 metres. This gargantuan is over 3½ metres tall and in perfect health.

Here you can see small families of bumphead parrotfish, growing close to two metres! More commonly you'll see fairy basslets, pufferfish, hawkfish and damselfish. The shallow black ash sand here plays host to ornate ghost pipefish and even cometfish.

Batu Kelebit, or "Kelebit Rocks", is located south east of Tulamben Wall, and is generally known as the dive site with the best visibility in the local area. The rocks are offshore and exposed and therefore the scuba diving conditions can be quite challenging. However, this in turn can lead to some of the most exciting diving on offer here.

The three steep, banked ridges hold two protected channels that provide a home to a rich plethora of vibrant and healthy corals and sponges, including green cup corals and black fire corals. Following the ridges down to deeper waters, is when you have the best chances of finding large prowling pelagics such as barracuda, tuna, trevally, as well as white-tip reef sharks, silky sharks and even great hammerhead sharks, attracted to Tulamben from the nearby deep water Lombok Strait, and manta rays.

The purple gorgonian sea fan at Tulamben Wall

Tulamben house reef, located in front of the scuba resorts, is an ideal student learning ground. With shallow areas at five metres and a maximum depth of 25 metres, this reef hosts many of the common fish, such as wrasses, snappers, parrotfish, butterflyfish, as well as more unusual frogfish, scorpionfish and nudibranchs. Overall, Tulamben remains the most popular destination for scuba diving in Bali.

Looking for an adrenaline rush?

This site might be just what you're after. Even for the most experienced divers, this site can be challenging due to the frequently unpredictable currents and surges, so it requires some strong current experience.

In addition to the technical aspects of the dive (including caves, swim-throughs and a massive wall), there's certainly no shortage of things to keep your attention.

The structure of corals here are extraordinary and vast, and the wide variety of marine life includes turtles, lionfish, scorpionfish, triggerfish and boxfish.

Oh yeah, it is called Shark Point, so I guess we should mention you'll have a chance to swim with the sharks!