Do you want to know about the best places to dive in Bali?
Learning to scuba dive opens up a whole new realm of opportunities – you can explore parts of the world some people will never get to see. After all, the ocean covers 71% of the Earth’s surface. Best start exploring it soon.
Deciding to learn to dive in Bali is a great choice. There’s an abundance of diving spots. But they’re not all suitable for beginners – you’ve got to start with ones that cater to your ability. We’ve picked some of our favourites.
Buyuk, Nusa Penida
The Secret Traveller warns against diving beyond your ability and for newbies, suggests trying Buyuk Nusa Penida. The depth ranges from seven to 30 metres and there’s only ever a slight current. There’s plenty of wonderful sea life to enjoy with both hard and soft corals, as well as clown fish, bat fish, scorpion fish, turtles and manta ray.
Pemutaran, Lovina
Pemutaran is a super convenient place to learn to dive, as all of the diving sites are close to resorts and are reachable by a short boat ride. The waters are clear with no current but Divezone suggests some people say there’s nothing spectacular in terms of sea life. Instead, they recommend diving there at night to see all of the small weird creatures.
Diving at night isn’t something you can do straight away, though. If it’s something that frightens you, take a look at these reasons why you shouldn’t be scared of diving at night.
Bunaken Island National Marine Park, Manado
For the less assured diver, diving in the clear waters of Bunaken Island National Marine Park is a great starting point. What’s more, according to Dive The World, here you can see seven times more types of coral than Hawaii, 33 species of butterflyfish and over 70% of all fish species known to the Indo-western Pacific.
Padang Bay
Just minutes from the beach are some of the best diving sites in Bali. The region caters for both beginners and experienced divers – so, after learning, you could be returning to the waters here. They can be a bit cold at times so it’s recommended to wear at least a 3mm wetsuit.
You can watch someone take their first ever dive in Padang Bay here.
Pulau Menjangan
Pulau Menjangan is a very rewarding diving site for beginners as it offers a great opportunity to dive deeper – from 20 to 60 metres. There are small caverns to explore and the Anker wreck, a 150-year-old wooden boat, is nearby. It’s around 40 metres deep.
You have to be cautious, though. There’s a high rate of compression sickness so ascend safely. Learn more about it and the symptoms here.
USS Liberty
The wreck of The USS Liberty is a dive renowned international. Luckily, it has easy access and the mild conditions and shallow water off the shore of Tulamben, where it lies, make it suitable even for beginners.