DIVE SITES

Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan, two premier diving destinations in Bali, offer an array of spectacular dive sites that attract divers worldwide. The most popular site in Nusa Penida is Crystal Bay, known for its crystal-clear waters and cleaning stations for the impressive Mola Mola, or Oceanic Sunfish, which can be seen from June to October. The northern drift dives at PED, SD, and Sental feature vibrant coral reefs and diverse marine life, while Manta Point on the southern side is famous for its year-round population of majestic Manta Rays. In Nusa Lembongan, the Mangrove and Blue Corner are notable for their pristine reefs and abundant marine life, including sharks, rays, and the elusive Mola Mola.

Diving conditions in Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan are ideal, with visibility often ranging from 20 to 30 meters and water temperatures around 27ºC, although they can drop to 16ºC between July and September. Most dive sites in this region are drift dives, benefiting from mild to strong currents, and are conveniently located just 5 to 20 minutes from dive centers, making daily diving trips easy and enjoyable. These islands offer unparalleled diving experiences for both experienced divers and beginners, from encounters with Mola Mola and Manta Rays to exploring vibrant coral reefs and thrilling drift dives.

CRISTAL BAY

Crystal Bay, the most famous dive site in Nusa Penida, is renowned for its crystal-clear waters and excellent visibility, making it the best place to see the Mola Mola.

TOYAPAKEH

Toyapakeh is one of the best dive sites in Nusa Penida and arguably in all of Bali, and it’s a favorite among the Legend Diving team.

MANTA POINT

On the south side of Nusa Penida, breathtaking cliffs lead to the renowned Manta Point dive site. This area is famous for its high concentration of plankton and multiple cleaning stations.

MANTA BAY

Manta Bay is a shallow bay not as far as Manta Point making it easier to access even with some mild surge.

LEMBONGAN BAY

Lembongan Bay, with its sandy bottom and coral bommies, is ideal for night dives, photography, and learning to dive. With a maximum depth of 10 meters and calm conditions, it’s perfect for beginner divers, those needing a refresher, and avid photographers.

NORTH PENIDA

Buyuk, Sental, PED, and SD on Nusa Penida’s north coast offer superb drift dives with pristine reefs, diverse marine life, and possible Mola Mola sightings from June to October, with SD being ideal for snorkelers due to its shallow coral.

GAMAT BAY

Gamat Bay, between Crystal Bay and ToyaPakeh, offers a sandy bottom with coral patches for macro photography and snorkeling, a colorful slope at 15 meters, and possible Mola Mola sightings from June to October, with caution advised for strong currents.

BLUE CORNER

Blue Corner is an exciting dive site for experienced divers, offering cold currents, big pelagics like Mola Mola, and a shallow coral reef slope ideal for relaxed dives and macro life sightings.

MANGROVE

In front of Nusa Lembongan’s north-side Mangrove forest, this dive site has a nutrient-rich coral reef, gently sloping from 10-25 meters, filled with diverse marine life. Suitable for all levels, it’s also a top snorkeling spot in Nusa Penida.

MIMPANG

Gili Mimpang, a dive site with three rocks facing Padang Bay near Tepekong, is known for its varying conditions due to currents from Lombok Strait, making it suitable only for experienced divers. It’s famous for schools of white tip reef sharks, rare wobbegong sharks, and from August to October, Mola Mola sightings in its deeper areas.

BLUE LAGOON

Blue Lagoon, Padang Bai’s most famous dive site, is ideal for beginners, PADI courses, and macro photography. Its sandy bay topography is perfect for practicing skills and capturing rare marine species. Divers can expect to see sea turtles, white or blacktip sharks, tropical fish, Rhinopias scorpionfish, ghost pipefish, Spanish dancers (at night), and mimic octopus.

TEPEKONG

Tepekong, a rocky outcrop near Padang Bay, offers an exhilarating dive with strong currents suitable for experienced divers. It’s known for schools of giant trevally, bumphead parrotfish, tuna, and seasonal Mola Mola sightings from August to October at their cleaning stations.

Nusa Penida Dive Sites Within The Coral Triangle

The Coral Triangle spans across several countries including Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and Malaysia, renowned for its unparalleled marine biodiversity with over 500 species of reef-building corals per ecoregion.

Covering 5.7 million square kilometers, it supports over 120 million people and is vital for global conservation efforts, recognized as the “Amazon of the seas.” However, intensive fisheries and coastal tourism, generating about $3 billion each, pose significant threats to its fragile marine ecosystems, prompting urgent conservation efforts by organizations like WWF.