Broadly speaking, Bali gives us the opportunity to develop a quiet type of diving, without large masses of divers and at the same time charming, with enormous biodiversity under its waters.
The best dives
You cannot miss three diving modalities or spots in Bali:
- The coral beds of the Menjandan marine reserve
Menjandan has numerous immersion sites from vertical walls, to sand bottom dives, etc. But the important thing is that its depths cover all the needs of divers, with depths ranging between 15 and 30 meters.
- Tulamben
This town is located NE of Bali and its fame among divers lies in the fact that it is the home of the Liberty wreck. The Liberty was an American merchant ship that was sunk by a Japanese submarine in World War II. Today it rests a few meters from the shore, of black volcanic sand, on the coast of Tulamben. Diving is mandatory, since the wreck is home to countless underwater fauna and flora, from napoleons, rays, torpedoes, carangids, some turtles, to enormous gorgonians and intensely colored sponges. The depth is around 20 meters on average and access is very easy from the coast itself.
- Gili Cruise
The Gili Islands are located north of the neighboring island of Bali (Lombock) and are a privileged enclave for Indonesian diving. The channel that separates Bali from Lombock causes optimal currents so that a large number of pelagic species are concentrated in the Gili, and it is normal in their dives to see sharks, barracudas and sea turtles that prowl in search of easy food near the reefs. corals.
Cruises set sail from Bali and spend two or three days in the Gili. If we have enough time it is also a good alternative.
Data of interest
- Best time to go: avoid Go during the rainy season (late November to March), although a downpour is always possible in these latitudes. With the rains, the water can become cloudy or create waves due to the monsoons.
- Climatology: humid and hot tropical climate. A pleasant breeze blows near the sea. Wear light-colored, light, cotton clothing to avoid excessive sweating.
- How to get there: the best option (for comfort and good service) are flights with Singapore Airlines, departing from Madrid, stopping in Central Europe to Singapore and from there to Denpasar (capital of Bali). Garuda (Indonesian lines) also fly from Madrid to Bali, with a stopover in Jakarta.
- Water temperature/visibility: temperatures around 28 or 29 degrees are normal. And a visibility of approximately 15 meters.
- Recommended suit: a lycra is more than enough or a 3-5 mm one-piece.
- Recommended diving level: second level diver. The average depths are between 15 and 25 meters.
- Number of daily dives: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Occasionally a night out can be organized, but not in Menjandan.
- Wrecks: the Liberty, one of the best wrecks in all of Indonesia and with a memorable history.
- Caves: they are not common in Bali dives. The closest thing to them are certain cavities or cavities in the walls of coral reefs.
Most frequent species
Carangids, whitetip sharks, sea turtles, napoleons, barracudas, reef fish such as clown, drum, puffer, eels, platex, etc. Plus huge fan gorgonians and funnel sponges along with an immense variety of tiny life: polychaetes, echinoderms, nudibranchs and crustaceans.
