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Amuk,
Padang Bay
Located in east Bali, Padang Bay has dive sites for the novice
to the more experienced diver. The Blue Lagoon is ideal for all
divers. Starting from 2 to 18 meters, the clear calm water has tons
of fish, plant, and marine life associated with tropical warm water
diving. Two islands (Tepekong and Mimpang) outside the bay, and
Biaha a little to the north, offer some of the most breath-taking
diving in Bali.
Due to conditions, these 3 sites quite danger and need to be treated
with care and respect. The currents coming from the Lombok Strait
create unpredictable water movements that can result in a washing
machine effect.
The Blue Lagoon
Blue Lagoon lies just around the corner from Padang Bay, and is
rather imaginatively named since it is neither blue nor a lagoon.
The Blue Lagoon is actually a small bay, with a steep white sand
beach, located just a tiny bit north-east of Padangbai. The steepness
of the beach means there are waves. The topography is not spectacular:
white sand bottom, which slopes gradually to 22M, has scattered
rocks, soft corals and a huge area of Staghorn Coral. There is a
large Napoleon Wrasse that lives here, several kinds of unusual
reef shark, stonefish, moray and blue ribbon eels, nudibranches,
rays, squid and octopus, Leaf Scorpionfish in every hue, Stargazers.
Night-diving can be possible (dependent on conditions) and is recommended,
several unusual nocturnal species can be found.
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.
Mimpang
Mimpang's Shark Point offers a better chance to see white tip reef
shark than Tepekong does, and often in great numbers. Although we
don't guarantee sightings, this is where - according to AquaMarine
- you have the best chance of seeing shark in Bali. The current
here can be strong, but is fairly predictable.
Mimpang have kind of fish like Trumpetfish, during the season (Aug-Sep)
Mola-Mola (Sunfish). Current is up/down and sometimes strong surge
as you enter. The topography of Mimpang is diverse, with sloping
reefs, craggy rocks, walls - all with hard and soft corals and some
gorgonians. The reef has a good cover of soft corals, with many
stony corals, staghorn and table corals. Big schools of unicornfish
and snapper swirl around, many blue-spotted rays, Napoleon Wrasse,
Moray Eels, trumpetfish, bannerfish, butterflyfish, triggerfish
and trevally as well as the innumerable reef fish. In places you
can find large gorgonians and barrel sponges.
Tepekong
Tepekong Island is probably the most reliable dive site in Bali
to see sharks. This island surrounded by remarkably healthy reefs,
but they are generally low-lying due to the - at times, torrential
- current that sweeps East Bali. This current brings nutrients to
these reef and accounts for their diversity. So, Tepekong Island
offers some of the most spectacular diving in Bali: steep walls.
Drifting with the current, you can see shark, moray eel, ray and
other pelagics. Visibility is usually very good. If conditions are
not suitable, there are other good sites in the vicinity.
Tepekong is know for having big fish and amazing canyons. Again
these sites are only for more experienced divers. Tepekong’s
marinelife is excellent with the occasional turtle, tuna, parrotfish,
barracuda, Angelfish, scorpionfish, butterflyfish, sweetlips, many
kinds of Triggerfish. Conditions are generally easier here than
at The Canyon but you can still expect to encounter surge, and sometimes
strong down currents. On the gentle slope at north-east Tepekong
is a small, shallow (10M), semi-protected, rocky reef with bommies.
Biaha
Biaha is vast number and great diversity of fish, abundant sharks
and frequent pelagic visitors set against a backdrop of craggy black
walls with beautiful, healthy corals and often superb visibility.
This upwelling brings with it some of the marinelife for which this
area is famous (schooling Pelagics, Mola-Mola). Biaha have rock
like a banana and is about 4km from Mimpang and Tepekong.
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.
There is a beautiful and healthy reef around the island, a rocky
slope in the north, a wall around the southern part. This rugged
black wall, with the breaking waves above, is utterly beautiful
in places and at times it is almost as if the fish are superfluous
- but not quite! There are various entry points around the island,
and your dive can cover almost the entire circumference of the island,
or just a small part, dependent upon your interests and also, of
course, the currents and conditions!
The inside area of the crescent (the east side of Biaha) has a cave
large enough for 6 divers, in which white tip reef shark often sleep.
The protected area outside the cave has interesting corals with
many commensal shrimp and crab, and is home to anglerfish, leaf
scorpionfish, octopus, cuttlefish, nudibranches, and could take
up an entire dive.
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