3 Best Scuba Diving Spots in Bali
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If you are looking for some of the best scuba diving spots in the world, look no further than the Indonesian island of Bali. The rich variety of dive sites set against a stunning vista of volcanoes and terraced rice paddies make Bali the top dive destination for tourists year round. Bali is not only home to amazing coral reefs but also to the ocean’s most diverse range of marine life. If you’re looking for diving perfection at a great price, look for Bali holiday deals that include a scuba diving package. For your destination of choice, you can’t go wrong with any of these three:
Tulamben
This dive site is home to the famous Liberty Wreck, a cargo ship from World War II that was torpedoed by the Japanese in 1942. Shored after the attack, the ship was pushed back into the water in 1963 by lava flowing from the erupting Mount Gunung Agung. What began in tragedy has ended in an amazing display of life; the wreckage is covered with beautiful coral: crinoids, hydroids and featherstars.
Home to more than just the Liberty Wreck, Tulamben boasts the Batu Kelebit, Tulamben House Reef and an incredible array of snappers, parrotfish, frogfish and nudibranchs. Currents are easy and visibility ranges up to 30m making Tulamben a perfect choice for both beginning and advanced divers.
Book a room at Dive Paradise Tulamben and treat yourself to a soothing massage tailor made to relax your aching muscles. The onsite restaurant serves something for everyone and the beautiful rooms offer lovely views of the bay.
Biaha
White tip reef sharks abound in the cave found eight meters down in this popular dive site. You’ll be spotting lionfish and lobsters almost as soon as you dive and as you leave the cave, be sure to head along the wall that looks like a quilt of colors, full of sponges, corals and featherstars. Shrimp, lionfish and octopus make homes in the crevices of the wall so be careful where you poke your fingers.
Biaha offers cavern diving at its best. Currents can be strong and surface conditions nerve-wracking but once you’ve hit a good depth, the water calms and the sites are amazing. Because of the water movement, Biaha is best suited for intermediate and advanced divers.
Several hotels are available near Biaha ranging in price from $15 to over $75 per night. Breakfast is included at most hotels and if you need to rent diving gear, you’ll have no problem doing so on site.
Gili Selang
Advanced divers find this site to be a paradise. It’s not uncommon to see hammerhead sharks sweeping slowly along the ocean floor as the swift currents help them skim along. Bargibant’s seahorses can be found if you look into the black coral bushes lining the reef slope and colonies of brain and leather corals provide a stunning backdrop to a beautiful array of tropical fish.
Currents here can be rough and the site is not beginner friendly. The sheer power of the Lombok Strait is thrilling but can be dangerous so be aware of your every movement and keep an eye on your oxygen gauge.
Book a hotel in nearby Candi Dasa where rooms range from budget to luxury. Many hotels offer dive packages or can guide you to a dive operator that will be happy to provide gear and travel to and from the site.
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Jean Polo says:
Thanks for sharing your pictures! I’m very fascinated with the underwater scenes. That’s a very lovely table coral! I wonder why it’s colored yellow though. I wish I would be able to dive in Bali soon. I can’t wait to see those beautiful and colorful corals! I would love to see and interact with marine reef fishes as well! :)