Diving and Snorkelling in Bali — Sites, Seasons, Operators — Bali

Bali is one of the world's better diving destinations and offers an unusual variety of underwater experiences in a compact area: a famous wreck (USS Liberty at Tulamben), drift dives at Nusa Penida, manta ray encounters, the rare mola mola sunfish, and reef diving at Pemuteran. The water is warm (26-29°C), visibility is generally good, and the established infrastructure makes Bali a strong choice for both training (PADI certifications are affordable here) and experienced diving. This guide covers the major sites, the best seasons, and how to get set up.

The major dive areas

Tulamben (north-east coast)

Tulamben is famous for one thing: the wreck of the USS Liberty, a US Army transport ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942 and now lying about 30 metres off the beach in 5-30 metres of water. The wreck is encrusted with coral, home to bumphead parrotfish, garden eels, scorpionfish, ribbon eels, and dozens of other species. The shore-accessible depth makes it suitable for divers of all experience levels.

Other sites in Tulamben:

Coral Garden — shallow shore reef adjacent to the wreck
Drop Off — steep wall dive next to the wreck
Seraya Secrets — muck diving site with macro photography opportunities

Tulamben supports about a dozen dive operators. The village has minimal other infrastructure — most visitors are divers staying 2-4 nights.

Amed (north-east coast, south of Tulamben)

Amed is the more comfortable base for east-coast diving, with much better restaurant and accommodation infrastructure than Tulamben while still close to the major sites. Local dive sites include:

Jemeluk Bay — shore-accessible reef from Amed Beach
Pyramid — concrete pyramid artificial reef
Japanese Wreck — small WWII patrol boat wreck
Drop Off Amed — wall dive
Lipah Reef — moderate-depth reef

From Amed, you can also dive Tulamben sites on day trips.

Nusa Penida and Lembongan

The waters around the Nusa islands have some of Indonesia's most exciting diving:

Manta Point — a cleaning station at 5-15m where 3-5 metre wingspan reef mantas come regularly. The most consistent manta encounter in Bali.
Crystal Bay — clear water, vertical walls, the famous mola mola (sunfish) appear here in July-October to be cleaned by reef fish. The mola mola can be 3+ metres across and is one of the strangest and largest bony fish in the ocean. Currents at Crystal Bay can be strong and variable; trained drift-diving experience is recommended.
Toyapakeh Wall — Penida north coast, drift wall dive with abundant fish life
Sental — Penida north coast, similar
Blue Corner (Lembongan) — fast drift dive over reef

Boats run from Sanur, Padang Bai, Candidasa, Lembongan, and Penida. Surface intervals between dives are usually spent on Lembongan or Penida beaches. The Lembongan-based dive operators (Big Fish Diving, World Diving, Bali Diving Academy) have the easiest logistics.

Pemuteran (north-west coast)

Pemuteran has built a strong reputation for coral conservation — the Biorock project uses low-voltage electrical stimulation to accelerate coral growth, and has restored substantial reef damaged by destructive fishing in the 1990s. The shore-accessible reef is quite shallow (3-15m) but rich with marine life.

The launching point for Menjangan Island dives — wall diving with excellent visibility in the West Bali National Park. Sites include:

Eel Garden — large colony of garden eels
Anchor Wreck — historic wreck site
Pos II — easy drift wall
Sandy Slope

Menjangan day trips run from both Pemuteran and Lovina. Pemuteran is closer (15 min boat) and has the better dive operator selection.

Sanur, Padang Bai, Candidasa (east coast)

Several reefs accessible from the east coast:

Tepekong — strong drift currents, big fish, advanced
Mimpang — adjacent to Tepekong, similar conditions
Padang Bai (Blue Lagoon and Jepun) — easier sites, good for training dives

These sites can be combined with Nusa Penida day trips from the same area.

Seasonal variation

The dry season (April-October) brings the calmest seas, best visibility (often 20-30 metres at Nusa Penida and Menjangan), and the consistent presence of the mola mola at Crystal Bay (peaks July-September).

The wet season (November-March) has more turbulent surface conditions and slightly reduced visibility but is still very diveable. The Tulamben wreck, sheltered by the coast, is excellent year-round. Manta Point dives continue all year (though weather can cancel boats more often).

For a Bali diving trip prioritising the best conditions and the mola mola: August-September. For lower prices and fewer crowds with slightly less optimal conditions: November-March.

Operators and prices

Bali has hundreds of dive operators of varying quality. The well-established names with good safety reputations:

Eco Dive Bali, Atlantis International — Tulamben
Bali Diving Academy, Liquid Bali, Aqua-Dive Bali — Amed
Big Fish Diving, World Diving Lembongan, Two Fish Divers — Lembongan
Bali Diving Academy, Reef Seen — Pemuteran
Bali Aqua Sports — multiple east-coast locations

Pricing benchmarks:

Two-tank shore dive (e.g. Tulamben): USD 70-90
Two-tank boat dive (e.g. Lembongan): USD 100-130
Manta Point boat trip: USD 120-160
PADI Open Water certification (3-4 days, 4 dives): USD 350-500
PADI Advanced Open Water (2 days, 5 dives): USD 280-400

The very cheapest operators (under USD 50/day) sometimes have older equipment and less rigorous safety procedures. Mid-range operators (USD 70-100/day) are the sweet spot for both quality and price.

Snorkelling

Many of the diving sites are also accessible to snorkellers:

Manta Bay (Nusa Penida) — different site from Manta Point, shallower, where mantas come to feed on plankton; snorkellers regularly see them
Crystal Bay (Nusa Penida) — accessible shallow reef
Jemeluk Bay (Amed) — shore-accessible reef
Tulamben USS Liberty wreck — the top of the wreck is at about 5 metres, accessible to snorkellers
Menjangan Island — easy snorkelling along the shore
Pemuteran reef — shore-accessible

Snorkel trips cost USD 25-50 for a half-day group trip including gear. Most major dive operators run snorkel trips alongside their dive trips.

Training in Bali

Bali is one of the cheaper places in the world to get PADI certified, with strong instructor availability and good training conditions. The major training sites:

Padang Bai / Sanur — sheltered conditions for confined water and shallow open water
Tulamben — once advanced, the wreck makes a good advanced training site
Amed — gentle conditions for Open Water training
Lembongan — multiple training sites

A PADI Open Water course takes 3-4 days. The Advanced Open Water adds another 2 days. Many divers combine the two for a 5-6 day intensive course.

Safety notes

Currents. Especially at Nusa Penida, Tepekong, and Mimpang, currents can be strong and unpredictable. Dive with operators who use surface marker buoys and who match dive sites to your experience level.
Hyperbaric chamber. Bali has hyperbaric chambers at Sanglah Hospital (Denpasar) and BIMC Hospital (Nusa Dua). Operators should be aware of the locations.
No-fly time. After diving, wait 18-24 hours before flying. Plan dive trips accordingly.
Insurance. DAN (Divers Alert Network) insurance is strongly recommended. Many travel insurance policies exclude diving above 18m.
Reef respect. Don't touch coral, anchor on reef, or chase / harass marine life. Stay buoyancy-controlled.

A 5-day Bali diving itinerary

Day 1-2: Tulamben — USS Liberty wreck, surrounding sites
Day 3: drive to Amed; one day diving from Amed (Jemeluk, Pyramid, Japanese Wreck)
Day 4: drive to Sanur or Lembongan; ferry to Lembongan
Day 5: Nusa Penida boat day — Manta Point + Crystal Bay (mola mola in season)

For divers visiting Bali primarily to dive, a 7-10 day trip can cover all the major regions. For combination Bali trips, 2-3 days of diving slotted into a broader Bali holiday is the more common pattern.