Bali Diving Hotspots from Tulamben to Nusa Penida

Diving in Bali is recognized throughout the world for its warm tropical waters, stunning marine life, and variety of diving options available to divers of all abilities - this includes divers taking their first breaths underwater as well experienced divers looking for large fish such as Manta Rays or Mola Mola. The selection of dive sites in Bali provide divers with an unforgettable experience while exploring the underwater world.

This Bali diving guide provides an overview of some of the best diving spots in Bali including the famous wreck site at Tulamben, to the exciting current diving found at Nusa Penida, experiencing diving at Pemuteran, diving in Amed, & diving in Lembongan.

Tulamben: Home of the USAT Liberty Wreck

Exploring the scenic Tulamben on Bali’s northeast coast is an essential part of any Bali diving adventure! The USAT Liberty Wreck, a World War II cargo ship, sits just meters away from the shore making it one of the most accessible wreck dives in the world.

With approximately 120 meters of the wreck dive site, divers can expect beautiful coral, sponges, and sea fans growing on the wreck while schools of jacks swim around it. Additionally, macro enthusiasts will be able to search the crevices of the wreck for nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses, and ghost pipefish.

Why Tulamben stands out:

• Easy shore access

• Suitable for beginners and advanced divers

• Excellent visibility

• Rich marine biodiversity

Tulamben also provides additional dive locations with deep muck diving sites, diverse coral formations, and year-round dive opportunities making Tulamben one of the premier diving locations when visiting Bali.

Amed Scuba Diving: Coral Gardens and Macro Life

Amed is a great Bali diving location, situated just a short distance from Tulamben. It has a laid-back fisherman’s village atmosphere and beautiful marine life. You can experience and capture incredible images of marine life while diving in Amed, whether you are new to diving or just want to take some pictures.

Amed scuba diving features:

• Healthy coral reefs

• Artificial reefs

• Wall dives

• Macro-rich sandy slopes

Diving at Amed can be easy and enjoyable for beginner divers and snorkelers alike. For example, this area has excellent well-maintained coral gardens that are filled with life such as butterflyfish, angelfish, reef sharks and even some sea turtles.

If you want to avoid crowded areas while diving in Bali, Amed is an excellent choice, especially considering that dive sites here generally have calm conditions most of the time, making it easy to complete your dive course and have fun continuing your diving experience.

Pemuteran Diving: Conservation and Calm Waters

If you’re a Bali diving enthusiast, you have found your hidden gem: Pemuteran located on Bali’s northwest coast, it is known for its calm waters, innovative artificial reef projects, and its location adjacent to beautiful Menjangan Island.

There are four categories of divers who will enjoy diving at Pemuteran:

• Beginners

• Families

• Macro photographers

• Divers seeking relaxed conditions

Divemasters will point out the famous Biorock reef restoration project located in the area, which is one of the largest artificial reef systems in the world and has breathtaking coral structures and fish living together.

To get to Menjangan Island (also known as The Island of the Gods), a short boat ride from Pemuteran has plenty of wall dives, caves to explore and overhangs that have been created from geological activity and are beautiful underwater features. Visibility in the area is often over 30 meters, so you will have a breathtaking view of the coral walls that are still alive and in good health.

To avoid the crowds of boats and strong currents found in more popular Bali dive spots, Pemuteran is the best choice for peaceful diving in Bali.

Lembongan Diving: Drift Diving Adventures

Nusa Lembongan is a great place for people who enjoy adventurous and fast-paced diving. Known for drift diving and strong currents, the dive sites surrounding Nusa Lembongan have many large pelagic species to encounter as well.

Most of the popular dive sites surrounding Nusa Lembongan are:

• Blue Corner

• Mangrove

• Crystal Bay

  
  

These sites generally attract many different species of large marine life such as manta rays, reef sharks and if you visit at the right time of year, the large mola mola (sunfish). Drift diving is an exciting experience, you can drift along coral walls as you are surrounded by an abundance of marine life.

Because of the strong currents, Lembongan Diving is typically considered suitable for divers with intermediate or advanced experience. However, all dive guides in this area will always ensure diver safety and proper dive briefings prior to all dives.

Nusa Penida: Manta Rays and Mola Mola

Located to the east of Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida is a phenomenal place to dive. Due to the seasonal occurrence of Mola Mola, it is considered one of the best places to dive in Bali. The range of diving here is world-renowned thanks to being home to lots of Manta Ray cleaning stations.

At the Manta Point location, divers are able to witness Manta Rays circling the cleaning stations on the surface. The Mola Mola can be found in Crystal Bay between July and October when the cooler water currents draw them closer to divers.

The underwater landscape features:

• Steep drop-offs

• Dramatic cliffs

• Strong currents

• Large schools of fish

  
  

Although diving here is sometimes challenging, the rewards you receive will be amazing. Diving in Nusa Penida will be your best experience of diving in Bali.

Why Bali Diving Is So Special

There is nothing like diving in Bali, Indonesia.  Bali offers an incredible variety of dive sites that can be reached in less than a couple of hours. Within a period of as little as a few days, you could explore:

• Explore a historic wreck in Tulamben

• Photograph macro life in Amed

• Dive coral walls in Pemuteran

• Drift with mantas in Lembongan

• Search for mola mola in Nusa Penida

  
  

There are very few places on the planet that can provide this level of diversity in such a compact area. 

Additionally, Bali offers:

• Warm water temperatures (26–29°C)

• Year-round diving opportunities

• Professional dive centers and courses

• Affordable dive packages

• Rich Balinese culture above water

  
  

Best Time for Bali Diving

Diving in Bali is available throughout the year. However, as with all things, the conditions will vary depending on the region.

• April to November: Good general conditions can be found from April until November when it is typically dry and offers good visibility.

• July to October: July through October provides the best opportunity to see mola molas (giant oceanic sunfish) at Nusa Penida.

• Year-round: All throughout the year, excellent diving conditions can be found at Tulamben, Amed and Pemuteran.

There are plenty of dive sites available throughout the rainy (wet) season with very clear water and good visibility.

Choosing the Right Bali Diving Location

When planning your Bali diving trip, it is important to consider your level of experience and what you would like to accomplish.

• Beginner divers: Many calm dive sites available for beginner divers; such as Pemuteran and Amed.

• Wreck enthusiasts: Tulamben is a must for any wreck enthusiast!

• Advanced divers: Advanced divers will love diving at Lembongan and Nusa Penida because of the exciting currents and lots of pelagic fish.

• Macro photographers: Macro photographers should head to Amed and Tulamben.

By carefully planning your itinerary it is easy to combine two or more locations for a complete Bali diving trip.

Conclusion

The many incredible diving sites in Bali include legendary sites like the USAT Liberty Wreck in Tulamben, or mantas in the waters of Nusa Penida. Divers can choose to enjoy relaxed coral garden dives, make macro photographs, dive on conservation sites, or experience thrilling drift dives.

Pemuterian diving is calm and offers many successful conservation examples to be seen. Amed dives have vibrant reefs and macro treasures. Lembogan enjoys drift dives with current and pelagic fish or large fish. Finally, diving in Nusa Penida creates incredible opportunities to see manta rays and mola mola.

The greatest thing is, diving in Bali offers fantastic underwater experiences for divers of all levels in one of the top 3 most diverse marine ecosystems in the world.