Taking the plunge in Bali

With a colorful variety of tropical fish, Bali is likely to leave divers of all levels satisfied. The following dive sites can all be accessed for short stay dives, while three or five-day trips give visitors to really experience the beauty in the blue waters surrounding the island.

Access time is calculated from Sanur

Sanur and Nusa Dua

Diving difficulty: Easy
Average visibility: 6-10m / 18-33ft
Average depth: 10m / 33ft
Max. depth: 10m / 33ft
Access: five minutes by boat
What to see: Batfish, Flutemouths. Lionfish, Scorpions and Stingrays

Amed

Diving difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Average visibility: 15m / 50ft
Average depth: 18m / 60ft
Max. depth: 40m / 130ft
Access: Two hours by car and 10 minutes by traditional boat
What to see: Beautifully colored reef

Gili Tepekong

Diving difficulty: High -- unpredictable current
Average visibility: 20m / 65ft
Average depth: 20m / 65ft
Max. depth: 32m / 105ft
Access: Two hours by car plus 20 minutes with traditional boat; or one hour by speedboat from Sanur
What to see: caves, swim-throughs and a massive wall; turtles, lionfish, scorpionfish, triggerfish, boxfish, and sharks

Padang Bai

Diving difficulty: Average
Average visibility: 15m / 50ft
Average depth: 15m / 50ft
Max. depth: 25m / 80ft
Access: Two hours by car plus 15 minutes by boat
What to see: colorful corals, Napoleon wrasse, sharks

Nusa Penida

Diving difficulty: Moderate to high
Average visibility: 25m / 80ft
Average depth: 20m / 65ft
Max. depth: 30m / 100ft
Access: Forty-five minutes by speedboat from Sanur; or two hours drive to Padang Bai plus 40 minutes by boat.
What to see: Common tropical fish, turtles, sharks, manta rays, sun fish (locally known as mola mola, in August and September)

Menjangan Island

Diving difficulty: Easy to moderate
Average visibility: 20m / 65ft
Average depth: 20m / 65ft
Max. depth: 30m / 100ft
Access: Three hours by car, plus 30 minutes by boat
What to see: Gorgonian covered walls, tropical fish

Source: www.baliscuba.com