Diving in Bali: Padangbai is located in the most protected area of Amuk Bay. Along the coast, stretches a beautiful barrier reef with beaches of crystal-clear waters and white sand.

Dives are made from a Jukung, the traditional Balinese boat. From the Southern Dreams Diving Club, it’s just a 20-minute boat ride away.

𓆉 🐚 Padangbai offers a great diversity of underwater landscapes, from white sand bottoms to stunning reefs, a vertical wall, and even a wreck 🐚 𓆉

✅ Dives suitable for all levels.

✅ Suitable for snorkelers.

Diving Padangbai. Blue lagoon

🪸 🐚 Two coastal hills cradle Blue Lagoon Beach, creating a protected enclave where the underwater world comes to life. As we descend onto the sandy bottom, soft corals and anemones begin to dot the landscape, while rocky formations adorned with corals add to the scenery. With a keen eye, one can spot a variety of marine life, including moray eels, mantis shrimps, seahorses, flounders, eels, and cowfish 🐚 🪸

The ebb and flow of tides and currents dictate our dive direction.

🐬 🐬 If we head east, we encounter a very colorful vertical wall descending to about 28 meters. It is adorned with corals and feather stars of all colors. If the current is gentle, we can explore the wall’s holes and discover frogfish, seahorses, moray eels, batfish, nudibranchs, and cat sharks. Looking out into the blue, we may spot schools of jacks, butterflyfish, and even reef sharks, tunas, and dolphins. 🐬 🐬

If currents pull us westward, the seascape transforms. Vast fields of acroporas host turtles, leaf fish, and an array of macro life, alongside bustling communities of reef fish. Towering coral formations, the largest in the area, provide shelter and sustenance. Alongside the reef, a channel beckons, often graced by the presence of resting sharks.

✅ It’s a perfect choice for a night dive.

Turtle Neck

This dive site earns its name from its striking resemblance to a turtle when viewed from the island’s contours. Our dive journey commences precisely at the spot that mirrors the graceful curve of the turtle’s neck.

As we begin our descent onto a bed of pristine white sand, a mesmerizing array of soft corals greets us, gracefully dancing in harmony with the gentle rhythm of the waves. Moving eastward, towards the turtle’s head, we encounter an imposing reef that gradually transforms into a vertical wall. This majestic reef is adorned with numerous feather stars, enhancing the scene with bursts of vibrant color. Here, countless reef fish of varying colors and sizes make their home, alongside the graceful presence of turtles, octopuses, and cuttlefish.

If the currents allow, we can enjoy the wall and end the dive at Blue Lagoon beach.

Venturing into the intricate crevices of the wall reveals a hidden world teeming with life. Cat sharks, elusive moray eels, juvenile batfish, and delicate seahorses await discovery.

Alternatively, steering our course in the opposite direction, between depths of 14 to 18 meters, unveils a captivating underwater gallery adorned with statues deliberately positioned by divers to foster coral propagation.

🪸🐚 🐙 This serves as a testament to the unwavering dedication of divers in Bali towards preserving and revitalizing marine ecosystems. 🐙 🐚 🪸

Diving Padangbai: Jepun Wreck

🌺 This dive spot, also known as Tanjung Jepung or Jepun Bay, named after Bali’s emblematic flower 🌺

It is located at the eastern tip of Amuk Bay and boasts a shallow coral garden.

🚤 𓇼 The wreck, a steel fishing trawler, was intentionally sunk in 2008 as part of Bali’s coral propagation efforts 𓇼 🚤

Resting at about 18 meters on a sandy seabed, it’s home to giant moray eels, various pufferfish species, stingrays, and schools of catfish.

While the sandy bottom may seem unremarkable, keep a sharp eye out!
Among the burgeoning corals, one can spot delicate creatures such as seahorses and ghost pipefish skillfully camouflaged amidst the vibrant marine life.

Towards the end of the dive, we arrive at a shallow reef, where we conduct our safety stop. Here, we can observe its regular residents, including schools of yellow snappers, butterflyfish, and turtles.

BIAS TUGAL

It is another bay on the West side of the port. In fact, in our opinion, it is the best dive site in Padangbai. Because of the currents, this dive site is a bit more demanding. However, when properly planned, this dive is very enjoyable.

Here we have a huge chance to spot amazing marine life. For example, turtles, octopuses, jacks, fusiliers, snappers, and even sometimes white tip reef sharks and rays.
During the dive, we will encounter a massive pinnacle completely adorned with corals and sponges, serving as a bustling habitat for a school of glass fish, clownfish, and even lobsters.

Diving Padangbai – The Jetty

In 2009, in the middle of Candidasa and Padangbai, they constructed this 300-meter-long pier to attract cruise ships to the area. However, the pier fails to meet international standards and lacks sufficient depth, rendering it unused.

Over time, life began to thrive around the harbor. The pillars are now completely coral-covered and adorned with vast sea fans. Beneath the sandy floor, one can encounter incredibly rare creatures such as frogfish, shrimp, seahorses, nudibranchs, stonefish, rhinopias, and octopuses. Among the pillars, schools of fish like sardines and batfish gracefully glide.

🌸 🐠 No one could have imagined that this unused pier would become the favorite dive spot for underwater photographers 🌸 🐠

👉 Watch this video below, diving in Padangbai.

Video credit: Ludovic Amevor

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