Diving in Nusa Penida. This island is also known as Bali’s sister island, it’s simply gorgeous. The north face of the island is all white sandy beaches, but as we go south the landscape changes dramatically as it’s exposed to the open ocean. Here there are some stunning cliffs and huge rocks protruding in the middle of the sea.
Nusa Penida is located in the Indian Ocean, which means it is exposed to large swells and currents ranging from moderate to very strong.
The water temperature varies throughout the year. From November to April, we enjoy an average of 26/28 degrees Celsius, but for the rest of the year, when cold ocean currents rise, the temperature can drop to less than 20 degrees Celsius.
✅ Dives reserved for Advanced divers only with experience in currents.
⚠️ Check-dive is required before diving in this area.
There are numerous dives, renowned worldwide. We’ve selected the most outstanding ones, those that you might enjoy the most.
Manta Point
This dive site is situated in a bay to the south of Penida, strategically positioned amidst pelagic waters. At its center lies a sandy bottom, surrounded by an impressive reef adorned with gigantic rocks, home to hundreds of reef fish of all colors, as well as bamboo sharks, octopuses, and turtles.
While manta rays primarily spend their time in the open ocean, constantly on the move in search of food and suitable conditions, they also enjoy visiting this cleaning station. For them, this spot is where other fish, such as butterflyfish and bannerfish, gather to remove parasites and debris from the mantas’ skin.
It’s undoubtedly the star dive of Nusa Penida! It’s a cleaning station where manta rays glide gracefully while tiny cleaner fish meticulously rid them of parasites.
Dive Nusa Penida: Crystal Bay
Crystal Bay is a small, charming bay with crystal clear blue water, a white-sand beach, and palm trees. It is located at the Cenengan Channel and earns its name due to its excellent visibility, from 30 to 50 m.
It is a well-known dive site due to the frequent seeing of mola mola. More precisely, sunfish come to the cleaning station during the period from June up to November.
Also, Crystal Bay offers stunning, healthy, and colorful reefs. Even more, whit an enormous variety of reef fish, morays, fusiliers, barracudas, and also turtles. That is to say Crystal Bay offers all!
Diving Nusa Penida North Coast
All along North Nusa, we can find a slope that is perpendicular to the coast. It is rich firstly in both hard and soft corals forming large bommies and second in fish life, which is excellent. For instance, you can see schooling jacks, fusiliers, sweet lips, and spadefish. And also patrolling sharks, giant trevallies, and turtles.
The Northside of the island is exposed to strong currents that flow through the Lombok Strait, therefore it is a drift dive. On top, visibility usually is very good. In conclusion, proper planning and execution of these dives are crucial.
👉 Watch a video of one day diving with Manta Rays at Nusa Penida, Bali.
Video credit: Ludovic Amevor
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