Located across the Badung Strait from Bali’s southeastern coast is one of Indonesia’s best dive destinations; the pristine waters of Nusa Lembongan.
Not only is the island comprised of a multitude of colourful reefs and plankton-rich sites, but it is also surrounded by deep trenches where the rare southern sunfish, the Mola alexandrini, likes to frequent.
This makes the island of Nusa Lembongan a paradise for divers, free divers and snorkelers of all levels who can enjoy a variety of underwater environments.
Diving conditions around Nusa Lembongan and neighbour island Nusa Penida vary from sheltered sites suited for novices, to strong drift currents popular with advanced divers.
The water temperature is usually around 28°C but often drops a few degrees due to changing currents. A positive of the cooler waters is that it provides excellent visibility, reaching up to 30m!
The most popular time to dive around the island is from July to October when you are more likely to see the famous Mola Mola alexandrini (Find out more about diving with the Mola alexandrini here). Other frequently sighted sea animals around Nusa Lembongan include tuna, sharks, marble rays and manta rays.
Whether you are a happy snorkeler or an advanced scuba diver, you will certainly find your share of underwater adventure during your stay on the island. For your convenience, let our manager book a few dives with a 353 Degrees North recommended dive centre. With so many different spots to choose from, we’ve highlighted some of the most renowned diving sites around Nusa Lembongan to discover on your next holiday.
Best Dive Sites Around The 3 Nusa's:
– Lembongan Bay –
The sandy bottom and shallow depth makes Lembongan Bay a perfect site for beginners, avid underwater photographers and night divers. Here you can find a multitude of coral bommies which are home to a variety of species including frog fish, silversides, unicorn fish and all sorts of reef fish. Perfect for an intro dive, a refresher or an easy snorkelling session!
– Crystal Bay –
Without doubt Bali’s most popular diving site, Crystal Bay is located on the south-west of Nusa Penida, a neighbour island. Its name is representative of the spectacular visibility of the water, which can reach up to 40m on a good day. The shallow bay is carpeted with colourful reef dropping down to a white sandy bottom. Look out for the nudibranchs and shrimp under the rocky formations. The bay is sheltered from the currents which make it an excellent site for less experienced divers. Just outside of the bay, the nutrient-rich currents attract the Mola alexandrini and other pelagic fish. This is probably the most popular site to swim with the famous southern sunfish also known as the Ramsay’s sunfish during the season which runs from July to November.
– Blue Corner –
Located on the north-west of Nusa Lembongan, is the renowned Blue Corner dive site. Suitable for experienced divers only, the strong underwater currents will take you for a ride amongst a diversity of encrusting coral species and large pelagic fish. If you are lucky, you might see the famous Mola alexandrini, or be rewarded with a sighting of Sharks, Tuna and Marble Rays. With steep walls dropping down to 50m, this exciting dive sites offers incredible underwater topography.
– Mangrove Point –
Located near the mangrove forest on the northeast of Nusa Lembongan, this drift diving site is excellent for divers of all levels. Because of the positive impact mangroves have on reef health, Mangrove Point displays an amazing variety of corals and fish of all shapes and sizes. Drifting along the sloping reef, you can observe large Table Corals, Sponges, Puffer fish, Angel fish and the occasional Reef Shark and Eagle Ray swimming past!
– Toyapakeh –
Located on the Nusa Penida side of the bay, Toyapakeh is probably one of the best dive sites in Indonesia and is accessible for all levels. This site offers a variety of underwater treasures, from its steep slope in the south to coral bommies, carpeted terraces and abundant reef in the north. It resembles an underwater city. The water visibility is excellent and the marine life is thriving. Toyapakeh is home to an abundant variety of species including Mola alexandrini, Eagle Rays, Morays, Lionfish, Sea Turtles, Sharks and schools of Trevally and Red-tooth Triggerfish. This site has everything to impress even the most experienced divers and marine biologists!
– Manta Point –
Last and certainly not least is “Manta Point” arguably Nusa Penida’s most famous diving and snorkelling site.
Manta rays are the largest of all the ‘rays’ and range among the largest fishes in the ocean, growing up to approximately 7 metres disc width (from wing tip to wing tip). Despite their large size, manta rays feed upon some of the smallest creatures in the ocean: microscopic plankton. They also have the largest brain to body size ratio of any living fish and are very aware and interactive with divers – it’s amazing to watch these magnificent sea creatures as they glide effortlessly, swooping to avoid each other. There is a cleaning station at around 8 metres where the Manta Rays will hover and sometimes wait in line for the smaller reef fish and parasitic copepods to clean their bodies. Manta Point is towards the south of Nusa Penida and with favourable conditions, you can usually expect to see them along with the occasional Turtle. If diving with Manta Rays isn’t on your bucket list, it definitely should be.
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