USAT Liberty – Bali’s most famous dive site offers a chance to see schools of bumphead parrotfish, black sand muck diving, and a coral encrusted wreck. The USAT (United States Army Transport) Liberty was awaiting repairs on the shore when lava flow from an erupting Mount Agung pushed her back into the water where she now lays on her side. Starting at just over five meters and extending down to 30 meters, this wreck is a marine life hotspot. Look out for barracuda, turtles, pygmy seahorses on fans, numerous species of nudibranch, sting rays and a wealth of critters.
Gili Tepekong – These magnificent rock pinnacles are encrusted with a vibrant mix of hard and soft corals and offer stunning underwater topographies ranging from walls and slopes to canyons and swim-throughs. Biomass here is exceptional with hoards of fish occupying the reef. It's a great site for spotting reef sharks and seasonal Mola Mola. Due to mild-strong currents, Gili Tepekong is an advanced dive site and is recommended for experienced divers.
Gili Selang – Starting out on the black sand slope you’ll be impressed by the variety of nudibranch and other macro critters as you head down to the top of the reef. The reef and wall offer gorgonian fans, rope sponges, branching corals, occasional bommies, colorful soft corals and barrel sponges in the deeper areas. Look out for moray eels, trevally, cuttlefish and pygmy seahorses camouflaged in the fans with schooling fusiliers and passing pelagics in the blue. Due to mild-strong currents, Gili Selang is an advanced dive site and is recommended for experienced divers.
Eel Garden – This is a beautiful dive site which takes its name from a sandy ridge, populated by hundreds of garden eels that sway to and fro in the plankton rich currents. This is a diverse dive site where you can spot pelagics and a wealth of critters on the reefs and sandy slopes.
Underwater Temple – Also known as “Temple Garden” or “Taman Pura” this site is an artificial reef designed to look like a traditional Balinese temple. There are sunken stone statues of Buddha and Ganesha behind ornate Balinese gateways. If there was ever a site that reflected Balinese spiritualism underwater, this is it!
Bali is home to innumerable dive sites which offer diverse topographies and marine life. Other notable sites in Bali include: Coral Gardens, Napoleon Reef, Secret Bay, Jemeluk Bay and Blue Lagoon.
Read more