Marine Life

Bali is home to an abundance of marine life, whether we’re talking critters or large animals. Many “big stuff” can be seen here, including manta rays, black-tip sharks, white-tip sharks, gray reef sharks, and Napolean wrasses. Schooling jacks and barracudas offer quite a spectacle, but the reason why many divers want to dive here would have to be the opportunity of seeing the iconic Mola molas, or ocean sunfish.
The macro life in Bali is excellent, a delight for those passionate about macro underwater photography. Countless nudibranchs, frogfish, pygmy seahorses, mantis shrimps, Bobbit worms, pipefish, and various indo-pacific reef fish can be spotted here.

USAT Liberty Wreck

The USAT Liberty Wreck is often featured on lists of best dive sites in the world, and for good reason. This 120-meter (394-foot) shipwreck is now a massive artificial reef surrounded by black sand and teeming with diverse marine life. From the usual reef fish to sea turtles, parrotfish, and potato cod, you can find all sorts of underwater creatures here. And since there’s no current here and the wreck lies at a depth of only 22 meters (72 feet), scuba beginners can enjoy the dive site along with more experienced scuba divers and freedivers. Multiple dives are required to see the ship in all its grandeur.

Nusa Penida

The island of Nusa Penida is a renowned scuba diving destination in the province of Bali. There are some fantastic dive sites here, including the cleaning station at Manta Point or Crystal Bay that offers the chance of diving with the Mola mola, the heaviest bony fish in the world. Nusa Penida is also known for having excellent drift dive sites. Keep in mind, though, that the currents here can get very strong and are often unpredictable. Some of the dive sites are suitable for advanced divers only.