Scuba Diving in Nusa Lembongan

NUSA LEMBONGAN, Indonesia — For many divers around the world the islands of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida are synonymous with the elusive mola mola. However this oceanic sunfish only graces these waters between the months of August and October, a rare window if you ask me, but after all it is this creature’s elusiveness that makes it so magnificent.

Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida are two small islands off the eastern coast of Bali, the latter being further east. As the boats arrive on the beach, I glance out at the turquoise waters that seem almost surreal but then again this is Bali and these crystal blue waters just go with the territory. The islands offer some of the most incredible diving in the world.  I suggest diving with Lembongan Dive Center – its run by locals and they know the area inside and out.

I was doing a morning dive session – two dives total.  We board the boat and head toward Batu Lumbung (Manta Point), a well-known dive site off the island of Nusa Penida, appropriately named for the giant manta rays known to grace the waters. I suit up, mask on, regulator in, and roll off the side of the boat. We drop down to about 20 meters and floated along the coral reefs keeping our eyes peeled for any mantas. The marine life in this inlet is incredible – everything from sea turtles to giant pufferfish – seeing a manta would just be a bonus.

After 40 minutes, it was getting time to begin our ascent. Just as we were getting ready to surface, a giant manta swam right in front of us – gliding gracefully through the water. The other divers and I quickly swam to the boat to drop off our tanks before duck-diving back down to try and catch another glimpse of the magnificent creature. We were in luck!

Manta Ray Finally Spotted! Hurray!

Our next dive site was Crystal Bay, also off the coast of Nusa Penida. This is a beautiful dive site and for fans of the movie Eat, Pray, Love – scene from the movie are filmed here.  I was told that due to the popularity of the movie, prices for property in the area skyrocketed.

A Note on Crystal Bay

This site is rather notorious due to its sudden arrival of strong downward current that pulls divers down and out to sea. Having heard the stories, I inundated the divemaster with questions.  Basically, the bay has a giant continental shelf that drops off in a slope.  He advised that I stay on the shelf and away from the wall the drops down into the ocean abyss.  This dive site is reserved for more experienced divers and all divers should proceed with caution.  The currents are very strong and many divers have been swept out to sea like the Japanese divers that went missing in February 2014. Just be smart and be safe and listen to your divemaster and you will be fine!

The Crystal Bay dive is a pretty shallow dive – we never went below 20 meters (65 feet).  The marine life is insane. We saw lionfish, giant pufferfish, little Nemos aka clownfish, sea turtles and more. The currents were strong and it was apparent how these strong currents could easily pull you off the shelf, down the wall and out to sea.

More Pics in this Gallery

Just as we began to surface in Crystal Bay, it started to pour.  We climbed on the boat and wrapped up in towels and sweatshirts as we ate the lunch provided.

Be sure to bring towels and sweatshirts.  The winds can really kick up around these islands and it can get really cold.  This is not a warm water dive either.  I wore a 7mm wetsuit – unlike further North in Gili Islands where you can get away with a 5mm shortie or just a bathing suit and rash guard.  These waters are cold so come prepared with post-dive clothes.

When to Go

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