NUSA PENIDA DIVE SITE DESCRIPTION
| Difficulty: | Moderate to high |
| Max. depth: | 30m / 100ft |
| Access from Sanur: | 45 min. by speedboat from Sanur |
Together with USS Liberty shipwreck at Tulamben the Nusa Penida dive sites are generally agreed to be the best in Bali. Any scuba diving trip to Bali should include at least one day diving here. There are more than 10 different dive sites around Nusa Penida to choose, in discussion with your guide.
The currents are often strong around Nusa Penida, and somewhat unpredictable. For this reason Nusa Penida is suitable for divers who already feel comfortable scuba diving. For divers with less experience Tulamben, Menjangan Island and Padang Bai usually have more gentle conditions. For this reason our scuba diving packages always schedule Nusa Penida as the final dive site in your diving itinerary.
Manta Point is perhaps the most popular single dive site around Nusa Penida. Mantas are often seen here, sometimes just one or two and sometimes ten or more. Of course, sightings are never guaranteed and some days Manta cannot be found. When we visit Manta Point we do the first dive there, and then move to a different Nusa Penida dive site for the second dive. Because Manta Point is at the back of Nusa Penida, facing rough ocean waters, sometimes the waves and swell are too big and we cannot get to Manta Point. This may happen on windy days. In this condition we will dive other Nusa Penida dive sites instead.
Toyapakeh is another very popular dive site in Nusa Penida. We may say the corals at this site are the best in Bali, with huge and wonderful underwater formations. These rich and healthy corals are home to masses of marine life. In addition to the vibrant display of reef fishes, Toyapakeh is often visited by larger ocean fish such as Tuna and Jacks. Lobsters can often be found and sometimes huge Eagle Rays. On days with strong currents you can follow your guide to drift around the reef edge, other times it may be better to swim in the shelter of the coral boulders towards the centre of the diving area.
