The island of Bali is among the global hotspots for diving and provides an exceptional diversity of marine life and dive types.

The stars of Bali’s underwater wildlife are the astounding Manta Rays and Mola Mola Oceanic Sunfish. Although both creatures are present all year, the best time to see Manta’s is between April and May, while Mola Mola are most easily seen between August and October.

Bali’s dive sites are located along its northern and eastern shores and around the island of Nusa Penida. Diving is available all year round, with the best visibility during the period from May to November, and the least favourable conditions between December and February.

Bali’s waters are very warm, typically around 29⁰c, providing for very comfortable diving, with the exception of Nusa Penida, which receives colder deep-ocean upwells.

The most accessible diving for visitors staying on, or near, the main tourist area of Bukit Peninsula are the local dive sites of Nusa Dua and Sanur, both of which are well suited for beginners and intermediate divers who want a refresh dive.

The best sites for beginners are at Amed, Padang Bai, near Bali’s central east coast and, more remotely, at Pulau Menjangan, an island just off the northwest tip, all of which enjoy very mild currents, offering the most interesting novice diving, being locations also favoured by experienced divers.

The diving is altogether a different experience a little way offshore from Bali’s southern tip at the islands of Nusa Penida and its diminutive neighbour, Nusa Lembongan.

Although characterised by significantly cooler waters and often strong currents, suited only to experienced or advanced divers, the rewards of these locations are the world class diving and great visibility, and the best place to see Mola Mola and Manta Rays.

With over twenty fine dive sites, the most famous of Nusa Penida’s sites is 'Manta Point', where the Mantas gather daily to feed and be serviced by their obliging cleaner fish. Likewise, Crystal Bay dive site is the site of a Mola Mola ‘cleaning station’. Other top dive sites here are ‘Ped’, ‘Blue Corner’ and ‘Blue Point’.

Back on Bali, the east coast sites at Tianyar, Kuba Tulamben, Seraya and Amed on the upper east coast all provide excellent diving, with Tulamben providing one of the best wreck dives in the world, and even more remarkably also suited for beginners, to view the torpedoed USS Liberty. The 130 metre vessel can also be dived at night.

Around the town of Candidasa, several offshore outcrops are best suited to experienced divers. Gili Selang, Gili Mimpang, Gili Biaha and Gili Tepekong are among Bali’s best dive sites to see Mola Mola, and many sharks, including Whitetip, Blacktip, Wobbegong, Hammerhead and Cat Sharks swimming around superb corals. Further down the coast, Padang Bai, although generally well suited to beginners also provides more challenging dives and good night diving.

Along Bali’s northern coast, the dive sites of Pemutaran, Lovina, Puri Jati and the island of Pulau Menjangan are good diving and snorkelling locations, and, because the marine life, whist colourful, does not attract the more iconic species, are well suited to beginners. In these locations, however, some of the corals do show signs of El Nino damage and bleaching.