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diving nusa penida

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The Diving area

Nusa Penida along with its smaller sister islands; Nusas Lembongan and Ceningan lie 20km off the coast of Bali across the Badung Strait. The diving in Nusa Penida offers superb coral, fun drift dives, year round manta rays and seasonal mola mola. The area offers easy dives for those in training or new to diving, plus more challenging dives for the experienced adventure seekers. Turtles can be seen on every dive site here and we see sharks, stingrays, giant trevally, tuna and even dolphins.
Nusa penida dive site map
The triangle Between Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines is one of the most biodiverse marine habitats in the world. Known as The Coral Triangle, strong ocean currents, deep sea trenches and sea mounts, combined with active volcanic islands have created a complex oceanographic environment that is a paradise for divers.

The Indonesian Throughflow Current (ITC) is the largest movement of water on the planet! It's a pathway for water to move from the Western Pacific to the Indian Ocean and is responsible for the incredible biodiversity throughout Indonesia, and for the seasonal temperature changes that we experience here. The ITC passes by Nusa Penida (and Scuba Junkie's other Indonesian locations!) bringing the nutrient rich waters to our amazing dive sites.
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marine protected area

Nusa Penida together with our sister islands of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan make up the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area. Covering 20,057 hectares and including 296 coral species and 576 fish species, it’s one of the best places in Indonesia to see manta rays.

Established in 2010 by the Coral Triangle Center and the Klungkung government, the zoning areas take into account not only protecting the reefs with allocated diving & snorkeling areas, but also works closely with Bali’s spiritual side and traditions. Zoning areas include tourism, no activity, mangrove, holy as well as traditional fishing and seaweed farming zones. We always adhere to these areas and will never take you diving in a no activity zone.

Anchoring on the reef is not allowed and the fishing of sharks, mantas, molas and turtles is prohibited.
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nusa penida marine protected area map

Why dive from Nusa Penida?

closer to dive sites

The benefit of diving from Nusa Penida is that it puts you closer to the dive sites, we can arrive at the sites earlier than day trips from Bali and start diving before the crowds, ideal for the more popular dive sites such as Manta Point and Crystal Bay.

3 dives a day

At Scuba Junkie we make three dives per day, whereas most other operators in the area just make two, so it often means we have the dive sites to ourselves for the third dive.

dive with the tides

Diving from here we can also dive with the tides, picking the optimum times to do certain sites.

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water temperature

June to October: Temperature range from 18-25 degrees

This is definitely the cooler water season (but this is when the molas come out to play!). A 5mm wetsuit is recommended and these are what we offer as rental suits, but if you feel the cold you may also want to bring an extra vest, thermal rash vest or even a hood. Gloves are not permitted in line with our environmental policy.

The sites on the south usually have a consistent lower temperature during these months, whereas the channel sites (such as Crystal Bay) and the sites on the north will fluctuate. Thermoclines (sharp and sometimes sudden changes in temperature) are common, so even if the surface feels warm, we recommend the warmer layers during these months at all sites.
Visibility in thermoclines can be incredible - Crystal Bay is named because the thermoclines make it crystal-clear!
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dive course nusa penida
November to May: Temperature range from 26-29 degrees

There will be days where the ocean take us by surprise and gives us a cooler dive during this period too, but in general a 3mm suit is sufficient for these months and this is the kind of temperatures you would expect for a tropical diving destination. Visbility during the warmer months is typically 15-20m.

The time of year when the seasonal cold water comes in isn't set in stone, some years the season can start and end later than others.
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The seasons - When's the best time to see mantas and molas?

Mantas are around during all months of the year and we can visit the dive sites that they call home when the swells aren't too big. We'll aim to get you to the manta sites during your trip as long as the conditions allow. Visibility at the manta sites is generally best in the low season (January to march) and the peak mating season for manta rays is usually May. It's possible to see pregnant females and mating trains during all months of the year though.

Some mantas are very curious and others are shy - We will always give you a detailed Code of Conduct briefing for diving with manta rays when we reach the sites.

Molas are around when the cooler waters rise up from the Lombok Strait between late June and late October / early November each year. That's not the only time you can see them, we get our fair share of out of season sightings as well, you just need a bit more luck! 

Molas are very shy creatures, despite their imposing size, and it's essential that you listen carefully to our briefings, especially when we talk about the Code of Conduct for diving with molas.

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manta ray belly nusa penida
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