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Crystal Bay / Penida Bay

Crystal Bay / Penida Bay

Crystal Bay / Penida Bay

Advanced

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Strong

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Nusa Penida, Bali

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Indonesia

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Asia

Site Description

Crystal Bay is the most famous dive site in Bali and one of the world’s premier locations for encountering the elusive Mola Mola (ocean sunfish), the largest bony fish on the planet reaching over 2 meters in size. Located on the southwest coast of Nusa Penida at the southern end of Ceningan Channel, this small sheltered bay features crystal-clear water with visibility reaching 30-50 meters, the best in all of Bali. The site features a sandy slope starting at 10 meters that descends deeper toward the channel, with hard coral reefs on either side beginning at 5-6 meters. A distinctive rocky island with a temple sits in the middle of the bay. The reef transitions to a steep wall dropping very deep toward the channel where Mola Mola ascend from 20-70 meters to cleaning stations during their season. The site also features an underwater Bat Cave accessible at 20-24 meters where divers can surface inside while bats sleep overhead. Crystal Bay is recommended for advanced divers due to unpredictable strong currents, sudden downcurrents, and cold thermoclines that can occur especially near the drop-off. Besides Mola Mola, the site hosts turtles, reef sharks (wobbegong, leopard, thresher), eagle rays, moray eels, frogfish, banded sea snakes, and abundant tropical reef fish.

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Crystal Bay is the most famous dive site in Bali and one of the world’s premier locations for encountering the elusive Mola Mola (ocean sunfish), the largest bony fish on the planet reaching over 2 meters in size. Located on the southwest coast of Nusa Penida at the southern end of Ceningan Channel, this small sheltered bay features crystal-clear water with visibility reaching 30-50 meters, the best in all of Bali. The site features a sandy slope starting at 10 meters that descends deeper toward the channel, with hard coral reefs on either side beginning at 5-6 meters. A distinctive rocky island with a temple sits in the middle of the bay. The reef transitions to a steep wall dropping very deep toward the channel where Mola Mola ascend from 20-70 meters to cleaning stations during their season. The site also features an underwater Bat Cave accessible at 20-24 meters where divers can surface inside while bats sleep overhead. Crystal Bay is recommended for advanced divers due to unpredictable strong currents, sudden downcurrents, and cold thermoclines that can occur especially near the drop-off. Besides Mola Mola, the site hosts turtles, reef sharks (wobbegong, leopard, thresher), eagle rays, moray eels, frogfish, banded sea snakes, and abundant tropical reef fish.

View more

Crystal Bay is the most famous dive site in Bali and one of the world’s premier locations for encountering the elusive Mola Mola (ocean sunfish), the largest bony fish on the planet reaching over 2 meters in size. Located on the southwest coast of Nusa Penida at the southern end of Ceningan Channel, this small sheltered bay features crystal-clear water with visibility reaching 30-50 meters, the best in all of Bali. The site features a sandy slope starting at 10 meters that descends deeper toward the channel, with hard coral reefs on either side beginning at 5-6 meters. A distinctive rocky island with a temple sits in the middle of the bay. The reef transitions to a steep wall dropping very deep toward the channel where Mola Mola ascend from 20-70 meters to cleaning stations during their season. The site also features an underwater Bat Cave accessible at 20-24 meters where divers can surface inside while bats sleep overhead. Crystal Bay is recommended for advanced divers due to unpredictable strong currents, sudden downcurrents, and cold thermoclines that can occur especially near the drop-off. Besides Mola Mola, the site hosts turtles, reef sharks (wobbegong, leopard, thresher), eagle rays, moray eels, frogfish, banded sea snakes, and abundant tropical reef fish.

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Dive types
Boat divingWall divingDrift divingMuck diving
Boat divingWall divingDrift divingMuck diving
Boat divingWall divingDrift divingMuck diving
Best time to dive

Mola Mola season: July to mid-November (peak August-October) when cold upwellings bring sunfish to shallow cleaning stations. Water temperature during Mola season drops to 16-22°C with thermoclines as low as 16°C, requiring 5-7mm wetsuit. Warm season (December-May) averages 28°C. Transitional months (May-July, November) range 22-26°C with cold thermoclines to 19°C. Visibility remains excellent year-round at 20-30 meters average, even during rainy season. Early morning dives recommended to avoid crowds and find calmer conditions.

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Mola Mola season: July to mid-November (peak August-October) when cold upwellings bring sunfish to shallow cleaning stations. Water temperature during Mola season drops to 16-22°C with thermoclines as low as 16°C, requiring 5-7mm wetsuit. Warm season (December-May) averages 28°C. Transitional months (May-July, November) range 22-26°C with cold thermoclines to 19°C. Visibility remains excellent year-round at 20-30 meters average, even during rainy season. Early morning dives recommended to avoid crowds and find calmer conditions.

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Mola Mola season: July to mid-November (peak August-October) when cold upwellings bring sunfish to shallow cleaning stations. Water temperature during Mola season drops to 16-22°C with thermoclines as low as 16°C, requiring 5-7mm wetsuit. Warm season (December-May) averages 28°C. Transitional months (May-July, November) range 22-26°C with cold thermoclines to 19°C. Visibility remains excellent year-round at 20-30 meters average, even during rainy season. Early morning dives recommended to avoid crowds and find calmer conditions.

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Marine life
Mola Mola (seasonal July-October)Hawksbill turtlesWobbegong sharksLeopard sharksGuitar sharksThresher sharksGreat white shark (rare 2019 sighting)Reef sharksEagle raysManta rays (occasional)Moray eelsFrogfishBanded sea snakesLobstersScorpionfishOctopusAngelfishSweetlipsUnicornfishBannerfishSnapperTrevallyMoorish idolsClownfishDecorated dartfish (below 27m)ChromisDamselfish
Mola Mola (seasonal July-October)Hawksbill turtlesWobbegong sharksLeopard sharksGuitar sharksThresher sharksGreat white shark (rare 2019 sighting)Reef sharksEagle raysManta rays (occasional)Moray eelsFrogfishBanded sea snakesLobstersScorpionfishOctopusAngelfishSweetlipsUnicornfishBannerfishSnapperTrevallyMoorish idolsClownfishDecorated dartfish (below 27m)ChromisDamselfish
Mola Mola (seasonal July-October)Hawksbill turtlesWobbegong sharksLeopard sharksGuitar sharksThresher sharksGreat white shark (rare 2019 sighting)Reef sharksEagle raysManta rays (occasional)Moray eelsFrogfishBanded sea snakesLobstersScorpionfishOctopusAngelfishSweetlipsUnicornfishBannerfishSnapperTrevallyMoorish idolsClownfishDecorated dartfish (below 27m)ChromisDamselfish
Location