Fishermen in a jukung on Gilimanuk Bay, west Bali

Photo: Rianapp, cropped, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Secret Bay Gilimanuk

Gilimanuk, Bali, Indonesia

Beginner
Mild current
Best Apr to Oct

Secret Bay Gilimanuk is a beginner dive site in Gilimanuk, Bali, Indonesia. Dives run from 1 to 10 m, with mild current. The best months are April to October. Marine life here includes seahorse, frogfish and pipefish. 10 dive shops on Scubalo run trips here.

Updated 21 October 2026

Conditions at Secret Bay Gilimanuk

Max depth: 12 m
Depth range: 1–10 m
Current: Mild
Level: Beginner

Depth profile

Safety

Water: 22 to 25°C; a 5 mm wetsuit helps.
Tide: Visibility is best on the incoming and high tide.

About Secret Bay Gilimanuk

Secret Bay is a shallow muck dive in the bay at Gilimanuk, on Bali's northwest tip. Cool water pushed in from the deep channel to Java brings ghost pipefish, frogfish, seahorses, dragonets and bobbit worms, all within 10 metres.

Secret Bay lies at Gilimanuk, on the northwest tip of Bali, facing Java. Its water is cooler than most of Bali, often 22 to 25°C, because the rising tide pushes in water from the deep channel between Java and Bali. That water brings nutrients and larvae, and probably explains the unusual variety of animals in such a small, shallow bay.

The whole dive is within 10 metres. Ghost pipefish, frogfish, several kinds of seahorse and pipefish, dragonets, coconut octopus and bobbit worms are regulars, along with Banggai cardinalfish, introduced here far from their home in Sulawesi. At night Spanish dancers, bobtail squid and stargazers come out.

Visibility is usually around 10 metres and best on the incoming and high tide, which is when dive centres plan their dives. Bring a 5 mm wetsuit for the cool water.

When to dive Secret Bay Gilimanuk

Season

Right now
Year round: Muck diving here doesn't depend on the season.
Good to know: Dived around the incoming and high tide, when the water is clearest. Bring a 5 mm wetsuit.

Marine life at Secret Bay Gilimanuk

What divers report seeing here. Tap one to see where else it turns up.

Type of diving

Location

Questions about Secret Bay Gilimanuk

Why is the water cold at Secret Bay?

The rising tide pushes cool water into the bay from the deep channel between Java and Bali. It is often 22 to 25°C, so bring a 5 mm wetsuit.

What can you see at Secret Bay?

Ghost pipefish, frogfish, seahorses, pipefish, dragonets, coconut octopus, bobbit worms and Banggai cardinalfish, with Spanish dancers and bobtail squid at night.