Crystal Bay

Crystal Bay or Penida Bay is the best known dive site in Bali for seeing Mola-Mola (Ocean sunfish) during the July to mid November season. This doesn't mean it’s the only place to see them however – which is good because, in high season, there can be quite a number of boats/divers here with everyone hoping for a glimpse of the elusive Mola-Mola.

Mola-Mola Etiquette

In MM season, AMD-B generally picks up one (1) hour earlier than usual to try to ensure calmer surface conditions and fewer other divers in the water.

Before departing on a MM Trip with AMD-B, to ensure safe diving practices, you will be required to read and sign our Mola-Mola Diving Guidelines. Also, to promote awareness and non-harassment of MM, you will follow the AMD-B Mola-Mola Code of Conduct.

What you can see at Crystal Bay

Whether for Mola-Mola diving or not, although it can be a little surgy, entry and exit is always done within the shelter of Crystal Bay itself. You’ll see a large rock isolated on the edge of the bay, marking the edge of the channel. The hard coral reef starts at 5m, has a white sand base, and is covered with anemones and soft corals. Marine life includes angelfish, sweetlips, frogfish, Banded sea snakes and many Moorish idols. You can also expect to see occasional Wobbegong sharks and Manta rays. Below 27m we often find Decorated dartfish.

As we believe the Mola-Mola only ascend to recreational depths to be cleaned, we also keep our fingers crossed for a lot of bannerfish here too!

Following the north side of the bay around, we come to a Bat Cave: enter from underwater, surface inside the cave (which is open to the sky) where bats sleep overhead - big waves may crash in through the top. Sometimes small reef sharks are in the cave, but they generally leave when divers arrive.

Continuing along the (very deep) wall from the Bat Cave at 20-24m, the hard corals provide homes for a number of lobsters.

Because this area is in Ceningan Channel, when there is a current present, and due to the coldness of the water from the Indian Ocean, there is also definitely the opportunity to see reef sharks, Eagle rays and also (if you're lucky) Leopard, Wobbegong and Guitar sharks. 

Nusa Penida Festival

Tourist activities will take place on June 2 to 6, 2014 and centred in the village Batununggul, District of Nusa Penida, Klungkung Regency, Bali. A variety of unique activities in this festival will be directed at giving special insight to visitors, both domestic and foreign guests.

The five-day festival will be filled with various activities such as cultural celebrations, tourist object recognition, and exhibit typical Nusa Penida cuisine, and the sacred dance performances in Klungkung, Bali. Nusa Penida Festival will also be enlivened by traditional boat races.

Nusa Penida is an island southeast of Bali Island which has many beautiful unspoiled places but no less than the Bali mainland. Nusa Penida has been regarded as the “golden egg island” of Bali.

However, its potential is still much untapped. Some interesting things are unique and typical of this island, like woven fabric as an icon of Nusa Penida, seaweed, and of course the underwater beauty of unspoiled marine life.

It is expected that by convening the Nusa Penida Festival, the tourism sector in the region can be boosted. Currently, tourism in the region is still dominated by Nusa Lembongan.

Nusa Penida Island while undeveloped features only snorkeling and diving. In fact, a lot of interest in the island is to be enjoyed, among them is Penida Beach, Atuh Beach, Batumedawu temple, Pura Goa Giri Putri, Pura Dalem Ped, Puncak Mundi, and some springs in the south of Nusa Penida, as well as offering spectacular ocean side cliffs as high as 200 meters.

Cultural activities and meetings centred around the MPA Marine Protection Area will take place between 8th - 11th June.

Diving and Snorkeling

We can do excellent quality diving in the crystal clear waters around the islands.  A number of reputable dive shops are available, and this is a notable as a dive learning destination. Hundreds of visitors have learned to dive here.

For more experienced divers, the most interesting sites are located in Nusa Penida. There are some challenging drift dives sites here, and dive operators will visit certain sites only when the sea conditions are safe.Marine highlights include large manta rays all year round, spectacular, massive oceanic sunfish (mola-mola) in season (July to October), white-tipped reef sharks, nurse sharks and the odd hammerhead. Whale sharks are far from regular, but the odd migrant is seen. Last but certainly not least, four species of sea turtle can be found here. All operators offer scheduled trips to the prime dive sites around all three islands.

SNORKELING, Non-divers should not feel left out, as good snorkeling is available close inshore at various spots around the island. Perhaps the two best areas are Mushroom Bay on the west coast, and the mangroves on the northern tip. Equipment can be hired fro

m your hotel or on the beach, and depending on the quality of the gear, you should expect to pay Rp 20,000-50,000 for renting a mask, snorkel and set of fins.

If you fancy getting further offshore, dive shops may sell you a snorkeling space on a scheduled dive boat, subject to availability. Also, local boatmen are willing to take you by boat to various snorkeling spots. Depending on the number of snorkeling spots you want to visit, a boat trip can be arranged for about Rp 200,000-300,000 (including snorkeling gear). An enjoyable snorkeling spot reached by boat only is the west coast of Nusa Penida, with Crystal Bay being especially rewarding. There is a strong current along this coast. The boatman will drop you off at the beginning of the current, and you can drift while snorkeling along the drop off wall with beautiful coral and loads of fish. The boatmen will follow you and pick you up at the end of the drift.

Pasih Uug (Broken Beach)

This is a very unique beach. You can't find a beach like this in any parts of this world, except on Nusa Penida island. There is a very deep clift with beautiful view, beautiful sunset, and if you are lucky, you can see a lot manta rays and some turtles on the sea. And there is a big natural pool, with about a hundred meters in diameter. The pool was found because of the broken clift (land).

Atuh Beach

Atuh Beach is located in the beautiful bay with white sand and on the left side is Juntil Cape wich is stick out into the sea and on the right side stick out into Labuan Ampuak continued to the east is located Gili Batu Melawang, Gili Batu Pedasan, Gili batu Abah and Gili Batu Metegen. On the end Easternmost of Juntil and Gili Padasan capes are really ideal because in front of the two capes are passed by alternating current from the north to the south (and on the other way) that is followed by groups of big or small fish, especially after and before the full moon and several days before and after Dark of Moon or Tilem, these days are the lucky days for fishermans.

The natural cave and the sawallow nest can be found on the south side of Labuhan Ampuak. The swallow nest is the very rare commodity and the price is very expensive. In the mainland of Atuh Valley the situation of the land is very fertile and the Atuh Temple is located there, the temple is especially a place to worship to the God of the sea (the Segara Temple). The ceremony is held every sasih Kedasa or the tenth month of the Balinese calendar (Isaka) where the community came from Bendem Village and the Tanglad Village and the other village. The temple ceremony is done a fullday. 

It presented various dances, such as Baris Jangkang Pleilit dance, a mass dance that very sacred, the dance that depict the royal soldiers who are againts the enemy who come attacked. This dance is very rare and only can be seen in the Pelilit village. If we walk into the middle of the land, there is two holy wells with very clear and pure water. This fresh water possibly have best quality in all over the Nusa Penida region. Access to the Atuh Coast could be reached through two directions: from the Pelilit village (20 Km from the boot buyukpork) and continued by the land road approximately 2 Km to Kelodan Series (17 Km from Buyuk) and continued with approximately the land road 5 Km.