Bali’s Best Scuba Diving Sites
Padang Bai Jetty
The Padang Bai Jetty
This site is one that runs a little under the radar. The Padang Bai Jetty is an unused cruise ship pier that was built in the large bay between Padang Bai and Candidasa. Why is it unused? The jetty doesn’t comply to international safety standards! Oh well, shame about the cruise ships but great news for divers.
The Padang Bai Jetty is a concrete pier that extends out approximately 300 metres from shore. The depth under the jetty ranges from 5 to 20 metres at the deepest end. Dives are boat dives either from Candidasa or Padang Bai and the timing of the tide is very important. Timing the dive near slack tide is ideal as this site can have strong currents drifting through. This site is also a bit of an eye opener for people who have not done a “muck dive” before. Due to the presence of fishermen on the dock, there is plenty of debris on the bottom and no discernable pretty coral reef. Fun divers who are after a clear water/coral reef dive would be better off choosing another site in the area.
Underwater Photography
Having said that, The Jetty one of the most popular sites in Bali for underwater photographers. The dive is best known as a critter dive as the bottom is mainly sand and rocks. Classic encounters at the site include day octopus, a plethora of frog fish, nudibranchs, schooling catfish, blue ring octopus, and the occasional Rhinopias! The site is not only for macro photography, the large support beams are covered in soft corals and colourful sea fans. Schools of batfish and scads play in the water close to the surface and giant frogfish often perch on the pillars. Therefore, this dive can also be enjoyed by photographers who are fans of wide-angle photography.
The Jetty can be dived all year round but there is the possibility of swell in the area, conditions do play a factor. Padang Bai is located one hour by car from Sanur and the jetty is a short boat ride from there. We often dive Padang Bai and the Jetty as a day trip from Sanur as well as part of a Bali Diving Safari. To find out more about diving at The Jetty please Book Now.
To read more about Batfish and their behaviour have a look at the Wikipedia entry on this wonderful family of fish.
