Underwater Wonders: A Guide to Snorkeling & Diving Spots Accessible from South Bali

Explore Bali’s underwater world! The best snorkeling and diving near South Bali shows a stunning world with lots of sea life. You can easily have incredible adventures during your stay in Nusa Dua. Bali’s beautiful land and culture are amazing, but an even more beautiful world waits under the waves. From colorful corals to manta rays, the ocean here is special.

Many visitors dream of seeing this underwater magic. Luckily, you can reach several great snorkeling and diving spots on easy day trips from Merusaka Nusa Dua. As your friendly guides, we’ve made this introduction to the best options to help you plan your underwater fun.

Why Discover Bali’s Underwater Wonders?

Bali is in the Coral Triangle, known for having the most diverse sea life on Earth. This means amazing underwater experiences for you:

  • Lots of Sea Life: See colorful fish, bright corals, and maybe bigger animals like turtles, manta rays, and even the unique Mola Mola (Oceanic Sunfish) at certain times.
  • Different Dive Spots: The nearby spots have different underwater landscapes, like sloping reefs, walls, bays, and chances for drift diving.
  • Good Conditions (Seasonally): While you can enjoy it all year, the dry season (around April to October) often has calmer seas and clearer water, perfect for snorkeling and diving trips.

Getting Ready: Snorkeling vs. Diving & Staying Safe

Before you go in, let’s explain the options and focus on safety:

  • Snorkeling: You swim on the surface, breathing through a snorkel and using a mask to see underwater. Anyone who can swim can do it with simple gear (mask, snorkel, fins). It’s great for seeing shallow reefs and sea life near the top.

  • Scuba Diving: You breathe underwater with air tanks, letting you explore deeper reefs for longer.

    • Certified Divers: If you have a diving license (like PADI Open Water), you can join guided “fun dives.”
    • Beginners: If you don’t have a license but are curious, many dive centers offer “Discover Scuba Diving” (DSD) or “Try Diving.” You can try diving with an instructor in shallow water after a basic lesson – no experience needed!

  • Choosing a Safe Operator (Very Important!): Whether you snorkel or dive, always pick good, professional tour companies or dive centers. Your safety and fun depend on it.

    • Look for Licenses: For diving, make sure the center is with known groups like PADI or SSI.
    • Check Reviews: Read recent good reviews online (Google, TripAdvisor) about safety, gear, guides, and service.
    • Check Safety Rules: Good companies care about safety. They give good briefings, have well-kept gear (including emergency oxygen on boats), have small groups with guides, and respect the environment.
    • Book Ahead: Especially during busy times, book your snorkeling or diving trip early to save your spot. Our team at Merusaka can help you find and book trips with trusted, good local companies.

Great Day Trip Spots from Nusa Dua

While Nusa Dua has calm waters for swimming near the beach, the best snorkeling and diving need a short boat ride. Here are the most popular day trip spots:

A. Nusa Penida & Nusa Lembongan (Top Choices)

These islands near Bali have some of the most famous underwater spots.

  • Getting There: You’ll usually get a ride from your Nusa Dua hotel (often included by tour companies) to Sanur Harbour (about 30-40 minutes). From Sanur, a fast boat takes you to Nusa Penida or Nusa Lembongan (about 30-45 minutes).

  • Key Underwater Spots:

    • Manta Point (Nusa Penida): This is a big attraction! It’s a place where Manta Rays come to get clean. Seeing these gentle giants (they eat tiny plankton and are safe for people) swimming around you is amazing. Snorkelers can often see them from the surface, while divers see them a bit deeper. Note: The water can sometimes be rough here, so boats only go if it’s safe.
    • Crystal Bay (Nusa Penida): Known for its very clear water! It has a beautiful coral reef sloping down. You’ll see many different reef fish here. This bay is also the best place in Bali to maybe see the incredible Mola Mola (Oceanic Sunfish) during its season (usually July to October). These giant, strange fish come up from deep water then. Seeing them is special, but not guaranteed! Good for both snorkeling and diving.
    • Gamat Bay (Nusa Penida): Often less crowded than Crystal Bay, Gamat Bay has bright coral gardens on a slope. It’s great for seeing smaller sea life and maybe turtles. There can sometimes be currents here, so it might be better for divers or experienced snorkelers depending on the conditions.
    • North Coast Drift Snorkels/Dives (SD Point, PED, Sental, Mangrove Point): The water between Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan has great drift diving and snorkeling. You gently float with the current along bright reefs with lots of colorful fish like fusiliers and surgeonfish. Turtles are also often seen here.

  • The Usual Trip: Most day trips will visit 2 or 3 different spots around Penida and Lembongan. They’ll give you snorkeling or diving gear, include lunch (often on the boat or at a restaurant on Lembongan), and handle all the rides from and back to your Nusa Dua hotel.

Panorama of Kelingking Beach in Nusa Penida island, Bali, Indonesia

B. Padang Bai (East Bali – Easy Reefs & Small Creatures)

Located on Bali’s east coast, Padang Bai offers a different, often calmer, underwater experience.

  • Getting There: It’s a longer drive from Nusa Dua (about 1.5 hours or more depending on traffic) to the town of Padang Bai. From there, short rides on traditional boats (jukung) take you to the nearby dive/snorkel spots. It’s doable as a day trip, but longer than going to Nusa Penida.

  • Key Spots:

    • Blue Lagoon: This is a pretty, sheltered bay with calm, clear blue water. It has a shallow, sandy bottom with coral areas full of fish. It’s a great, easy spot for snorkelers of all levels and new divers. You might see clownfish, angelfish, pufferfish, eels, and sometimes turtles or small sharks.
    • Jepun: Often visited with Blue Lagoon, this spot has natural reefs and some artificial structures (like a small shipwreck). It’s especially good for finding small, interesting creatures like frogfish, ghost pipefish, and sea slugs, along with regular reef fish.

  • The Usual Trip: Usually includes two dives or long snorkeling times at spots like Blue Lagoon and Jepun. The calm water makes it great for beginners and people who like taking pictures of small sea creatures. Lunch is usually at a local restaurant in Padang Bai.

Further Away (Better for Longer Stays: Amed & Tulamben)

When planning your underwater trips from Nusa Dua, you’ll probably hear about Amed and Tulamben on Bali’s northeast coast.

  • Great Diving Spots: These areas are famous, especially Tulamben for the amazing USAT Liberty Shipwreck. This big World War II ship is close to the shore and starts in shallow water, so snorkelers, freedivers, and scuba divers of all levels can see it. It’s covered in coral and has lots of sea life. Amed has beautiful coral gardens, wall dives, and great “muck diving” for finding rare small creatures.

  • Day Trip from Nusa Dua?: Because it takes a long time to drive there (about 2.5 to 3+ hours each way from Nusa Dua), going to Amed or Tulamben isn’t really a good idea for a comfortable day trip. You’d spend more time driving than underwater!

  • Our Suggestion: These places are definitely worth a visit, but it’s better to go as part of a trip where you stay overnight in Amed or Tulamben, or if you’re staying in the east or north of Bali for part of your holiday.

Landscape of Bali north coastline at sunrise, with Mount Agung volcano peak and forest slopes, and Java sea, from hilltop near Amed, Bali, Indonesia

What Sea Life Might You See?

Bali’s nearby underwater spots give you a chance to see amazing sea creatures:

  • Big Animals: Manta Rays (especially at Manta Point), Mola Mola / Oceanic Sunfish (at certain times, Crystal Bay), Sea Turtles (often seen).
  • Colorful Fish: Big groups of fusiliers and bannerfish; beautiful angelfish and butterflyfish; clownfish (Nemo!) in their homes; funny pufferfish and boxfish; triggerfish; parrotfish, and many more.
  • Interesting Small Creatures: Eels hiding in cracks, cuttlefish changing colors, octopus hiding, sea slugs with amazing patterns, frogfish, ghost pipefish, scorpionfish (look carefully!), and maybe even tiny seahorses for those who look closely.
  • Bright Corals: Healthy coral gardens that are homes for all the sea life.

(Remember, you might not see all of these every time, but these are common in the areas mentioned!)

Tips for a Great Underwater Trip

  • Best Time to Go: Generally, the dry season (April-Oct) might have clearer water and calmer seas, making boat trips nicer. But you can have good diving and snorkeling all year. Mola Mola season is usually July-October.
  • Listen to Guides: Always pay attention to safety talks. Follow your divemaster or snorkel guide – they know the spots, currents, and safety rules.
  • Respect the Ocean: Never touch, chase, or stand on coral. Watch animals from a safe distance. Don’t feed the fish. Help keep Bali’s underwater world beautiful for the future.
  • Use Reef-Safe Sunscreen: If you use sunscreen in the water, please use the kind that’s safe for reefs. Wearing a rash guard is even better for sun protection.
  • Stay Hydrated: Drink lots of water before and after your boat trip.
  • Know Your Limits: Be honest about how well you swim and how comfortable you are in the open ocean. If you feel tired or worried, tell your guide right away.

Conclusion: Enjoy Bali’s Underwater Beauty!

Bali’s underwater world offers truly amazing experiences, and luckily, great spots like Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Padang Bai are easy to reach on day trips from Nusa Dua. Whether you’re snorkeling with Manta Rays, drift diving over colorful reefs, or exploring the calm waters of Blue Lagoon, you’ll be amazed by the beauty under the waves.

Remember to choose a good tour company, put safety first, respect the ocean, and get ready for an incredible adventure! After your day in the water, you can relax in the pools and comfortable surroundings of Merusaka.

If you’d like help choosing or booking a good snorkeling or diving trip, please ask our team. We hope you have an amazing time exploring underwater!