Diving & Snorkeling in Pulau Menjangan

Located near the southeast side of Pulau Menjagan, Pos 2 is one of the best wall dives in Indonesia if not in the whole Coral Triangle. It may start as a shore dive from the boat mooring or a boat dive a couple of minutes of motoring away from the island.

A steep slope will lead you to an almost vertical wall that is stocked with lush soft and hard corals, hundreds of fish species and other smaller and larger critters everywhere you look. There may be a light current that allows you to float horizontally at a nice 17-20 m (55-65 ft) depth. Just observe the fantastic diversity of marine life on the wall. If you don't move around a lot you may preserve enough oxygen to last a full hour or more in this wonderland.

You will often see lionfish, triggerfish, trunkfish, boxfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, rabbitfish, basslets, angelfish, bluespine unicornfish, dottybacks, bigeye soldierfish, surgeonfish, batfish. Moray eels in their crevices. Different species of nudibranchs every couple of minutes or so. Large big star and black-spotted pufferfish cruising around the fan corals. Platter corals will hide hundreds of juvenile reef fish. In fact you will probably encounter representatives of all reef fish families in the first three minutes of your dive. Let us know if you spot a pygmy seahorse while you are there!

If you turn your head away from the wall you will see schools of medium sizes reef fish in the deep blue sea. There are also tuna or whitetip reef sharks speeding alone or in pairs in the depths. You may come across large lobsters or turtles feeding on sponges at the sloping sections of the wall. In addition to the variety of fish and coral species, their sheer numbers are also staggering. You may find a single gorgonian coral with three or four lionfish hooking their fins into it - and two different species of lionfish at that. By the time you finished photographing them your dive companions would have identified twenty more fish species or found three completely different neon-colored nudibranchs.

There may be dolphins in the area that sometimes follow dive boats. Look away from the wall if you hear squeaking sounds in the water. If you are very lucky you might also catch a glimpse of manta rays gliding around the wall.

The sea around Pulau Menjangan is teeming with reef creatures, boasting one of the highest biodiversity in fish, invertebrate and coral species found in the Coral Triangle. 110 species from 18 coral families were recorded around the 1.5 km (0.9 mi) long island, including 22 out of the 29 species of mushroom corals known globally. 27 species of Acropora coral was observed by marine biologists in a 0.02 km² (0.07mi²) area - you would cover more ground in the first half of a dive.

On a two-hour snorkeling session you should see as many fish as on any average Asian scuba dive. On a one-hour dive, you will come across several species in each of the reef fish families and a few large pelagics like rays, sharks, tuna or barracuda.

Some species and families that will keep you entertained on your dive are reef sharks, stingrays, moray eels, snake eels, ribbon eels, lizardfish, soldierfish and squirrelfish, trumpetfish, lionfish, jawfish, dottybacks, anthias and basslets, groupers, bigeyes, hawkfish, cardinalfish, trevally, fusiliers, sweetlips, butterflyfish, angelfish, damselfish, chromis, anemonefish, wrasses, parrotfish, gobies, spadefish, batfish, rabbitfish, surgeonfish, unicornfish, Moorish idol, triggerfish, boxfish, pufferfish and porcupinefish. (Many thanks to the 350 pages of the Reef Fishes of the Indo-Pacific book for allowing the author of this article to keep his sanity.)

Most of the fish are unperturbed by divers around them. Even turtles, that appear on every second if not on each dive, are happy to graze on the reef with a group of divers watching them. Sea stars, sea urchins, leopard sea cucumbers, shrimps, crabs, lobsters, flatworms, sea slugs and nudibranchs fill every nook and cranny.

Back in the boat you will rave about the hundreds and thousands of fish and invertebrates you have seen on your dive while your dive buddy who was a meter away from you or had her head turned in a different direction will ramble on about a thousand different things she has spotted. Often favorably compared to Palau and the Great Barrier Reef, Pulau Menjangan is truly the pinnacle of healthy tropical marine habitats.

The name of the island, Menjangan, means 'deer' in Indonesian. The locals observed deer swimming approx. 2 km (1.2 mi) from Bali's coast to the tiny island on their annual migration. There are a few groups of deer on the island - you will see them if you walk around the island during your surface interval or on a break between your snorkeling sessions. The deer may also come down to the beach and provide you with a fantastic photo opportunity. Pulau Menjangan is only 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) in size so you can walk around its forests and beaches in an hour and half.

It has a beautiful Hindu temple called Puri Gili Kencana that you can easily visit between your two dives if the diving boat is docked at the southeastern mooring of the island. You will have to walk up the eastern path from the mooring. You might even come upon some deer lazing about in the shadows of the trees.

At the temple you will be asked to wrap yourself in the skirt they provide and respect the areas you are not allowed to enter. There is a massive Ganesha statue on the cliff facing the sea. If you walk briskly enough you will be able to return to your diving boat by the end of your surface interval without frustrating the rest of the divers or your dive guide who stayed on the boat.

If your boat is moored at the western corner of the island, it is worth walking on the coast to the north of the island during your surface interval. The western corner itself is an amazing coral beach with nice views toward Bali's mist-shrouded mountains - make sure you take a desperate castaway or intrepid explorer selfie somewhere. The northern side of Pulau Menjangan is a mangrove forest with a swampy area behind it at low tide. If you walk around slowly in your diving boots or a firm-soled beach shoe you will discover many small critters hiding in the swamp. Tiny ribbon eels, crabs, juvenile fish dart around when they notice you. Slow down your movements to be able to observe them and take lots of pictures. Again, get back to the boat before the surface interval is up otherwise you may exasperate your fellow divers or your dive guide with your tardiness.

Most Pulau Menjangan dive trips leave from Lovina or Pemuteran in the north of Bali. You can jump in the dive operators' vans at the dive shops or they can probably pick you up from your accommodation based on prior arrangement. If you are already staying at one of the two resort hotels at the West Bali National Park, then it is quite easy for the vans to pick you up. You can also join the diving group at the small Labuan Lalang jetty where the dive boats leave for the island trips.

This jetty has a small roadside restaurant with toilet and shower facilities. You can buy some snacks and drinks there while the crew transports the diving and snorkeling gear to the boats. If you brought some snacks or fruit with you, you can eat it at the restaurant tables without any issues.

There are no shops on Pulau Menjangan. You will get water, soft drinks and a light lunch from your diving operator as part of your package but this restaurant is the last chance to purchase something yourself. Note that there are rudimentary toilet facilities on the island.

The boat ride takes 30 minutes from the jetty to the island. Some of the dive sites are shore dives starting in the turquoise waters right where the snorkelers are getting ready. Some other ones are boat dives. The diving boat may drop off the snorkelers at a mooring then head out for a 5 minute trip around the island to the first diving location. The cost of your dive or snorkel trip should include the national park fees collected for each person.

From Lovina to the Labuan Lalang jetty the westbound car or bus trip takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Don't be frustrated if the driver tells the passengers that it will take about 45 minutes. They reckon that is probably the longest time that travelers are prepared to look at small towns, roadside shops, tropical farms, forests and mountain ranges rushing by. In fact, the trip is quite enjoyable as it gives you an insight into how the Balinese live, work and travel in the north.

Pemuteran is only half an hour's drive away from the jetty to the east but has much fewer accommodation and entertainment options than Lovina. If your dive van or bus came from Lovina, there is a high chance that it picks up additional divers or snorkelers in Pemuteran. Watch out for the monkeys near the waterfront there. They will be long gone by the time you get your camera ready and you will forget to take a snapshot on the way back as well.

If you are coming up from the south of Bali and you would like to dive at Pulau Menjangan on the same day then the vehicle has to leave quite early. Taking Nusa Dua as the southernmost example, it is 102 km (64 mi) to get to Lovina on narrow mountain roads full of scooters and trucks through busy, interlinked villages. It takes at least 3 hours to make this trip, the earlier you start, the faster it goes. You are looking at a 4 or 4 30 am start to make it to Lovina by 8 am and sort out your gear in a dive shop there. Of course it is exciting to watch the mountains, the rice paddies, the small villages and wildlife in the jungle. Try to enjoy instead of endure this drive and the one between Lovina and the jetty.

Due to this long road trip it is recommended that you stay in Pemuteran or Lovina overnight for a second day at Pulau Menjangan and only return to the south of Bali in the evening of the second day.

Note that you may need to take a slightly longer route down south after a diving day because you would be traveling through high mountain ranges with residual nitrogen still in your blood - see our safety tip below.

• Pos 1 - This is boat dive is located on the western side of the island. Similarly to the other Pulau Menjangan dive sites, there are shallow reefs at 5 m (16 ft) which are excellent for the initial descent or a safety stop spent in Technicolor wonderland at the end of your dive. Snorkelers will swim over these shallows. The best diving is around depths of 20-30 m (65-100 ft) around the island, with 17-20 m (55-65 ft) often providing the best balance between seeing as much as possible and still preserving your oxygen to extend your dive to the hour mark.
  There is plenty to marvel about on the reef wall, glancing up toward the rays of sun and observing schools of fish or peeking down into depths to catch sight of large pelagics. An abundance of fish life will make it difficult to focus on one single nudibranch or shrimp - there are batfish, cardinalfish, damselfish, angelfish, basslets, triggerfish, surgeonfish, unicornfish, Moorish idols, trumpetfish, yellowtail fusiliers, surgeonfish, groupers, hawkfish and scorpionfish everywhere. You can see and hear the parrotfish munching on coral. The pufferfish are quite large here. Though you are not supposed to touch anything you will wish you could push away a curious fish gently so you can take pictures of the dozens of other ones behind it. Starfish and tunicates, sea slugs and large clams will materialize in front of you if you can direct your attention away from the cornucopia of fishes. Watch out for large elephant ear sponges and look into the distance sometimes - you may see dolphins or even manta rays cruising by. The geography is absolutely mindboggling - rugged, craggy walls, crevices, slopes and flat areas. When you get to the sandy bottom and you start to photograph the bluespotted stingrays swimming around take care not to kneel on anything in your short wetsuit. There may be a stingray or flatfish right next to you.
  Note that the Pos 1 and Pos 2 dive site got their names due to their proximity to the ranger posts 1 and 2 located at two ends of Menjangan island.
• Cave Point - This dive site is located west of the famous Pos 2 site in the south of Pulau Menjangan. There are caves at around 18 m (59 ft). They are not very memorable as underwater caves but the whole area is just full of the same Menjangan magic described at the Pos 1 or 2 sites. All sort of reef formations - grottoes, crevices and such - covered by hard and soft coral and surrounded by fish of every shape and size. You may come across a frogfish if you can tell it apart from a plant leaf or you might see a banded snake eel.

• Bat Cave - Drop Off - Temple Point - These boat dives are on the eastern side of the island. Similarly to the wall part of the Pos 2 dive, you should find a comfortable depth on the wall and just watch the show put on by the marine creatures like juvenile batfish oscillating the orange edges of their fins, scorpion and angelfishes and huge schools of dwarf hawkfish. The Temple Point starts at the massive Ganesha statue on the cliff. The Bat Cave dive site is situated close to the entrance of shallow caves that serve as home to hundreds of bats. The mild current should allow you to do both of these sites on one dive. Statistically you are better of watching all the fish activity on the reef wall but you might also see some whale sharks in the big blue.
• Coral Gardens - This is a wall dive on the northern side of the island. Full of reef fish, soft corals, whip corals, elephant ear sponges and big coral fans. The occasional large pelagic swims by. Sizable batfish will come close to you - impossibly thin from the front, large triangles from the side. If there is a current you can drift at a stately pace alongside the dropoff. The shallow end of the dive has more fish species than a well-stocked tropical aquarium. There are a lot of cleaning stations here: coral formations where small fish wait for large fish to be cleaned of yummy parasites. The large fish are kind enough not to eat the cleaners.

  The Coral Gardens also doubles as a great snorkeling site. You can drift with the mild current with the boat floating alongside you or waiting for you a short distance away at the end point of your session. You don't need to be a diver to see lots and lots of fishes, in fact you may even see turtles here.

• Sandy Slope - At the sandy bottom, the depth is only around 4 m (13 ft). If you are doing a Discover Scuba Diving session without any previous diving certification you will probably start in this spot. The Open Water Courses held on Pulau Menjangan also visit this site. Don't worry there are a lot of fishes who love the shallows. Also the slope winds its way down to 30 m (98 ft) so divers of all experiences can find a safe depth to explore the amazing corals and fishes living here.

• Turtle Wall - This is a boat dive located on the northern side of Pulau Menjangan between the Sandy Slope and the Anker Wreck dive sites. In fact the Anker Wreck dive may continue this way, leading you along a fantastic reef wall where hawksbill turtles may feed on sponges. As with all the Menjangan island dive sites you won't be disappointed by the variety and the number of fishes who live here.
• Anker Wreck (Anchor Wreck) - This is a boat dive on the northwest side of the island. The 'anker' is the coral-encrusted anchor of an old wreck from the middle of the 19th century. There is so much coral variety on the anchor and so many fish zooming around it that you may completely miss it unless it is pointed out by your guide. You will see it at around 7 m (22 ft) close to the initial descent on this dive.
  The old boat's hull, however, is completely disintegrated and unrecognizable. The majority of it lies in depths of 45-50 m (148-164 ft), beyond the limits of recreational diving. It's not worth risking your safety for scattered timbers. Reaching the hull is not part of the dive.
  Instead you will see mountains, avenues, crevices of corals filled with every imaginable type of reef fish. There are vast numbers of acropora - table corals, elkhorn and staghorn corals. Green and red sea fans and whip corals. Part of the dive is over a sandy bottom, then along a reef wall then finishing in a wonderful coral garden. Different species of clownfish will dart around anemones. Bannerfish, batfish, hawkfish, rabbitfish, unicornfish, basslet, soldierfish armies will make this dive unforgettable. The dive ends on a shallow reef full of hard corals that are either swarmed by schools of juvenile fish or provide shelter for a couple of large fishes, lobsters, mollusks, nudibranchs or shrimps.
• Eel Gardens (Garden Eel) - This boat dive starts from the northwestern point of Pulau Menjangan. It goes along a vigorously healthy wall that offers shelter to all or almost all the fish, coral and invertebrate species we mention in our "Exploring the Underwater World" section. As you drift along the wall you get into the channel between Pulau Menjangan and Bali.
  The dive ends in a sandy, shallow area with thousands of garden eels. The thin, black eels sway at the bottom, hanging out of their individual hidey holes. When you float closer to them they start to retreat into their lairs. You will see cascading groups of eels: the closest ones almost completely in their holes, the scared ones slipping inside, the furthest ones still outside. Prepare your camera in advance or swim back around the slope to take a picture of the ones who stick their heads outside. Large pelagics are known to frequent this area: barracuda, turtles, Napoleon wrasse and whitetip reef sharks.

Pulau Menjangan is an all-year-round diving location with high visibility and warm water (usually 29 °C or 84 °F). The best time to visit is April to October in the dry season so you can also experience the other Balinese diving locations at their best. Horizontal visibility can be an astonishing 50 m (165 ft) or more in October and even in November before the rain starts pouring down.

These dive sites are pretty safe thanks to the high visibility and the warm, calm waters. The island is generally protected from winds and currents. If there is any mild current present then it just helps you to drift effortlessly and with minimal oxygen consumption along sumptuous reef walls.

The dive guides will know if there are any issues with the currents just by glancing at the top of the waves from the dive boat or jumping into the water for a dip. As there are at least seven superb dive sites around the island they should find two good spots for the day without too much hassle.

If a mild current is present you will get to experience a nice drift dive leading back to the diving boat. Should the current change during your dive, you will notice that progress slows down and the dive guide might rearrange the underwater route to place the current behind you.

The boats are tied together at the Labuan Lalang jetty and at the Pulau Menjangan moorings. Mind your hands when you are resting on the boat so your fingers won't be crushed if two boats bump into each other. Also take care when you are entering or exiting the boat - focus on your balance and have your personal gear in a backpack or shoulder bag instead of holding it in your hand.