bali activities - adventure - diving

WHILE Bali offers great diversity of dive sites, Gilimanuk Bay (or Secret Bay as it is known locally) is unique within Bali. Secret Bay, located on the northwest tip of Bali, is the more poetic name given by Bali's diving community, adjacent to the docking area of Gilimanuk Harbor. If you are looking for big fishes, you will not find them here.

This place is strictly for unusual and rare underwater creatures, which are small and well camouflage between the sea grass, the sand and some debris. It is the very definition of muck-diving. No rich coral reefs, no depth to speak of, it is in basically a site for macro-photographers and for the occasional recreational diver looking for something different from the norm.

The bay is about 2 km wide, very shallow, contains two small islands, and has some areas of mangrove. Being the only bay off the narrow Bali Strait, means that Gilimanuk acts as a catch tank for many larval fish. A reef lying just outside the mouth of the bay creates a channel through which these waters are swept; this is what makes Gilimanuk an extremely interesting dive site.

The best time to dive is on the incoming tide or around high tide, it doesn't matter if it's early or late in the day, as the Bay will have filled with clear water from the Bali Strait. At this time, visibility can be more 30 m although there's a fair amount of rubbish floating around.

Gilimanuk Bay contains many rare macro-photography subjects that include nudibranches, gobies, crustaceans, dragonets, abundant seahorse or pipefish, large areas of long-spined sea urchins with clingfish, and many other organisms. However, as the bay is shallow there are very few large fish, therefore juveniles have very little to fear, to hide from. Night-diving at Secret Bay is a unique experience.

Illustrations of Gilimanuk Bay Dive Site

Type of Dive

Shore-diving, Boat-diving

Visibility

4 - 10 meters

Current

Zero to medium currents

Temperatures

25° C

Depths

3 - 10 meters

Level

Open water, but mainly for macro-photographers

Highlights

Rare marine species, many juveniles, especially for macro-photographers.

Conditions

A shallow dive site with no rich coral growths but a few weed and coral beds. The visibility can be low, there may be a current and the water can be cold. Dark sand bottom; fat and healthy fish!

Recreation & Sport

Adventure

Bali Accommodation

Villa Tanju Bali

Villa Sungai Tinggi

Villa Avalon

Villa Lilibel