Photo Gallery: Menjangan, Bali
Christian Loader/ScubazooOn the southern edge of Menjangan, Pos Dua is one of the most popular dive sites, closest to the Bali mainland, and features some of the most dramatic walls. Large gorgonian sea fans offer the possibility to find tiny pygmy seahorses. After a couple of wide-angle dives elsewhere in Menjangan, this is a great site to shoot macro, although the wall and sea fans here are great for wide-angle too. There are also muck-diving sites for macro photography around Mimpi and Pemuteran, which are nice options for afternoon dives returning back from Menjangan.
Christian Loader/ScubazooAnchor Wreck (or “Kapal Budak” in Balinese) is a heavily broken-up wreck, which lies at 131 feet (40 m) at the bottom of a sloping reef on the northern side of the island, just a bit beyond the limits of most recreational dives at Menjangan. However, the 150-year-old wooden cargo ship gets its name from the large anchor sticking out of the hard coral reef at 20 feet (6 m), which can be quite photogenic when surrounded by small reef fish and pristine coral on the sunlit reef-top. The steep slope and wall at this site are the prime spots to spot hawksbill and green turtles, along with occasional sightings of reef sharks, eagle rays and bumphead parrotfish. Here, a friendly green sea turtle passes overhead.
Christian Loader/ScubazooA large statue of Ganesh at a Hindu temple on the rocky cliffs near dive site Temple Point is probably the most iconic landmark of Menjangan. The statue and temple make for a great split-level photo opportunity, as the seabed is very shallow next to the small, rocky cliffs. It's best to shoot this mid-afternoon for better sunlight on the statue and cliffs. A mild drift-dive south, finishing in Bat Cave takes in large, colorful gorgonian sea fans.
Christian Loader/ScubazooThe shallows at Anchor Wreck are a great place for snorkelers and a pleasant safety stop for divers.
Christian Loader/ScubazooMenjangan's walls are draped in soft corals, sea fans and colorful whip corals such as this.
Christian Loader/ScubazooMenjangan is a great place for wide-angle underwater photography, with abundant coral-reef scenes along its walls and reef slopes.
Christian Loader/ScubazooThe anchor of an old wooden cargo boat at Anchor Wreck lies on the reef top at 16 feet, and is surrounded by pristine coral and many small reef fish.
Christian Loader/ScubazooEel Garden, at the island’s western-most point, can have a stronger current than the rest of Menjangan’s sites. This drift dive begins on the steep northern wall, drifting along the west coast, and finishes in the channel between Menjangan and Bali. Due to the current, this site has the best diversity of fish and coral on the island, with wahoo, giant trevally and schooling mackerel to name just a few. And, as the name suggests, groups of spotted garden eels are found in sandy patches in the shallows. Wide-angle photography is best here.
Christian Loader/ScubazooCoral bommies at Eel Garden are covered with colorful, photogenic sea fans.
Christian Loader/ScubazooTurtles are commonly seen around Menjangan, especially at Anchor Wreck and Coral Garden.
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Beautiful and ever-popular Bali is often the gateway for divers heading east on liveaboards to Komodo National Park. Bali has some impressive dive locations of its own, such as Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida in the southeast, as well as the USAT Liberty wreck at Tulamben. There’s also some great macro life along the northeast coast and muck diving in Gilimanuk at the western tip.
Just 30 minutes by boat from the small village of Pemuteran on the northwest coast is Menjangan Island, also known as “Deer Island” for the large number of wild deer that live here. This small island of approximately 15 square miles is famous for having Bali's most beautiful wall dives, warm water, and white-sand beaches (compared to the black-sand beaches along the north coast of mainland Bali). Although the best diving in Menjangan Island is said to be from April to November, the island can be dived all year round. The visibility can be spectacular too, over 130 feet (40 m) at certain times of the year (July to September). The island offers Bali's most protected diving with water temperatures of 82 to 87 F (28 to 31 C) and very little current. However, because it's protected from the cold currents, divers rarely see larger fish, such as manta rays or mola mola, which can be seen in other locations around Bali. Hawksbill and green turtles are often seen around Menjangan's reefs, while small reef sharks and eagle rays often pass by in the blue. Menjangan's walls, between 32 to 197 feet (10 to 60 m), as well as its overhangs and crevasses, are covered with soft corals and sponges, and offer the greatest diversity of gorgonian sea fans in Bali. Fields of hard and soft corals in the shallows around parts of the island make for pleasant safety-stops, as well as decent snorkeling sites for non-divers.
