Destination

By Andrea & Antonella Ferrari

Dive Safari in the Island of the Gods

Weve just returned from two weeks
of incredible diving in Bali, where AquaMarine Diving - Bali planned an entertaining and varied dive safari for us. We travelled in a comfortable, airconditioned minibus that had space for all our scuba gear, cameras, dive books and plenty of cold drinks, and we were accompanied by a jolly driver and a seasoned dive guide. Heres our trip diary:

A stone guardian deity standing at the gate of one of the countless Hindu temples dotting the countryside around Ubud

the spectacular Liberty Wreck in tulamben a dive not to be missed

From Nusa Penida to Secret Bay

From NUsA PeNidA to secret BAy
On the first day, we travelled from our hotel to the beach of Padangbai. There, we hopped on a boat with our guide Ketut to get our first sighting of Mola mola in the cool waters off Crystal Bay at Nusa Penida. At the right time of year, Mola mola also known as oceanic sunfish can be found at a few spots off the island of Nusa Penida, where they visit cleaning stations maintained by resident bannerfish. Down deep, we encountered strong currents and chilly 17C water, but it didnt deter us. We had a priceless rendezvous with three gentle oceanic giants. Mola mola arent easy photo subjects, and the diving conditions werent ideal, but these unique fish were truly a sight to behold. After Nusa Penida, we headed north along the picture-perfect coast to Secret Bay, one of the best muck diving destinations in Bali. Our three dives there with a break for a delicious mee goreng lunch on the beach brought us fingered dragonets, thorny seahorses, hairy frogfish and even bobbit worms (in three inches of water)! Still, we couldnt help but feel that Secret Bay has been over-dived recently, perhaps causing some of the more interesting denizens to move elsewhere (temporarily, we hope). Little did we imagine what wonders awaited us at our next stop the mysterious black-sand slopes of Puri Jati.

A tiny bobtail squid (Euprymna sp.) in secret Bay

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a.

Dark Wonders
dArk WoNders
Happily settled in the elegant and refined settings of Balis Zen Resort, one of the most serene and beautiful resorts weve ever seen, we quickly geared up on the long, deserted black-sand beach to enter the quiet waters of Puri Jati. The flat or at most gently sloping black-sand bottom, decidedly mucky in stretches and dotted with small thumbnail-sized white coral colonies, was alive with hundreds of brightly coloured and surprisingly obliging sand divers, while scores of minuscule veined octopus peered from empty shells or from under the sand itself. b.

c. We took our time and were rewarded with the sight of a rare slender seamoth, several moray eels, crocodile eels, two Ambon scorpionfish, at least one longarmed octopus, a few blackfin lionfish, a pair of courting mimic octopus (that mated in front of us!), several frogfish, robust ghost pipefish, cockatoo waspfish and even a gorgeous blue-ring octopus inside a discarded wallet.

a. Unique encounter in Puri Jati: the first-ever documented mating of mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus)! b. A rare encounter in Puri Jati: the slender seamoth (Pegasus volitans) c. Quiet, refined elegance in the beautiful rooms of Zen resort in northern Bali d. A tiny blue-ring octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) found inside a wallet (!) while diving at Puri Jati

d.

Diving with Molas

Three distinct species of the oceanic sunfish are presently recognised within the family Molidae, all belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes, the same as triggerfish, boxfish, pufferfish and porcupinefish. Mola mola, the oceanic sunfish proper, can reach a weight of more than two tonnes and a height of about three metres, despite feeding exclusively on gelatinous zooplankton. Females produce up to 300 million eggs in a single ovary the largest-ever recorded number of eggs in a single vertebrate. These gentle blue-grey, discshaped giants are occasionally encountered in temperate or cold waters worldwide, often close to the

surface, but they are reliably sighted off the island of Nusa Penida in Bali from August to October, when they visit the steep walls of Crystal Bay in numbers. They can be approached while being cleaned by bannerfish and the occasional adult emperor angelfish. Divers who want to get really close have to move slowly and cautiously, as sunfish are easily spooked. Despite what most brochures say, Crystal Bay is not for beginners. Besides diving in cold conditions, the currents are strong and frequent. Weve experienced several washing machines and downcurrents that may have put less experienced divers and their dive guides in trouble.

the icon of Bali diving a huge oceanic sunfish (Mola mola) in the ice-cold waters of crystal Bay at Nusa Penida

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Our night dive was fruitful too several species of white-faced waspfish, flying gurnards, cockatoo sole, and numerous weird-looking shrimp species, some of which weve never seen or photographed before. In short, Puri Jati is a must if youre diving in Bali, both for its bonanza of uncommon underwater subjects and the loveliness of Zen Resort, a place perfect for recharging batteries both your strobes and your spiritual ones!

a.
a. the rarest of them all, found in seraya secrets, the lovely tiger shrimp (Phyllognathia ceratophtalmus) b. Another view of the beautiful and easily accessible Liberty Wreck in tulamben c. the dark pebbly beach of seraya is dotted with colourful fishing boats.

JeNNy W. y. Lee Resort Manager

Spectacular Seraya Secrets

sPectAcULAr serAyA secrets
It was difficult to leave Puri Jati, but our next stop was by no means less interesting. Staying for a couple of days at Mimpi Dive Resort, we had the opportunity to dive the famed Liberty Wreck in Tulamben and the nearby blacksand slopes of Seraya Secrets. Both are simply amazing! The wreck, dating back to World War II, is huge and easily accessible. Its spectacularly festooned in pink gorgonians and colourful soft corals, boasting an enormous amount of resident fish life and therefore offering exceptional photo opportunities

b. c.

With its verdant terraced rice paddies, rolling hills and towering volcanoes, Bali is an incredibly scenic island. The countryside is dotted with beautifully ornamented temples, and visitors are welcome to witness ceremonies if they follow some simple rules and good manners. Balinese are warm, friendly and spiritually rich; their ancient Hindu culture nestles harmoniously in predominantly Muslim Indonesia. Similarly, Balis underwater landscape offers great diversity from clear

oceanic walls and exceptionally colourful coral gardens to mysterious, shallow muck dives. Enter the concept of a Dive Safari. The idea is simple but brilliant the local dive operator works out an itinerary that best suits your needs and time schedule, then books hotels and boats in advance, provides you with an experienced dive guide, a driver and an air-conditioned minibus. This way, you experience the absolute best Bali has to offer without having to worry about coordinating everything yourself checking rates and services of numerous dive shops, boat availability, hotels, timetables and so on. Its a simple idea, and it works!

the terraced paddy fields of Bali are known worldwide as an iconic symbol of the beautiful indonesian island.

All employees and shareholders of

have chosen we abstain from consuming sharkfin.

Dive saFaRis
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saY no to shaRK Fin

for wide-angle enthusiasts. Just remember to dive there as early as possible (likeseven in the morning) to avoid the crowds of day-trippers from Kuta and to get more than one dive in. Entry is through the surf from the pebbly beach, but dont worry, all

your gear will be carried for you in fact youll be amazed at how strong some of the local lady porters are, carrying tanks and piling BCDs on their head, yet walking ever so gracefully on the pebbled beach! Sharing the same entrance style from a rough pebbly beach Seraya Secrets has black sand, fine silt and a few anaemic coral heads, but oh boy what a site! In the first ten minutes, we were treated to four harlequin shrimp busy feeding on sea stars, an endemic butterflyfish wed never before seen, several cute shrimp gobies, lots of boxer crabs hiding among pebbles, a couple of rare wrasses, lots of lionfish, the endemic-to-Bali and spectacular volcano triplefin (a male with attending female harem), and other goodies such as nudibranchs, seahorses and juvenile fish. The icing on the cake was a pair of glorious tiger shrimp posing on a white sponge. We moved on to Candidasa to stay at the Water Garden Resort for the last part of our trip. At Blue Lagoon, we found imprints of wobbegong sharks in the sand under the coral ledges, but much to our disappointment, we didnt see the actual sharks. Then it was back to Nusa Penida for more encounters with Mola mola. We spent our final day sightseeing around Ubud, a scenic and culturally rich town nestled in the hills. We stayed at Champlung Sari Hotel, set in the lush countryside near some beautifully ornate Hindu temples. It was a wonderful trip to a truly amazing island, which as the clich goes, has something for everyone: friendly people, great food, rich culture, works of art, and breathtaking scenery.
a. red-phase dwarf lionfish (Dendrochirus brachypterus) on a yellow sponge at seraya secrets b. A common resident of seraya secrets which is quite rare elsewhere the colourful harlequin shrimp (Hymenocera elegans) c. Another common resident of seraya secrets a small female boxer crab (Lybia tessellata) carrying eggs d. A black-ray shrimp goby (Stonogobiops nematodes) peering out of its burrow at seraya secrets

INDONESIA

a.

GILIMANUK

LOVINA TULAMBEN

UBUD DENPASAR KUTA

CANDIDASA PADANGBAI NUSA PENIDA

Fact File
Many major airlines fly to Bali from international gateways. Awair, Garuda Indonesia, Mark Air and Merpati all run domestic services. Tropical climate, with diving possible all year round. The preferred season falls between May and November. Although the water temperature is generally warm it can become chilly. A 3mm to 5mm exposure suit should suffice.
AVG temP
30c 25c 20c 15c
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

June - October Bali - Komodo November - April Thailand & Burma Similans - Richelieu Rock Mergui Archipelago

AVG rAiNFALL (cm)

40 30 20 10 0
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

b.

d.

For most countries, visas are issued on arrival at Denpasar airport. The fee is currently US$25. There is also a departure tax, payable only in the local currency, currently Rp100,000 for international departures and Rp20,000 for domestic. Domestic GSM network and international roaming. Internet access widely available.

PLUGs
230V, 50Hz. c. Indonesian Rupiah. US$ also accepted in some situations. Although the majority of the Balinese people do not expect to receive a tip, it is considered courteous to round up bills for appreciated services to the nearest Rp5,000. Generally considered malaria-free. Mosquito repellent to keep biting insects away might be a good idea.

October - April Similans - Richelieu Rock Phi Phi Islands - Hin Daeng

sPeciAL tHANks to the following parties for their

assistance in preparing this feature: Singapore Airlines, AquaMarine Diving - Bali, Poppies Cottages, Zen Resort, Mimpi Resort, The Water Garden, and Champlung Sari Hotel. And to our guide Ketut and to our good friend Alan J.Powderham for diving with us!

From tHe AUtHors

www.reefwonders.net Weve fallen in love with Balis beauty, the richness of its culture, and the sweetness and kindness of its people. Andrea & Antonella The diving is wonderful rare species Ferrari and something for everybody. Its a destination not to be missed!

GMT + 8 hrs

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