Diving in Bali, the good and the bad

Glen: 31st August

Diving off Nusa Penida at Manta Bay and Crystal Bay

We are being very careful with our money and therefore selective with when and where we dive. Hence no dives until now. So today was the day and Nusa Penida a large Island to the East of Lembongan was the place.

The good news to follow…..The bad news is that I couldn’t persuade my buddy to dive with me (sad face) The reason for Mandy not diving was that the dive sites have the potential to be unpredictable as far as the current is concerned, particularly down current. So despite excessive cajoling by me, the day before, I couldn’t persuade Mandy to dive.

I wanted Mandy to come because, as the site name suggests, there was a very good chance of seeing Manta Rays feeding and Mandy has never seen them before. But I had to admit defeat and understand her concern. I also had to remember what we were taught during our open water training, if you’re not comfortable about a dive don’t do it.

So off I went on my own, feeling a little guilty and sad that I was going without Mandy. However she was more than happy for me to go without her. Mmmmm, as I walked the short distance along the beach to the dive center a thought came to me, Mandy thinks the dive sites are too dangerous for her but she’s more than happy for me to go! I pondered this for a while……

The first site was to be Manta Bay and there was a ninety percent chance of seeing these wonderful creatures, when we arrived there were at least seven feeding at the surface. So in we jumped.

Apologies for the photo quality, there was a lot of plankton (the very reason the Mantas were there) and I should have turned the flash off! But I didn’t so there’s a lot of back scatter.

We then moved a short 10 minute boat ride around the coast to Crystal Bay and had some lunch, yes the ubiquitous Nasi Goreng (fried rice with chili and chicken with a fried egg on top). Crystal Bay is so called because the water can by crystal clear and shimmer like crystals when there are thermal climes. The setting is lovely here, a beach with palm trees as the backdrop and a large stone outcrop in the bay.

This is also an infamous site as far as sudden and violent changeable current conditions are concerned. These facts were well researched by Mandy over the previous days and the main reason for her absence. Yes OK, about a year ago a couple of experienced divers lost their lives here as a sudden down current swept them away. Also within the last year several, again experienced divers, just about survived the down current and managed to get back onboard the boat but some had blood pouring from their hands from where they had clung for their lives to the Coral reef. (Tut, tut, what do they teach you at dive ‘school’? don’t touch anything under the water!)

Our Dive Master gave the briefing before our dive and did mention the strong currents here and that we were not to go ahead of our guide during this dive. So in we all jumped.

The water was clear and cold, 23 degrees but felt colder for some reason (possibly because of quality of their well worn and thin wet suit) We swam to a small island of coral on the sandy bottom and saw an orange Frog Fish. (Only the second I’ve seen in over 240 dives)

We then swam towards the deeper water and the ‘blue’ oh I forgot to mention, one of the main reasons of this dive was to try and spot Mola Mola (Sun Fish). The Mola Mola likes temperatures of 24 degrees and below and come to the surface to warm up after swimming at depths of 200 meters! They weigh on average 1000 kg and are 1.8 meters in length. Well we were getting closer to the drop off and the ‘blue’ when our guide became a little cautious as the current picked up and unfortunately we had to retreat (or as Monty Python and the Holy Grail would say “run away, run away”!)

Still all was not lost, we saw three new (for me) species of Nudibranch and for the first time (for me) two Cuttle Fish and a Leaf Scorpion Fish.

I returned to Mandy safe and sound, much to her surprise! ; )

Mandy:

I was soooo happy to see Glen return safely and wave to me from the boat five hours later as they came along the shore past our ‘bungalow’. (Smile) and so pleased that he had two great dives.