Diving Amed – Bali’s underwater treasure chest

If you are looking for an easy dive with rich marine life in Bali, then Amed should be on your bucket list!

Located in the northeast of Bali, Amed is very protected against the Indian Ocean swells and the usual south-east trade winds, making the area known for its gentle currents and glassy waters. All these factors create the perfect habitat and this is one of the reasons why macro critters are a main highlight in the area.

There are plenty of hydroids for nudibranchs to feed on, crevices for shrimps, crabs and octopuses to hide, and a bunch of sea fans and soft corals that are home to a variety of species.

All underwater photos by Tobias Friedrich – BELOW SURFACE

 

With Mount Agung in the background as you descend into the underwater world, it sure feels very surreal.

Despite its macro life abundance, Amed also has diverse options for divers to explore i.e. wrecks, artificial reefs and also drop-offs, with beautiful corals such as sea fans and bigger animals to be found.

The main area in Amed is Jemeluk Bay. It is the main hub for divers to go to different dive sites. In particular, night diving in Jemeluk Bay itself is very popular. The bay is well protected from any currents, so the area is safe to dive in the dark and full of night life.

Diving in Amed is often from shore, but you might need a boat ride to access some sites during low tide.

 

What marine life can you see?

Depending on the sites, there is a big range of species you can find.

Macro: nudibranchs, frogfish, candy crabs, pygmy seahorses, harlequin shrimp, peacock mantis shrimp, hairy squat lobsters, clownfish, bobtail squid, gobies, boxer crabs, octopus, whip coral shrimp, ghost pipefish and porcelain crabs.

Non-macro: large seafans, big sponges, moray eels, ribbon eels, schooling big mouth mackerels and batfish, pufferfish, triggerfish, hawksbill and green sea turtles, leafy scorpionfish and stingrays.

 

Conditions and water temperature

The visibility in Amed generally ranges anywhere from 15m to 25m (50ft to 80ft). During rainy seasons clarity could go as low as 5m visibility. Water temperature however is pretty consistent, between 28-29°C / 82.83°F all year round. So people who are not really fond of wetsuits can get away with rash guards and shorts!

 

Diving season & the best time to go

Bali has two different seasons annually: dry and wet. The dry season is from March to Novemeber and the rainy season is from December to February.

The best time to go to Amed for your dive trips would be during the shoulder seasons (March-May and Sept-Nov). Here’s why:

1. There is not much wind and swell, so your boat ride and water entry from shore will be more comfortable.
2. Visibility is most probably at its best with less clouds during these times.
3. There are less tourists at this time of year, which means you are more likely to get good dive package deals. 

 

How to get to Amed?

As Bali has no proper public transportation system yet, you can only rely on cars and bikes to go around the island.

The best way to get to Amed is to rent a car from the airport and drive up for about 1.5 hours. Prices for car rentals vary from Rp250,000 – Rp 800,000 per day depending on how lucky you are with the deals, so do not hesitate to bargain.

However, if you want to save some cash and go for the bike option, then you will be spending around Rp100,000 per day. 

If you are not confident to drive or do not have a driving licence, you could try Indonesia’s alternatives to Uber, the apps Gojek or Grab. Note that the transport could only take you to Amed, as it is not available in the area. For convenience, take the driver’s number if you wish to ride with them again. Prices in this application range from Rp 600,000 to Rp 1,000,000 one way depending on the time of day.

The route to Amed is scenic as you will be driving along the coast, up and down mountains and endless rice fields before you get to the village.

Insider tip: use Waze app instead of Google maps for more accurate directions!

 

Best dive sites

Amed Wall

Situated just to the left of Jemeluk Bay, this dive site is accessible both by Jukung (local boat) or from shore. Started with gentle slope, you will find yourself with an array of hard and soft corals, heaps of butterflyfish and damselfish, with the occasional hawksbill turtles gliding by, hunting for food. As you descent deeper towards the wall, you will see big sea fans and barrel sponges along the walls. This is where you will find some rare critters hiding in their homes. 

Depth: 5-30m / 15-100ft

Divers level: Suitable for Open Water divers

Marine life: peacock mantis shrimp, lionfish, octopus, nudibranch, pygmy seahorse, moray eels, harlequin crab, porcelain crab, candy crab, gobies, whip coral shrimp, scorpionfish, butterflyfish, blue spotted stingray, octopus, turtles.

Insider tip: There are many hydroids that can sting you if you are not careful with your buoyancy. Keep an eye out for the gorgonian sea fan at 20m and search for pygmy seahorses!

 

Pyramids

As the name suggests, this dive site consists of a number of artificial reefs made of concrete cube blocks that are stacked to form pyramids on a sandy bottom. Artificial reefs are made to give divers more dive site options and it is definitely a big success. You will be blown away by the variety of marine life, both large and small, which call this structure home. This is a must see!

Depth: 20m /65ft

Divers level: Suitable for Open Water divers 

Marine life: pink and white leafy scorpionfish, juvenile boxfish, nudibranch, moray eel, ribbon eel, blue spotted stingray, school of yellow sweetlips, pygmy seahorse.

Insider tip: A lot of well-camouflaged stingrays are everywhere, so keep your eyes out before getting too close to the sandy bottom. Also look out into the blue for turtles swimming by.

 

Jemeluk Drop Off

A beautiful steep wall located around 300m off on the eastern side of Jemeluk bay that is both accessible by boat or from shore. The sandy bottom in the shallows at the beginning of the shore dive allows you to have a chance to see the elusive octopus camouflaging with the sand as well as other macro critters. The topography then gradually drops down to a steep wall full of table corals, cabbage corals, big barrel sponges and clusters of gorgonian sea fans. You can see schooling fish out in the blue as well as some rare eagle rays.

Depth: 5m-35m / 15-115ft

Divers level: Suitable for Open Water divers

Marine life: Grouper, butterflyfish, triggerfish, octopus, squids, pufferfish, boxfish, clownfish, school of mackerels, eagle ray, moray eels, hairy squat lobster, scorpionfish, lionfish.

Insider tips: Keep your eyes open for the squid in the shallows, especially close to the buoy markers and anchor lines.

 

Bunutan

Unlike most of the dive sites, this particular spot will require a boat to get to. The ride takes around 10-15 min from Jemeluk Bay.

You will be dropped at about 10m/30ft above the sandy bottom only to be greeted by numerous garden eels poking their heads out catching food in the current. Starting out with patches of hard corals and coral bommies, you will most likely encounter juvenile hawksbill turtles swimming around. As you descend deeper, beautiful big sea fans, sponges and other colourful soft corals will come into view. Hunting blue trevallies, moray eels and sometimes humphead wrasse can be spotted in this site. 

Due to the topography and location of the site, Bunutan can have strong currents. The best time to dive would be during the incoming tide and you should avoid diving during full and new moon.

Depth: 5m-40m / 15-130ft

Divers level: Suitable for Advanced certificate divers

Marine life: garden eels, turtles, scopionfish, pufferfish, trevally, humphead wrasse, stingray, butterflyfish, moray eels, angelfish, schooling fish, octopus, nudibranchs.

Insider tips: Keep an eye out for baraccudas and black tip sharks in the open sea!

 

Japanese Wreck

Situated 6.5km from Jemeluk Bay, you would need to drive 15 min east to a bay called Banyuning. Probably the easiest dive in the area, this wreck is resting at a depth of 10m/30ft. A majestic small shipwreck that is broken into parts but still has an intact bow. It is covered with beautiful corals and sea fans accompanied by hundreds of damselfish and glass fish. Due to the lack of current, this is a perfect nursery site for juvenile marine life and is famous for pygmy seahorses and other macro critters. Some parts of the structures that are broken have formed shapes for swim-throughs. A site not to be missed. 

Depth: 10m/30ft

Divers level: Suitable for Open water divers

Marine life: nudibranch, pygmy seahorse, octopus, candy crab, peacock mantis shrimp, juvenile grouper, butterflyfish, leaf scorpionfish, lionfish.

Insider tips: Night diving here is pretty spectacular!

 

Photography tips

Firstly, as Amed is a macro heaven area, you willl want to have a macro lens and a strobe or video light if you want to take incredible photos. Due to the nature of taking close up shots of the animals, underwater macro photographers can dive even during the rainy seasons as water clarity will not affect their photos.

If you have a compact camera with a wide angle wet lens, it would be handy to have an adapter that is attached to one of your strobe arms as you can swap between shooting macro and wide angle when needed. Big sea fans, schooling fish and turtles are just some of the subjects that can be captured with a wide angle lens.

Lastly, going with a local dive guide from the area would also be a bonus. The know the dive sites inside out and have an excellent eye for spotting the tiniest and superbly camouflaged critters. This will save you time and air underwater and you will be able to focus on the subject you requested to photograph.

 

How much does it cost to dive in Amed?

As there are many dive centres along the street of Amed, prices are very competitive. We would suggest checking a handful of dive centres to get the best deal. In saying that, the average price for 1 dive is around Rp550,000- Rp750,000 and gets cheaper if you book multiple dives.

 

Tips on what to pack and how to prepare for the trip

• • Open heel fins with booties. You will be more comfortable during shore dives as you will be walking on pebbles and hot black sand
  • Local SIM card is a must to guarantee your internet connection
  • Mosquito spray/eucalyptus oil
  • First aid kit and medications (mini marts can run out of items such as paracetamol)
  • Raincoat & windproof jacket
  • Rent a motorbike in the area as parking spots for cars are limited
  • Try to eat at clean and sanitary places to avoid getting sick before your dive
  • Charcoal pills (brand: Norit) available in mini marts for diarrhea/food poisoning
  • Sustainable water bottle
  • Cash (not all cafes accept cards)
  • Dry bag
  • Sunscreen
  • Quick dry clothing
    

 

Snorkeling in Amed

Jemeluk Bay

Due to Amed’s rich ecosystem , snorkelers should not miss out this spot. This bay is packed with a variety of beautiful soft and hard corals, plenty of coral fish including lionfish, clownfish, butterflyfish, triggerfish, stingrays and guaranteed schools of big mouth mackerels. An iconic temple is also planted in the area. You will find lots of batfish hanging under it and it is marked with a buoy so you can’t miss it.

Japanese shipwreck

A lot of freedivers and photographers love this site. At just 10m/30ft, you will be able to see the wreck from above and enjoy its beauty.

 

What else can you do apart from diving?

1. Traditional salt making. There, you will learn about the steps and the use of different natural tools the locals have been taught for generations to extract the salt from sea water
   
2. Besakih Temple (biggest temple in Bali)
3. Lempuyang Temple (one of the most Instagram-able temples with the view of Mount Agung)
4. Les Waterfall
5. Savana Tainyar (the closest land you can get to Mount Agung)