Bali - Diving with the Mola-Mola

Fusing the three islands Nusa Lembongan, Penida and Ceningan into one fascination is the splendor that lies beyond the crystal clear blue waters that surround them.

These waters are best known among some of the world class diving destinations. The rich waters around the three islands support no less than 247 species of coral, 562 species of fish and Green and Olive Ridley Turtles. With its adjacent deep water trenches, the main stars here are the spectacular and very rare gigantic Oceanic Sunfish or Mola- mola.
Mola-mola is the heaviest known bony fish in the world and can grow to over 2 meters long. They have large, blunt heads, heavy bodies and stubbed tails, with elongated dorsal and ventral fins that can span up to 4 meters. If elsewhere divers are lucky to meet one Mola, here they can dive with three or more of these strange fish, since these are the Mola’s “cleaning stations”. Here the warm currents of the Indian Ocean meet the cold currents from the South Pole and Australia, creating the favored streams and temperatures for the Mola, who frequent these seas to have their bodies picked clean by the multitude of cleaning fish that abound in these waters.

Sharing these seas with the Molas are white-tipped reef sharks, nurse sharks, hammerhead sharks, and large Manta Rays that can also be found here. There are more than 20 identified dive sites around the islands, the most notable being; Blue Corner, Ped, Crystal Bay, Manta Point, Toyapakeh, Suana Bay, Ceningan Point and Malibu Point. There are some challenging drift dives here, and dive operators will visit certain sites only when sea conditions are safe. There are also plenty of options for easier flat reef and wall dives as well. Non-divers should not feel left out, as good snorkeling is available close inshore at various spots around the islands.

Since currents are strong here, divers should stick to groups. Many good divers have been carried by the currents almost to the open ocean that leads to the South Pole before being rescued. From the extraordinary encounters with the giants of the deep sea, exhilarating rides on the ocean tides; to gazing the spectacular sunset on the indulging white sands, the islands of Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan, and Nusa Penida are truly a pristine paradise just a boat ride away from the fabled island of Bali.

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