We had arrived there when conditions were ideal and the sometimes fierce current was absent. This is what we did at Gili Lawa, a site not unlike GPS Point. If conditions permit you can don your equipment and just jump overboard. One thing that struck me during this trip was that the area is so large that it is possible to come across many sites with no other scuba divers there, and indeed to be on dive sites that are relatively unchartered. That second night of the cruise we covered more nautical miles on our journey eastward toward Komodo, breakfasting at Gili Banta, whose north eastern tip is the location of the famous site known as GPS Point, a submerged reef that provided such an excellent dive that we resolved to stop there again on our homeward journey. When the sky blackens with their thousands of flying bodies, it is reminiscent of old Dracula movies. Each evening they leave their small island in droves in search of sustenance. Satonda has a lake in the centre which is home to a large colony of fruit bats. Imagine the joy of the lobster returning to its family that evening and excitedly telling them about the rare species of ginger Irishman he saw that day moving gracelessly through the water. Give me a whale shark or manta ray over an unusual creepy crawly any day! However everyone gets a buzz from different things underwater. Personally, I am more of a fan of the big stuff and if no-one is there to literally point out the smaller stuff, I am likely to miss it. The photographers in our group were delighted with the number of opportunities presented here by the varied macro life, such as Clown frogfish and Polyclad worms. ĭay 2 finished with a sunset dive at Satonda. I was aware, as I dropped through the schools of Longfin bannerfish and Red-toothed triggers to keep an eye out into the blue so as not to miss the passing Blacktip reef sharks or the schools of Yellowtail tuna. Despite evidence of blast fishing here, they were both excellent sites and we were left wanting more, having enjoyed the variety of coral and teeming fish life. Here we dived Angel Reef and Panjang Reef 2 sites where the sea floor drops away to great depth. The Komodo National Park also has cooler sites, which can be surprising given the equatorial location and the sun-baked earth.Īfter the checkout, we sailed through the night past the Gili islands and awoke at Moyo Island, north of Sumbawa. Some on the boat were surprised by the cool waters here which can reach as low as 21☌ or below, so be advised that a suitable exposure suit and hood are a good idea. Blue Point (aka Jack Point) was our checkout dive, since it was a shallow and easy site between 5 and 26 metres in depth. Sometimes strong currents can visit these areas so it is important to be confident and competent in the water. However, there are some sites such as Jurassic Point and Ceningan Penida Pass, which are considered suitable for advanced divers only. Its dive sites are generally suitable for all levels of experience. No wonder it is a popular destination for those seeking to escape the hawkers, traffic and dirt of south Bali. It is the largest of 3 islands south of Bali, which are blessed with beautiful beaches and some pristine hard coral reefs. Nusa Penida was the location for our first dive. We set off from Bali over some pretty rough seas, well, rough seas for a diver, not so for the many surfers who come to Bali to "Hang 10 on the point breaks" (or something like that). It was fair to say that there are worse office emergencies. I was due to board the MV Mermaid I for its first trip of the season, which would cover 650 nautical miles over 7 days, taking me from Bali to Komodo and then back again. Is it still among the best in the world? Are Sunfish, sharks and pymgy seahorses still likely to be spotted?" What could I do? I bravely volunteered to be that soldier!Īs Thailand settles in to low season, a few Similan liveaboards head for Bali, Indonesia to run dive safaris from there to Komodo Island. We need to know the latest about diving in Komodo. Office emergency at Dive The World! "Our Indonesia website needs to be kept as up to date as possible, so we need someone to head to Bali and update our dive site descriptions.
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