Menjangan Island: The Best Diving Spot in North Bali
Surrounded by unspoiled white sandy beaches, stunning coral reefs, and an enchanting underwater environment, Menjangan Island is the perfect definition of natural beauty. Located about 10 kilometers northwest off the shore of Bali’s mainland, this small island forms part of the West Bali National Park Conservation Area.
History and Origins
The word “Menjangan” means “deer” in the Javanese language. According to local history, the name was given by residents who observed herds of wild deer swimming to the island every spring across a distance of approximately 1.2 miles.
This small island is where recreational diving first began in Bali around 1978 under the sponsorship of the Indonesian Navy, when it organized a gathering of the country’s primary diving clubs: POSSI, Ganesha, Nusantara, and Trisakti.
That gathering established Menjangan as the premier international dive location in Bali, and many attendees went on to become pioneers of commercial diving operations across Indonesia.
Underwater Topography and Marine Life
The island is surrounded by a vibrant coral reef characterized by deep drop-offs reaching nearly 60 meters and complex rock formations. These distinctive features have created numerous large and small caves festooned with sponges and soft corals, often inhabited by large groupers, moray eels, young snappers, and batfish.
The sea beds are rich in large barrel sponges and vibrant sea fans, some of which are truly enormous. Given the depth, moderate water currents, and protection from strong winds, it is common to spot tuna, shoals of jackfish, angelfish, sea turtles, and occasionally reef sharks off the outer corners of the island.
Menjangan is also famous for having the best wall diving in Bali, boasting a colorful underwater environment with numerous dive sites. These sites offer rich marine life alongside calm sandy beaches ideal for relaxing over lunch.
Popular Dive Sites
The Anchor Wreck
At a depth of 45 meters lies the Anchor Wreck, also known as the Anker or Kapal Budak (Slave Ship). Sitting on the sea floor at the western tip of Menjangan, this old wooden shipwreck is believed to be either a 19th-century Dutch vessel that sank during World War II or a ship from the early colonial era carrying Balinese slaves to Batavia (now Jakarta).
The wreck carries a cargo of ancient ceramics and glass bottles and is completely colonized by soft corals, making it an excellent spot to encounter sea turtles and sharks.
Eel Gardens
Named after a large colony of garden eels, the Eel Gardens dive site lies on the western point of Menjangan in a shallow area with dazzling white sand. The dive begins along a dramatic wall dropping to about 40 meters, covered with beautiful gorgonians and sea fans, before leading over the reef top to a wide stretch of white sand—considered by many to be the highlight of the island.
Secret Bay: A Macro Photographer’s Paradise
Located near the ferry port of Gilimanuk, Secret Bay offers a unique experience for macro photographers, videographers, and marine biologists. Unique tidal currents keep the water temperature cool—rarely exceeding 25°C—creating a habitat where Pacific and Indian Ocean species overlap and hybridize.
The shallow, muddy sea bed, mixed with algae and debris, hosts rare marine creatures, some of which were discovered by marine biologists for the first time in this area. These include four types of anglerfish—such as the Sargassum Anglerfish, Spotfin Anglerfish, and the famous Tono’s Anglerfish—alongside seahorses, dragonets, ghost pipefish, nudibranchs, bluefin lionfish, and ribbon eels. This bay remains a favorite spot for world-renowned underwater photographers, researchers, and filmmakers.
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