Dive Site Amed: A Little Known Treasure
Amed, the village, is located on the north east coast of Bali. Amed was traditionally dependent on salt-panning and fishing. Despite the arrival of tourists, Amed has retained the feeling of making it a place where people stay for weeks at a time.
Amed area is quiet with a lovely scenery. It makes a great location for 1 Day Bali Dive Trips. Conditions here, from the sandy shore or using an outrigger boat, are easy, with good visibility.
The dive sites actually stretch along the coast from Amed village (muck site) to Jemeluk and Bunutan, and beyond to Lipah Bay (Japanese Wreck site). Access to the various Amed dive sites is either from the shore or by jukung (local boat).
Popular Dive Sites in Amed
Popular sites in the area include Bunutan Point, the Japanese Wreck and Gili Selang.
Amed Reef (depth 12-22m), with many different kinds of sponges and Gorgonian seafans, is home to marinelife that includes lobsters, shrimp and goby sets, Blue-spotted rays, pygmy seahorses, and schools of fish from anthias to barracuda.
White-tip reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, Giant trevally and large schools of bannerfish, snapper, and fusilier can be found at Amed Wall (10-35m). The deep slope after the wall is rich in invertebrates with crinoids and commensals.
Bunutan Point (18-25m) starts with a gentle sandy slope which often has many different nudibranchs and other macro critters. Visibility is usually good although sometimes there are thermoclines.
Lipah Bay (3km south east of Amed), a small black sand bay, is home to The Japanese Wreck, a 20m steel freighter wreck (5-15m) that is encrusted with sponges, Gorgonian seafans and coral bushes, and inhabited by anthias, parrotfish and angelfish. The deeper slope has interesting seafans and is often dotted with a wide variety of nudibranchs.
The small island of Gili Selang on Bali’s eastern point has some protected areas with big bommies and low-lying, healthy corals where you may see White-tip reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, nudibranchs and pygmy seahorses. The more exposed areas may have strong currents but can provide the opportunity to see large pelagics. Gili Selang can also be reached by fast boat from Padangbai.
