2025 ‘Best of Bali’ Dive Safaris

Posted on January 10, 2025January 10, 2025 by Annabel Thomas

Comment

2025 Best of Bali Dive Safaris

The 2025 Best of Bali (aka BoB) Dive Safaris Package comprise three itineraries of seven, eight, and 12 nights duration. AquaMarine created these Safaris exactly as we would wish them to be put together if we were divers visiting Bali. All of Bali’s best dive locations have been included in the safari. The itineraries include:
– shore- and boat-diving
– walls, muck, wrecks, reefs, drifts
– macro and wide-angle photography

You’ll see fantastic hard and soft corals, great density and diversity of marinelife: from large pelagics such as Manta rays and Mola-Mola in season, to the tiniest juveniles and pygmy seahorses.

Best of Bali Dive Safaris Package Details

These Best of Bali Dive Safaris commence on fixed dates, with guaranteed departure based on a minimum of 2 divers.

The 13 Day Best of Bali “circles” the island allowing you to experience the widest variety of Bali dive sites. The 8 Day BoB focuses on the north west and north east coasts. The 7 Day Best of Bali itinerary offers diving on the north east and east coasts.

Nothing has been included ‘for the sake of it’.
– Fixed start dates (guaranteed with minimum two divers)
– Bali’s three best custom-built dive boats
– Minibuses customised for maximum space and leg room
– Maximum ratio of 1 PADI Divemaster (or above) for 4 divers
– Emphasis on safety and enjoyment.

Resorts were chosen for location, facilities and value for money.

Pre-planned dive times ensure you’ll see the maximum possible with the best conditions – as far as we can predict conditions 🙂

For further details (and to enquire for customised Group Safaris), please e-mail Diving@AquaMarineDiving.com.

2025 ‘Best of Bali’ Dive Safaris

Manta Rays

Posted on December 26, 2024December 26, 2024 by Annabel Thomas

Comment

Manta Rays: Their Life Cycle and Why They are Vulnerable

by Fahmi, AMD-B’s 2024 Divemaster Intern

Manta rays have a unique but slow reproductive process. Female manta rays give birth to live pups after a pregnancy lasting about a year. What makes them vulnerable is that they typically produce only one pup at a time and may take two to five years before reproducing again. Once born, the pup is left to survive on its own and spends nearly a decade growing and maturing. This slow reproduction rate means manta populations struggle to recover when their numbers are reduced.

Manta rays are highly migratory creatures, travelling vast distances in search of food and suitable habitats. While this behaviour is essential for their survival, it increases their exposure to various threats. Overfishing, entanglement in fishing gear, and habitat destruction—such as the loss of coral reefs that serve as feeding or cleaning stations—pose significant risks. Climate change and pollution also impact the plankton populations that mantas depend on for food, making their survival even more challenging.

Why Manta Rays Matter

Although manta rays do not have a massive ecological role compared to species like sharks or corals, they contribute to marine tourism in a significant way. Destinations like Nusa Penida and Raja Ampat attract divers and snorkellers eager to witness these majestic animals. The revenue from manta ray tourism supports local economies and often funds conservation projects, creating a positive cycle of benefits for both humans and the environment.

The Importance of Protecting Manta Rays

Manta rays are not just symbols of marine biodiversity; they are also indicators of ocean health. Their vulnerability reminds us of the delicate balance in marine ecosystems. Protecting manta rays is not only about saving a species—it’s about safeguarding the health of our oceans, promoting sustainable tourism, and respecting the interconnectedness of life underwater.

Dive Sites: Menjangan Island

Posted on December 13, 2024December 15, 2024 by Annabel Thomas

Comment

Menjangan Island Dive Sites

Menjangan Island became Bali’s first internationally-known diving location, famous for its wall-diving with great visibility (50m at certain times of the year).

Part of West Bali National Park, Menjangan Island is 30 minutes by local boat from mainland Bali and offers warm waters with stunning visibility that can reach 50m+. The island’s white sand beaches provide good, and well-protected, snorkelling opportunities.

The walls at Menjangan go from 10 to 26-60m+ and are full of nooks and crannies, overhangs and crevasses with soft corals, sponges and Bali’s highest concentration of Gorgonian seafans (some with pygmy seahorses). The fishlife is prolific and turtles are regular visitors.

Although Whalesharks may be sighted, pelagics are fairly rare here as the island is protected from the cold ocean currents felt at some other Bali dive sites.

The main three dive sites are Garden Eel Point, Pos Two, and the small wooden Anker Wreck (35-50m) where the calm conditions and good visibility can make it easy to forget that this is a deep dive.

Best Time to Dive

Although the best diving in Menjangan Island is said to be from April to November (during the south east monsoon), the island can be dived year round as it offers some of the most protected diving in Bali.

The clarity of the water can at times be amazing, July to September often yields the best visibility and a current of more than 1 knot is unusual. However, as Menjangan is protected from the cold currents coming in from the open sea, there are only rare sightings of larger fish.