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SOUTH LOMBOK
DIVING LOCATION INFORMATION
South Lombok and South West Lombok Diving Location and
Information
The diving in the south of Lombok is not very widely known, quite
good but challenging. There is one dive operator in the Bay of
Blongas (Bay of Tranquility). The Bay of Blongas is a large
sheltered bay with a peninsula. The waters here are calm, but as
soon as cross the narrow mouth around Gili Wayang, the sea gets much
rougher and choppy with a strong surge. The interesting dive sites
all lie here, mostly steep rocks and boulders some half covered with
water so this is only for experienced divers! The dive sites are all
20 to 30 min by speedboat form the resort. Visibility is not so good
at most places 15 to 20m.
Diving in the South of Lombok, some people said only for divers who
had over 50 dives tanks but some beginner divers also available but
not in Magnet area ( Blongas bay ) but in Kuta bay Area.
For divers who would like to enjoy some pristine dive sites, we
offer a world of 100% intact coral and a unique variety of species.
Its an Eldora do for underwater photographers. Aside from all
this, there are deep-water pinnacles, where experienced divers (min.
Advanced Cert./+ 50 dives) can find schools of lombok diving, safari
and liveaboardsbig fishes: barracudas, mackerels, and even
hammerheads.
But, In South of Lombok, Not only for experienced Divers, For
beginner also there is several spots available for them, JJR,
Plawangan, Tanjung A'an and Gili Medas is for those who like to see
coral reefs which much better the Gili Islands.
The area has a very rough look, the landscape is very impressive,
with large waves pounding jagged rocks and lots of white spray
everywhere. From the boat you can see some beautiful sandy beaches,
stretching for kilometers but empty, because of the waves crashing
some way our. The bay itself though earns its name of "Bay of
Tranquility" because it is very flat and calm with nice beaches and
small fishing villages.
It can be reached from Lembar harbor (ferry from Bali about 4 to 5
hrs) in about an hour over a very bad road.
Dive Spot Information
01. Magnet
This dive sites is the reason why most divers come here, mainly
because there is a good chance to see hammerhead sharks. This is a
large rocky pinnacle Lombok diving, safari and liveaboards jutting
up from about 50m below. It lies in the open sea and 20 to 30 min.
by boat. Large waves crash on top of the rock and over it and the
resulting surge can be felt even down at 20 meters! Actually you can
only dive safely below 15m because of the surge and all the bubbles
in the water and safety stops are made away from the rock. For
experienced divers only!
lombok diving, safari and liveaboards
You dive on the north side of the rock and make a drop right in the
middle, if possible. If the currents are not so strong you can now
continue the dive by going in zigzag back and forth between the
eastern and western edge where the currents coming from the south
can be felt strongly.
The large pelagics such as hammerheads, whitetip sharks, mackerels
and barracudas congregate here in large numbers. If the currents are
fiercer, the area where you can dive narrows with side currents
pushing you towards the middle of the sheer wall. If the currents
lessen you can even dive entirely around the rock which even then is
still a challenge, because you have to fight against both current
and surge..
The amount of fish you see is quiet amazing and during our week
there we saw a lot of really large dog tooth tunas, some mobulas
(like manta rays, but smaller) and eagle rays, several sharks
including hammerheads and twice we just seem to hit a wall of
barracudas - great! We also went once out to the Magnet and decided
not to dive, because it was too dangerous. The other dive sites are
more sheltered, so we went there.
02. Coral Garden
 Lombok
diving, safari and live boards. You dive around two larger rocks
with a seriees of smaller rocks which lie on sand. Lot's of soft
corals in yellow, orange and purple colors, whip corals, some
gorgonians and anemones. We found some nice nudibranchs and shrimps
and also saw a school of small barracudas. An easy dive, max. depth
about 25m.
03. Wollis Pinnacle
lombok diving, safari and liveaboardsa large rock which top is about
7m below the surface and some more rocks tumbled together and lying
on white sand. We saw a black giant frogfish, sharks, ribbon eels
and several species of nudibranchs. There is sheltered area with
gorgonians, table corals and black corals. An easy but interesting
dive, max. depth 19m
04. Gili Sera
lombok diving, safari and liveaboardsthis is a big junk of rock.
Underwater it looks like large pieces of the rock fell down and are
now litterling the sand all around the island. These rocks are
covered with leather corals, sponges and tunicates, but there are
some more sheltered areas where table corals and black corals grow.
When the currents are not very strong, this is a nice dive site for
small animals such as nudibranchs, shrimps, glass fishes,
scorpionfishes and even the occasional sea snake, white tip reef
shark or ray.
05. The Cathedral
This large pinnacle rises from about 40m to the surface. Only a
small rock is visible from the surface and zthe crashing waves fills
the upper 5m of water with bubbles. You dive on a steep wall covered
with soft corals, sponges and tunicates. There are yellow sea
cucumbers everywhere. We encountered two species of sea snakes, the
common banded sea krait and I think the turtlehead sea snake (Emydocephalus
annulatus). The later has a much larger head and a brown color but
also some lighter colored bands.
The swell makes you go up and down a lot - not so good for your ears
- and like on the Magnet we actually surfaced from about 10m by
swimming away some distance to avoid the swell. For experienced
06. The Highway Dive Site - Sekotong
The extensive reef north of Sekotong is a popular site for morning
dives. The reef runs for about 3 km with sidetracks veering off to
the right and left. The top of the reef starts at 18m and descends
to a sandy bottom at about 32m. A huge variety of species can be
found here with abundant pellagics like Jacks, Trevallies, Whitetip
Reef Sharks, Rays (including Mantas) and much more.
07. Hadiah Reef Dive Site - Sekotong
This northern reef takes you down to about 26m, and is home to a
multitude of colorful reef fish: Lionfish, Sergeantfish, Gobies of
all sorts, and an array of Nudibranchs. It's a great night dive
destination, as it is home to many Lobsters and Crustaceans. Uh oh,
we might get hungry on this one guys!
08. Triology Dive Site - Sekotong
A marvelous reef in the northwest, this dive site still needs to be
explored as there are three main routes. So far we have found
Shrimp, Ghost pipefish, and Glassfish, Bluespotted rays, Cuttlefish,
Moray eels and a lot more. Off the reef in the blue you might see a
Whitetip Reef Shark posing for you.
09. Sunken Island Dive Site - Sekotong
This soft slope to the west of Sektong is very popular for relaxed
and colorful diving. Groupers, Batfish, Trumpetfish, shy Octopus,
and bearded Scorpionfish can be found around the deeper coral
blocks. With a little luck you can see Eagle Rays and Mantas
cruising out in the blue.
10. Gili Renggit Dive Site - Sekotong
Another favorite in the west is Gili Renggit, as it offers rare
species for the macro fan. The corals are alive with Nudibranchs,
Ghost pipefish, and colorful Shrimp. Can you find the camouflaged
Frogfish? Let the Cleaner Shrimp give you a manicure or teeth
cleaning.
11. Stairs to Medang Dive Site - Sekotong
Terracing down from 14m to about 35m this site provides a
fascinating underwater landscape where you can experience the
Indopacific at it's best with Mantas, different species of Sharks,
and plenty of lively reef fish in all colors and sizes. On the top
of the plateau Lobsters and Turtles make frequent appearances.
12. Batu Gendang Dive Site - Sekotong
"The drum stone" descends to about 25m with massive blocks giving
you the impression of diving a labyrinth. It is the home to Whitetip
Reef Sharks, Napoleonfish, and many Sweetlips.
13. Batu Mandi Dive Site - Sekotong
Dive with different species of Sharks, Tuna, Jacks, and Barracudas.
Even schools of Eagle Rays are a possibility. Ooh, I hope we get
this lucky! |
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