Crystal Bay Nusa Penida Bali
Crystal Bay in Nusa Penida is one of the most famous of Bali dive sites because it is one of the best places in Bali and probably in the world to spot the famous and special mola mola or Oceanic Sunfish. The fauna and the flora in Crystal Bay are simply incredible. In addition to the typical variety of coral fish you can enjoy a lot of blue spotted rays, napoleon wrasse, trumpet fish, squid, cuttlefish, blue-yellow ribbon eels, trigger fish, butterfly fish, moray eels, angelfish, sweetlips, frogfish, banded sea snakes, many moorish idols, banner fish, trevalies, jackfish, tunas, snappers, mackerels and much more.
Crystal Bay is recommended dive site for advanced divers as the strength of the currents can be sometimes really powerful. Water around here is usually crystal clear and in the dry season extremely cold. The temperature can many times drop all the way down to fifteen degrees celsius. But mola mola likes exactly those condition and the chance to see it grows higher further the temperature drops down.
The dive site also reserves another cool surprise: a nice cave with underwater entrance with lots of bats sleeping hanging at the ceiling. However the access is rather difficult especially in a bad wavy condition. The hard coral reef along all Crystal bay starts at five meters and has outstanding beauty all the way to very deep parts of the dive spot. While diving in Bali and specialy Crystal Bay you can also expect to see occasional woebegone sharks, reef sharks, eagle rays, dolphins and manta rays.
Eat Sleep Dive Repeat
Eat Sleep Dive Repeat
Learn more about diving in Crystal Bay
- It is one of the best-known spots for seeing mola mola, also known as sun fish during the season thanks to the extreme thermoclines.
- There is usually exceptional visibility reaching even more than 30m.
- Thanks to the waters rich on plankton, there is a high diversity of fish.
- You will see a great variety of corals of all shapes and colors.
- The boat trip to Nusa Penida from Padangbai is also great part of your diving vacation. You will see beautiful rocky cliffs and white sand beaches along your ride
- It is the heaviest and biggest known bonefish in the world.
- The average adult weight of about 1,000 – 2,000 kg what can be compared to a rhino.
- A sunfish can be as tall as they are long when its fins are extended.
- They live around Bali all year round but often dive to the depth of 600 meters.
- They got name “sunfish” thanks to their love of sunbathing in the shallow waters during the dry season.
- Unfortunately, they often end up as bycatch of fishermen.
- They hold a Guinness record as they have the biggest numbers of eggs of any vertebrates on the planet, counting to 300 million.
- Another place Mola Mola earned in Guinness book of records is because they can grow 400kg in only 14 months.
- Their Latin name Mola Mola originates from the word “millstone”, probably because of their gray, round bodies
- Sunfishes feed on jellyfish, especially on their arms which are the most energy-nutritious parts.
- Polynesians believe that is bad luck to kill Mola Mola.
- During the 1600s and 1700s, Japanese shoguns accepted Mola Mola as a form of payment for taxes.
Diving in Bali
with Mola Mola
For more information about prices check our
Diving in Bali
with Mola Mola
For more information about prices check our