Crystal Bay
A stunning white sand beach at Banjar Penida west of Sakti village on the north western coast facing Nusa Ceningan. Perfect clear waters and excellent snorkelling. Lovely white sand beach and a great place for a picnic. A truly idyllic spot and you are likely to have it to yourself apart for the odd local villager and maybe a diveboat offshore.
Diving in Crystal Bay
Crystal Bay is aptly named due to its great visibility, the site consists of a shallow bay, which then slides down into deep drop offs with superb coral only matched by equally impressive marine life. The site can offer anything from frogfish to sunfish and beautiful nudibranchs to bamboo sharks. The water tempersture could be 19 - 28 °C depending on the time of year.
Crystal Bay, during August until the end of October is a popular place for Sunfish; these breathtaking creatures usually hang in the blue very close to the reef to enjoy their Balinese spa treatment. Divers watch in awe as the cleaner fish peck away at parasites, going in and out of the Sunfish’s’ mouth, ridding it of its irritation.
An Advanced Open Water certification or the equivalent, plus deep and drift diving experience is required for Sunfish diving as sometimes it is generally necessary to go down to 30+ meters in challenging conditions.
Crystal Bay is great diving all year round! However, if you want to see Sunfish try coming at the beginning of August or the middle of October as at the peak of the Sunfish season there can be up to 30 boats at this site.
No matter how experienced a diver you are, listen to your experienced guide as the currents on this site can be unpredictable.
How to get here
- By road: Take the only small road which heads west from the main road at Sakti village and keep going until you hit the coast.
- By sea: Many boats offer trips to there from Sanur, Padangbai, Lembongan island and also from Toyapakeh.
More informations / Sources