Amed
This small fishing village, known for its traditional way of processing sea salt is only a 50 min ride away from Candidasa. Great place for macro lovers, although nearby reefs were damaged around 30 years ago by the local communities a couple of years later artificial reef projects were implemented. Nowadays we can enjoy them searching for macro life and observing reef fishes and sometimes bigger ones like jacks, groupers and white/black tip sharks.
Amed Ghost Bay
This is a dive with a maximum depth of 40 meters. Manmade objects forming kind of pyramids are a shelter for many kinds of small creatures including ; clown frog fish , ghost pipe fish, , stone fish , leaf fish , boxer shrimps , small crabs , juvenile examples of lion fish , razor fish and many more. This site is usually protected from currents making it a great place for underwater photographers and beginners.
Amed Wall
It is a wall dive accessible by a traditional Balinese boat ( jukung ) On the most western side of Jemeluk Bay. We usually start at the shallows in around 3 meters enjoying the reef and its tiny inhabitants. From here a gentle current takes us a bit deeper were the wall and proper dive begins.
Drop off reaching 40 meters in places is covered in hard and soft corals, barrel sponges and gorgonias. In the blue we have a chance to spot some pelagic fish and closer to the wall usual reef fish. Definitely the best part of the dive is at the end of the bay were the wall is facing an open see and slowly becomes a sandy slope covered with gorgonias, soft ad hard corals. Here we have greatest chance to spot sharks, napoleons, barracudas, jacks and tunas. In the right season big school of jackfish is regurarly seen on this dive.
Bunutan
This is one of our favourite dives in the area. It is furthest away but the time spent on the boat is rewarded by its beauty. It is a drift dive along the coast of Bunutan. With a gently sloping bottom and very predictable current is our choice for drift dive specialities. Sea bed made of white sand is covered with huge gorgonias and beautiful coral bomnies attracting reef fishes. Passing by with the current we might encounter schooling jacks, parrot fishes, occasional black tip sharks and many rays. Visibility here is often excellent making this dive even more enjoyable.
Japanese Wreck
It is a famous place for snorkelers mainly because of a small steel boat that lies in very shallow waters. It is now encrusted with gorgonias, sponges and black coral bushes attracting small reef fishes.
However the most interesting for us divers is the reef, mainly its shallower parts which are very healthy and teaming with life. Here we can find barrel sponges, beautiful gorgonias and huge beds of acroporid corals in which great number of small reef fishes seek shelter. Fish life here is varied and we have a good chance of seeing unusual animals like ghost pipefish, seahorses and many kinds of scorpion fishes. Once we have encountered the biggest barracuda obviously looking for a cleaning service. We had a pleasure of observing it for a few minutes until it headed off in the blue. This dive site is exposed to swells so we dive it only in good see conditions.