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Dive
Gili Islands
The Gili Islands
Diving in the Gili Islands is superb all year round, as one of Indonesia’s top areas for scuba diving and snorkelling, the Gili islands have become popular for beginners and experienced divers alike, with drift diving being the predominant form.
Year-round water temperatures are about 28 degrees Celsius, with March to October having very reliable weather, warm both in and out of the water. This price is for certified divers, if you are not already certified then please see our PADI Dive Courses .
In the Gili Islands we dive from our traditional Indonesian style fishing boats, going out daily 9am and 1.30pm. Night dives can be arranged upon request.
The price includes all equipment, including a computer, fresh laundered towels, refreshments on the boat and dive guides, groups are kept small with a maximum of 4 divers per guide.
There is additional park fee cost of IDR 100,000 which is paid once and per diver to the Gili Island authorities and a donation of IDR 50,000 to the Gili Eco Trust, the environmental organisation on the island that works toward reef restoration, patrolling bad fishing practices, recycling programs and beach clean ups.
Scuba Diving
Gili Islands Dive Sites
Bounty Wreck
Bounty Wreck is a sunken jetty that used to be on Gili Meno. With a lot of rubble coral, the site is perfect for macro sea life. It’s home too many scorpion fish, trigger fish, groupers, peacock mantis shrimps and frog fish. A large bommie, now referred to as Glass Fish Rock as it is home to thousands of glass fish, with pipe fish often seen rolling round. Just to the south, there are also old bicycles with coral growing over them.
Bio Rocks
The Bio Rock structures are placed along the East shoreline of Gili Trawangan. The technology uses low voltage currents passing through steel structures resulting in the accretion of solid limestone. The low currents are safe for humans and all marine organisms. Juvenile reef fish, scorpionfish, lionfish, damsels, butterflyfish, triggerfish and trumpetfish are just some of the local residents. The site is perfect for divers and snorkelers alike, and is a great example of how divers have positively impacted the reef ecosystem in the Gili Islands.
Deep Turbo
Drop into the blue and descend into a pristine coral sea mound rising from the sandy bottom. Lying North of Gili Trawangan, Deep Turbo’s dramatic topography and equally striking coral garden make this dive site a local favourite. This site is ideal for experienced divers and Nitrox diving. Swim through a maze of giant Gorgonian Sea Fans and soft corals. White and Black Tip Reef Sharks can be seen patrolling around this reef, and a keen eye will find Pygmy Seahorses hiding within the Sea Fans.
Halik
Another favourite of the Gili Islands, perfect for a shallow or deep dive. Halik has a stunning coral reef that runs along parallel to the shoreline along the North side of Gili Trawangan. Stunning coral gardens host large schools of clownfish, butterflyfish, red tooth triggerfish, and a variety of fusiliers. This is one of the most diverse sites for diving in the Gili Islands. Free swimming Giant Morays can be seen here as well as Octopus and large Cuttlefish. There are often scorpionfish and lionfish camouflaged on the coral bommies.
Deep Halik
The deep ridges at Halik are equally as beautiful featuring pink and orange Sea Fans, White Tip Reef Sharks, schooling Snappers, and Blue Spotted Ribbon Tailed Rays. A mild to medium current is usually present here making it a perfect leisurely drift dive. Divers should keep an eye to the blue for large Napoleon Wrasse, Spanish Mackerel, Dog Tooth Tuna and the occasional Bumphead Parrotfish This dive site is especially well suited for Deep Specialty Courses and Advanced Adventure courses as the steep sloping reef provide a perfect reference for your ascent and descents.
Hans Reef
Hans Reef is perfect for beginners as well as seasoned divers. A gentle sandy slope running parallel to the shore line featuring a large central coral mound and many smaller coral outcroppings. Large and small bommies attract a variety of interesting and unique marine life including octopus, cuttlefish, clarks anemonefish, scorpionfish, blue spotted stingrays and peacock mantis shrimp. The famous Turtle Rock lies a short swim away extending from 20 m deep to as shallow as 12 m and is covered in large barrel sponges, which green sea turtles often use as a soft resting place.
Meno Wall
Two sections of steep walls extend down to 18m before gently sloping deeper into the sand. A steep sandy slope with patchy coral gardens lies in between the two walls. This site is often protected from strong currents and waves as it is in the protected corner of Gili Meno. A favourite for macro lovers for special finds in the crevices along the sweeping wall. Divers can hunt for marine invertebrates including spiny Lobsters, colourful sea slugs, porcelain crabs and various cowrie shells. Green sea turtles, clownfish, angelfish and anemone fish can also be seen here.
Seahorse Bay
Explore the shallow coral gardens of this unique dive site off West Lombok. Divers looking to explore the Gili Islands best dive sites will want to include this one on their list. It offers many surprises of rare macro life with better visibility than nearby bays. Spot countless species of juveniles as this reef, as As you slowly traverse the site, seahorses, frogfish, ribbon eels and pipefish are just some of this dive site’s featured residents.
Secret Reef
Secret Garden is a patch reef featuring a sand and rubble slope where several coral bommies have become a magnet for some weird and wonderful sea creatures. The rare and elusive ghost pipefish in both the ornate and robust varieties can be found hiding here, as well as cuttlefish, blue ribbon eels, frogfish, rhinopias scorpionfish, spiny devilfish, helmut gurnards, and an assortment of colourful nudibranchs. This is one of the best sites Gili Air diving has to offer for experienced divers!
Shark Point
A coral reef plateau at 10m follows the North side of Gili Trawangan before sloping down to 18m. This is an amazing site when the conditions are right. It is susceptible to current and waves when the weather is not ideal, so at times this site is not possible to dive. This is our most requested dive site as it rarely disappoints. Numerous green sea turtles can be found in the shallow part of this dive, as well as anemone Fish, Ribbon Eels, Octopus, and Scorpionfish. There are often juvenile white tip reef sharks seeking shelter beneath the coral bommies at 18m.
Deep Shark Point
The deep ridges at this dive site are characterised by a striking display of sea fans, giant barrel sponges, sea whips and stony corals. From 18 m to 30m the reef shelters many amazing wonders. It is a nutrient rich area and attracts many schooling fish such as yellow lined, humpbacked, and black snappers. Deep shark point is also one of the best sites for reef shark encounters, including white and black tip reef sharks. A medium to strong current is often present here making it an ideal drift dive for intermediate and advanced divers. When current is present divers can be treated to schooling batfish, giant trevallies, spanish mackerel and dogtooth tuna.
Glen Nusa Wreck
The Glenn Nusa was originally a tug boat which was cleaned and sunk to create a new dive site. It was sunk in 2016 to create habitat for fish and corals. The wreck is ideally situated in 28 m of water along the flat sand bottom between Halik and Shark Point. It is 22m long and 6m high. If there is medium current, you can start your dive on the Glenn Nusa and end your dive drifting along the best of Shark Point. It has been cleaned of debris before sinking so that it is safe for penetration by properly trained divers. This site is quickly accumulating fish life and will continue to grow as or time passes.
Simon’s Reef
Descend into the blue onto a stunning coral reef rising from the deep surrounded by white sand. As the top of the reef is 18m, this site is only accessible to advanced divers, who can drift over some of the healthiest and most diverse corals in the Gilis. From the giant gorgonian sea fans to the enormous barrel sponges; spotted eagle rays, green sea turtles, and white tip reef sharks can also be seen cruising along the reef canyons. Every colour of the rainbow is represented here, from blue and yellow fusiliers, vibrant purple sea whips, to bright orange sea fans, and the smallest of ocean wonders, pygmy sea Horses, porcelain crabs, hairy squat lobsters and vibrant nudibranchs.
Sunset Reef
Sunset Reef is on the South West side of Gili Trawangan. Large rolling coral fields, dense in both soft and hard corals. A great site for divers of all levels. A predominant cleaning station, it attracts animals looking to get a good scrub down. One of the most popular visitors in recent times are Manta Rays, often seen dancing through upper sunlight. The site also houses a load of shelters for juvenile sharks and dense population of hawksbill turtles.
Turtle Heaven
As the name suggests this is a site not to be missed and a firm favourite with everyone. Turtle Heaven is situated on the North East side of Gili Meno. It has a healthy population of varying types of hard corals providing food for turtles and its place in the current means there’s a lot of food for fish. There are an abundance of turtles – both hawksbill and green sea. Great for beginner divers and snorkelling, but also exciting for people going to 30m and beyond. Site features lots of animals, turtles, fish. There’s a number of man-made objects as part of a coral propagation project that attract a lot of sea life.