Fun dives gili islands
The magical underwater world around Indonesia boasts year-round crystal-clear waters. Home to some of the world’s best and most loved marine life. Diving in Indonesia is not to be missed. At Scallywag Divers you receive the personal and tailored to your needs customer experience. Dive groups are kept small with a maximum of 4 divers of the same level per guide. Refreshments are provided on all of our dive boats, plus fresh towels.
Fun Dives are for certified divers only. Check out our PADI Course available if you want to get certified. For those who have not dived in over 6 months and would like to ReActivate their license and refresh their skills before heading out into the ocean, we offer the PADI ReActivate program at all of our locations. Contact us for more information and we can tailor the program to your needs.
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 and a reputation for being the ‘turtle capital of the world’, 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. Accommodation is not provided, but can be arranged and there is a one off donation fee, currently 50,000 IDR per diver, which goes towards the Gili Eco Trust towards the Gili Islands Reef Restoration. 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 at out twice daily 9am and 1.30pm. There are about 25 dive sites around the islands of Trawangan, Meno and Gili Air, with a variety of topography (slopes, walls, ridges and canyons) and an enormous amount of diverse marine life. This includes black and white tip reef sharks, lots of turtles (hawksbill and green sea), lionfish, scorpion fish, cuttle fish and octopus, moray eels, sea snakes, different types of rays (blue-spotted, eagle and from December to March, the occasional manta ray) not to mention schools of bump- head parrot fish every full moon and the occasional whale shark…plus countless varieties of hard and soft corals.
Scuba Diving
GILI ISLANDS DIVE SITES
Quick jump to a Dive site
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. Limestone is the best substrate for hard coral growth. The low currents are safe for humans and all marine organisms. The Biorock Reef has resulted in faster growth rates and healing times for stony corals as well as higher survival rates from bleaching events. The Biorock project has successfully regenerated and populated damaged reef increased the biodiversity of marine organisms, and protected the beaches and shoreline from coastal erosion. These artificial reef structures vary in size and shape and extend down to 18m with the densest coral growth occurring in the shallows. Soft corals, sponges, tunicates, and bivalves can also be observed growing on Biorocks.
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.
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 to many scorpion fish, trigger fish, groupers, peacock mantis shrimps and frog fish.
There’s 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.South, there are also old bicycles with coral growing over, if you fancied an underwater cycle at any point.
Good heart
This dive site sits on the North East side of Gili Trawangan and features the tail end of the Biorock Reef structure in the shallows. Open Water courses are often taken to this site as it provides a nice slope descend and ascent along. It is also a popular night dive site on Gili Trawangan.
Follow the sandy slope down and check out a variety of coral outcroppings. Sponges, soft corals, Anemonefish, Angelfish, Green and Hawksbill Turtles can be seen here. Cruise along the deeper edge of the dive site along the sandy bottom to hunt for Stingrays, Garden Eels, and Shrimp Gobies. A mild current can be expected at this dive site, perfect for a leisurely drift dive.
Coral basket
A big beautiful site, great dive site for beginners, night dives and anyone wanted to see the BioRocks. Being one of our typical drift dives, time to relax as you pass through a varying landscape of channels, fields and the beautiful BioRocks. You’ll be sure to see loads of turtles and schooling fish. And, if you’re lucky, unicorn fish, scorpionfish, trumpet fish and ornate ghost pipefish.
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. This is one of the really special dives the Gili Islands has to offer.
Swim through a maze of giant Gorgonian Sea Fans and soft corals, and peer into the deep blue to catch schools of Batfish and giant Bumphead Parrotfish. Look out into the sandy areas to catch a glimpse of Spotted Eagle Rays. White and Black Tip Reef Sharks can be seen patrolling around this reef, and a keen eye will find cryptic Pygmy Seahorses hiding within the Sea Fans. This site is especially nice on a medium current day, you will drift along from mound to mound with the current, looking out for sleeping Green Turtles. This site is also an excellent as a part of the Advanced Adventurer course as is the perfect challenge for a confident student on the second day of the course. Occasionally the currents or waves limit the accessibility of this site.
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 rainbow-colored Anthias, Clownfish, Butterflyfish, Red Tooth Triggerfish, and a variety of Fusiliers. This site is perfect for Try Scuba Diving to Open Water courses as the shallow reef is teeming with diverse fish and coral life. It is also one of the top snorkelling spots in the Gili Islands with shallow corals teeming with fish. 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 as Anthia’s school above. Hawksbill turtles are found grazing on the shallow 12m reef.
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, schooling Bumphead Parrotfish and the occasional Manta Ray. 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
Han’s 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. We often dive this location with Open Water and Advanced Adventurer Courses as it provides a perfect training area of sandy bottom in areas with close access to reef. Large and small bommies attract a variety of interesting and unique marine life including Octopus, Cuttlefish, Clarks Anemonefish, Green Sea Turtles, 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. A popular Night Dive spot where divers can hunt for Bobtail Squid, Dwarf Cuttlefish, Reef Squid, Coconut Octopus, Sponge Crabs, and Sea Slugs among other mysterious nocturnal creatures.
Manta point
A dazzling Acropora staghorn coral garden gently slopes down from the South side of Gili Trawangan. Green and Hawksbill Sea Turtles, schooling Oriental Sweetlips, and schooling Batfish are a common sighting here. This site is usually a rewarding pelagic site, both shallow and deep. It is a great dive for the Open Water Course as it provides a good chance to see reef sharks. Divers can enjoy the schools of fish and colourful corals while diving this popular spot in the Gili Islands. This site is always popular with divers of all levels, as White Tip Reef Sharks can often be spotted resting near or underneath the larger coral bommies in 18-24m. These provide the perfect photo opportunity as they stay relatively still when resting. As this site slopes deep very gently, it is also a great Deep Adventure dive.
This is one dive, 18-30 m max dive experience with an Instructor that allows you to dive to 30m afterward, providing you keep the record of the training in your log book. Poke your nose around the reef to find Octopus, Peacock Mantis Shrimp, and several species of Puffer and Angelfish. Keep an eye peering overhead and out into the blue as reef Manta Rays can fly by at this site. Schools of lined Snappers rest above the reef, gently swaying with the surge of the currents or waves.
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. It is a favourite Gili Islands dive for macro lovers for special finds in the crevices along the sweeping wall. Divers can hunt for marine invertebrates including Spiny Lobsters, colorful Sea Slugs, Porcelain Crabs and various Cowrie shells. Green Sea Turtles, Clownfish, Angelfish and Anemone Fish can be seen here. Check out the large coral bommies below 18m for mesmerizing schools of Glassfish. Look out into the blue for a chance to catch schooling Bumphead Parrotfish. This is also a spot where white tipped reef sharks and spotted eagle rays cruise past on occasion. Keep your eyes peeled as you float past the wall to make sure you do not miss something special!
This site is perfectly suited for Open Water courses and Advanced Adventurer Courses as the wall provides beautiful topography to drift past. It is the perfect dive to challenge and reward all divers with interesting macro diving. As you finish the wall and enter the white sand area, Glassfish abound, keep your eyes peeled for the elusive Leaf Scorpion Fish. Also, Green Turtles love to shelter along the hollows beside the corals and rest.
Seahorse bay
Explore the shallow coral gardens of this unique dive site off West Lombok. Schooling Anthias and colourful reef fish hover over patches of Staghorn coral. It is a good site for the final dives of the Open Water Courses as it has some unique species you will not find on most of our other reefs. 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.
Descend along a sandy slope to hunt for some weird and wonderful critters. Spot countless species of juveniles as this reef serves as a nursery for many reef fish. As you slowly traverse the site, Seahorses, Frogfish, Ribbon Eels, Spine Cheek Anemonefish, and Pipefish are just some of this dive site’s featured residents. This is a popular fun diving destination as it offers calm, current free conditions regularly. Macro lovers and photographers will really appreciate what this site has to offer. Seahorse Bay can offer exciting dives for Advanced Adventure as there is a perfect sandy slope dropping to 20m+ dotted with bommies to explore around. Comet fish can be found hiding as you get down past 18m.
Secret reef
Perfect for photographers and critter hunters, 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. We often dive this location with Open Water as it provides a perfect training area with a sandy bottom in areas with close access to the reef. The gentle topography of this dive site also makes it a perfect spot for training dives including Navigation, Perfect Buoyancy, Photography, and Night dives for the Advanced Adventurer Courses. 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! Large and small bommies in the shallows attract a variety of interesting and unique marine life including Octopus, Cuttlefish, Clarks Anemonefish, Green Sea Turtles, Scorpionfish, Blue Spotted Stingrays and Peacock Mantis Shrimp. This site is excellent if there is a medium to strong current everywhere else, this spot will be relatively protected. It is also sheltered from the wind and provides a great Try Scuba Diving experience dive.
Shark point
A coral reef plateau at 10m follows the North side of Gili Trawangan before sloping down to 18m. The deep part of Shark Point transforms into rolling valleys running parallel to the shoreline and extending down to 35 m. 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. The joke regarding this site is, it needs to be renamed, “Turtle Point” as there are always more turtles than sharks (not because there are no sharks, but there are that many turtles). There are often juvenile white tip reef sharks seeking shelter beneath the coral bommies at 18m.
The deep ridges at this dive site are characterized by a striking display of SeaFans, 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, Manta Rays, Giant Trevallies, Spanish Mackerel and Dogtooth Tuna. This can be a rewarding dive to complete as part of your Open Water course or Advanced Adventurer training.
Glen nusa wreck
The Glenn Nusa was originally a tug boat which has now been cleaned and sunk to create a new dive site. It was sunk in February 2016 to create habitat for fish and corals. It was a collaborative project between all the dive centers and the Gili Eco Trust. Most dive centres in the Gilis all contributed to the project so that we can all enjoy a new dive site! Now efforts are in place to make it another Biorock, which will accelerate coral growth on the structure. 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.
Advanced Adventurer Courses can complete the Deep, or Wreck Adventure as it meets the requirements for both! 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 is a perfect site for Wreck Specialties, as we finally have a wreck on the Gilis that is suitable for recreational divers. 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. This site is also ideal for experienced and/or Nitrox divers as the average depth of Simon’s makes your bottom time increase greatly with the use of Nitrox. Fun divers can enjoy the pristine corals you can see diving on the Gili Islands. It is possible to complete Simon’s Reef as part of the Advanced Adventurer Course.
This is the perfect location to challenge yourself with a panoramic descent onto the reef. Perfect for wide angle photography, everything seems bigger at Simon’s Reef. 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. Trained eyes can also find the smallest of ocean wonders, including 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.
Takat malang
This dive site lies just North of Gili Air and features some stunning coral gardens, especially below 15m. Descend along the ridge to find undulating valleys separated by white sand. Its name means “bent reef” in Bahasa Indonesian as it is a long and winding reef system.
This is a beautiful reef typical of diving in the Gili Islands. Green and Hawksbill Turtles can be seen in the shallows while Giant Barrel Sponges, colourful Sea Fans, and rainbow soft corals overwhelm the deeper ridges. Schooling Snappers, Fusiliers, Anemonefish, and Triggerfish can also be seen here. This site is another perfect for a little more experienced divers as you need to drop down onto the sea mound without a slope, luckily the top of the reef is only 10m, making this a fun challenge. Open Water divers on the third day of their course to Advanced divers can dive this site as it is perfect for all depths. it just needs good ocean conditions.
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.
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