Padangbai Ferry Channel

Padangbai is a small port town on the east coast of Bali, from which ferries run to Lombok across the strait that gives this channel its name. The Ferry Channel itself is a reef dive reaching about 19 metres, rated intermediate with generally light current, and it can only be dived on certain days and times due to the boat traffic moving in and out of the harbor. It has a strong reputation for macro life, with frogfish, nudibranchs, octopus, rhinopias, and sea turtles regularly found here. Divers have also reported cuttlefish, flying gurnards, leaf scorpionfish, lobster, mantis shrimp, moray eels, pipefish, pygmy seahorses, reef sharks, scorpionfish, seahorses, and stonefish along the reef. Given the ferry traffic overhead, dive timing is coordinated closely with harbor schedules.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Sea turtleSea turtleConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• CuttlefishCuttlefishReported here · unconfirmed
• Reef sharkReef sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• LobsterLobsterReported here · unconfirmed
• Moray eelMoray eelReported here · unconfirmed
• Pygmy seahorsePygmy seahorseReported here · unconfirmed
• Anna's ChromodorisChromodoris annaeReported here · unconfirmed
• Varicose Wart SlugPhyllidia varicosaReported here · unconfirmed
• Yellowmargin MorayGymnothorax flavimarginatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Thornback CowfishLactoria fornasiniReported here · unconfirmed
• Clark's AnemonefishAmphiprion clarkiiReported here · unconfirmed
• Ribbon EelRhinomuraena quaesitaReported here · unconfirmed
• Pacific TrumpetfishAulostomus chinensisReported here · unconfirmed
• Gloomy NudibranchTambja morosaReported here · unconfirmed
• Magnificent ChromodorisChromodoris magnificaReported here · unconfirmed
• Leaf ScorpionfishTaenianotus triacanthusReported here · unconfirmed
• NudibranchNudibranchConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• SeahorseSeahorseReported here · unconfirmed
• Leaf scorpionfishLeaf scorpionfishReported here · unconfirmed
• PipefishPipefishReported here · unconfirmed
• Flying gurnardFlying gurnardReported here · unconfirmed
• Mantis shrimpMantis shrimpReported here · unconfirmed
• RhinopiasRhinopiasConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• FrogfishFrogfishConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• OctopusOctopusConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• ScorpionfishScorpionfishReported here · unconfirmed
• StonefishStonefishReported here · unconfirmed