Secret Bay

Secret Bay sits near Gilimanuk, at the northwest tip of Bali close to the strait separating Bali from Java. This sheltered bay is well known among underwater photographers as a muck diving site, drawing divers in search of small, unusual critters sheltering among the reef and debris. It is rated beginner-friendly, with light current, good visibility, and a reef bottom, and reaches a maximum depth of around 35 metres, though much of the diving is done shallower. Confirmed residents include angelfish, batfish, clownfish, eagle rays, frogfish, nudibranchs, pipefish, seahorses, stingrays, stonefish, and triggerfish, and divers have also reported bumphead parrotfish, garden eels, ghost pipefish, mantis shrimp, mimic octopus, octopus, reef sharks, rhinopias, scorpionfish, sea turtles, and snapper. It is typically dived from shore rather than by boat, and conditions can vary with tides moving through the strait.

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

• SnapperSnapperReported here · unconfirmed
• Mimic octopusMimic octopusReported here · unconfirmed
• Ghost pipefishGhost pipefishReported here · unconfirmed
• RhinopiasRhinopiasReported here · unconfirmed
• Garden eelGarden eelReported here · unconfirmed
• Reef sharkReef sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• Sea turtleSea turtleReported here · unconfirmed
• Eagle rayEagle rayConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• ClownfishClownfishConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• PipefishPipefishConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• NudibranchNudibranchConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• SeahorseSeahorseConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• StonefishStonefishConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Bumphead parrotfishBumphead parrotfishReported here · unconfirmed
• ScorpionfishScorpionfishReported here · unconfirmed
• Mantis shrimpMantis shrimpReported here · unconfirmed
• StingrayStingrayConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Chocolate Chip Sea StarProtoreaster nodosusReported here · unconfirmed
• Hawksbill Sea TurtleEretmochelys imbricataReported here · unconfirmed
• Brown Land CrabCardisoma carnifexReported here · unconfirmed
• Picturesque DragonetSynchiropus picturatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Green Sea TurtleChelonia mydasReported here · unconfirmed
• Sea PonyHippocampus kudaReported here · unconfirmed
• TriggerfishTriggerfishConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• AngelfishAngelfishConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
• BatfishBatfishConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• FrogfishFrogfishConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
• OctopusOctopusReported here · unconfirmed