Crystal Bay

Bali, Indonesiareef30 m maxintermediate

Conditions & tides

Channel site — tidal current funnels through here and can run fast, changing quickly with the tide. It is usually strongest around mid-tide and eases near the slack windows below. Dive with a local operator who knows the timing.

Crystal BayBali

Good · 5/5

conditions visualisation

Good5/5

Calm and diveable right now — best window today 8 AM–6 PM.

Wind5 kn SSW

Current~1.8 kn WNW · model

Swell

1.0 m · 8s · SSW

Water

30 °C

Max depth

30 m

Conditions through the day

7 AM7 PM

Calmest current near slack — 15:15 & 04:00 local

Sunrise 05:48 · Sunset 18:15 local

Show details

Tide · local

Outlook — select a day for full conditions

On-face swell 0.3 m — the component of the swell aimed at this site’s exposed face. Strong-current reef: plan a drift and enter near the slack windows above. Current is a regional model value (Copernicus, ~9 km grid) — a guide to the area, not a precise reef measurement. Imagery © Esri · not depth or visibility.

Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model

Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.

Dived here today? How were conditions vs. what we showed?

About this site

Crystal Bay is one of Bali's most famous dive sites, on the west coast of Nusa Penida. It has a sloping coral reef, a sandy bay with great visibility and a deeper drop-off, with depths from 5 to over 40 m.

The main draw is the mola mola season from July to October, most reliable in August and September, when the ocean sunfish come into shallower water to be cleaned by fish such as Moorish idols. Thresher sharks, dolphins, large schools of barracuda, giant trevally and even whale sharks have also been seen.

Currents can be tricky and sudden, ranging from calm to strong, with frequent thermoclines and water of 18 to 29 C, so dive with an experienced guide.

AI-written site guide

Marine life here

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

BarracudaBarracudaReported here · unconfirmed
TrevallyTrevallyConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Whale SharkRhincodon typusReported here · unconfirmed
BannerfishBannerfishReported here · unconfirmed
Mola mola (ocean sunfish)Mola mola (ocean sunfish)Confirmed present · 2 independent sources
Thresher sharkThresher sharkConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Blacklip ButterflyfishChaetodon kleiniiReported here · unconfirmed
Moorish IdolZanclus cornutusReported here · unconfirmed
Magnificent ChromodorisChromodoris magnificaReported here · unconfirmed
Pacific TrumpetfishAulostomus chinensisReported here · unconfirmed
Clark's AnemonefishAmphiprion clarkiiReported here · unconfirmed
Reef Manta RayMobula alfrediReported here · unconfirmed
Whitecheek SurgeonfishAcanthurus nigricansReported here · unconfirmed
Blackback ButterflyfishChaetodon melannotusReported here · unconfirmed
Yellow BoxfishOstracion cubicumReported here · unconfirmed
SurgeonfishSurgeonfishReported here · unconfirmed
FusilierFusilierReported here · unconfirmed
Napoleon (humphead) wrasseNapoleon (humphead) wrasseReported here · unconfirmed
Eagle rayEagle rayReported here · unconfirmed
SweetlipsSweetlipsReported here · unconfirmed
AngelfishAngelfishReported here · unconfirmed
DamselfishDamselfishReported here · unconfirmed
WobbegongWobbegongReported here · unconfirmed
Great white sharkGreat white sharkReported here · unconfirmed