Manta/mola mola "season"

Just want to check what the best time of year to dive Bali if I want to see mantas and sunfish. I think the last time I was there I was told it was July/Aug but I just want to confirm this?
Also, please share your experiences diving Bali, were there good sightings? Were the dive sites over crowded? I'm looking for video and photo opportunities. Any recommendations for a company to dive with and area to stay in. Not looking to stay in Kuta again.

For mola molas I'd say the best months are July/August, even better if you can dive right around the full moon which increases cold water thermoclines. All this is from learning "the hard way" in really wanting to see them, then finally doing so multiple times. I always dive with Blue Season Bali and would highly recommend them. I think a 3 tank "mola" trip during the season costs around $150, including lunch. The often make one dive at Manta Point on this trip. As far as I know, the mantas are pretty much year round. Any time I've been to that site I've always seen them. Crystal Bay is usually the number #1 choice for a site to see molas, but there are others. Unfortunately, it's usually jam packed and molas that come around don't seem to stay around for very long. I usually stay in Seminyak, a lot quieter area than Kuta, and Blue Season picks up/drops off from there at no charge.

Molas have already been spotted this year! Manta we have all year around. Usual Mola Mola season is July-end October. We generally try to avoid the Crystal Bay dive site in the high season as it can be dangerous, with 30 dive boats with potentially 10 divers on each boat, this means your chances for a spotting is limited. There are other dive sites to see Mola Mola in Bali, shhhhhhh

email for more info godiving@d-scubaclub.com or check out the website D Scuba Club Bali, don't forget to mention Scubaboard.

I live and work in Nusa Lembongan - 30 minutes maximum from every diving sites in Nusa Penida. Best period to see Mola mola is from May to October, more or less. Usually we leave to the best dive points quite early in the morning so we can avoid all the boats from bali operators and arrive on the site early and we can dive in better conditions than others.

I definitely suggest you to stay on the island to see Mantas and Mola mola, and avoid transfer from Bali's harbor.
We also have a scientific program running on mantas and you can join and help us in collecting photos.

If you want other info, drop me a message!

Thanks
Francesco

If any of you guys want to PM me a package for the first or second week in July for 7-10 days diving the best Bali has to offer feel free. Thanks for all the info.

PM sent.

What amanda said is so true!

i dived with waterwrox last year, have no reservations in recommending them.

Hi there

We saw mola mola in June and were lucky enough to see mantas in June and also last month. The mola mola sighting lin June was superb and last week our group had thirty unforgettable minutes with three beautiful majestic mantas up close. The coral in the area is in pristine condition and the fish life prolific.

he best time for molas is July to October , but apparently last year they were seen much earlier than this. Mantas are seen all year round , but the site can be difficult to reach in high sease , especially around the monsoon season , which is December to February.

I totally agree with the advice to stay if at all possible on Nusa Lembongan. It's a lovely little island, miles less commercialised than Bali. If you stay you get to the sites long before the very crowded day boats arrive from Bali , with as well as divers often lots of very excited snorkellers who can chase the poor creatures away.

We stayed and dived with World Diving, who are excellent. The other dive sites around the island are also superb with by far the best diving we have ever done apart from Komodo. The Liberty wreck in Tulamben is also fantastic with amazing fish life and coral coverage. A third area we love is the Gili Islands which is great for lots and lots of extremely chilled out turtles.

Bali is a wonderful destination for diving, but you do need to get away from the crowded southern areas.

Have a wonderful trip.

Hi
I suggest to spend a few days on Nusa Lembongan. So you don't need to travel the whole way from Bali to Nusa Penida (to save time and money!). Last year we dived with World diving (they take care of tides, which is really important) and we had wonderfull dives. 3 divers with one dive guide (really reliable and good!) and 6 mantas with nobody to share ;-). Crystal Bay was the dive site we saw the mola and there was just 1 other group. We travelled Bali at the end of June / beginning of July, which was super! They have a nice accomodation called Pondok Baruna. Although not everything was perfect, we enjoyed our stay.

A personal tip: try to dive the north of Bali. Gilimanuk, Puri Jati and Seraya Secret. Absolutely great for muck diving!!

Have fun & enjoy Bali. You will love it! And yes: skip Kuta, Sanur, Legian etc.

Thanks for the replies. So i think i would prefer to stay in Bali to dive Tulamben and then move away from Bali to dive the nusa penida sites. So am i right in thinking most people stay on Nusa Lembongan rather than Nusa Penida? whats the difference between the two.

Does anyone have a dive center to recommend for these areas? i'm looking for mid-range price accommodation.