Bali Dive Report - from today

[BluewaterPhoto]

One of my staff members Brent Durand is in SE Asia 8 weeks, reporting daily with photos and video from 9 locations, 14 resorts, 100 dive sites.

He just arrived in Bali and posted some great photos his Best of Southeast Asia Report.

Today he dived Alam Anda and the Liberty Wreck in Bali. Bali is one of my favorite dive destinations, and Brent told me he is already quite impressed. He's going to try to do some sunrise dives this week. I'm pretty jealous of the sweetlips he saw on his first dive!

Alam Anda dive site - "This was one of those dives that keeps getting better and better. We dropped in over a black sand and rubble bottom but were soon over the main portion of the reef. The more we swam the more structure and beautiful corals came into view. The bottom was layered with hard coral dropping out of view down the steep slope accented with table corals and a few big sea fans."



Here's a photo from the Liberty wreck, you can see more photos here, enjoy! - Scott

 

[Warmwater Wank]

Jeez Scott, did you fall for the old "Gotta empty the trash, see ya in 8 weeks" trick? I need a staff job like this! Nice work if you can get it, nice photo too Brent. Keep up the good...uh, "work". // ww

 

[Luko]

I checked out your critter wishlist as well as your destinations : tell Brent while he is in Bali/Candi Dasa-Padang Bai area there is a dive around which is the center of the world for rhinopias.
Yesterday we thought we were lucky with my guide spotting 3 rhinopias in one dive, the other divers of the boat came out with FOUR specimens!!!
Not bad in a 70 minutes timelap : one rhinopias every 15 minutes ratio.

 

[Mike Veitch]

oh ya? Guess I need to go to Padang Bai this week.. hows the temp? Was 23 last week..

 

[BluewaterPhoto]

Jeez Scott, did you fall for the old "Gotta empty the trash, see ya in 8 weeks" trick? I need a staff job like this! Nice work if you can get it, nice photo too Brent. Keep up the good...uh, "work". // ww

Ww, I did fall for that trick! But seriously Brent is working hard on the trip. He just posted some beautiful photos of Scuba Seraya resort today. Now I'm wishing that I went instead!

---------- Post added August 18th, 2014 at 08:56 PM ----------

I checked out your critter wishlist as well as your destinations : tell Brent while he is in Bali/Candi Dasa-Padang Bai area there is a dive around which is the center of the world for rhinopias.
Yesterday we thought we were lucky with my guide spotting 3 rhinopias in one dive, the other divers of the boat came out with FOUR specimens!!!
Not bad in a 70 minutes timelap : one rhinopias every 15 minutes ratio.

hi Luke

Wow, that is great info. I did enjoy writing the 10 most wanted creatures of SE article. I'm going to PM you for more info on the dive sites. If we can photograph some Rhinopia, then that should benefit all of the dive operators / travel companies in Bali, since Bali is not that well known for Rhinopia yet. - Scott

---------- Post added August 18th, 2014 at 08:57 PM ----------

oh ya? Guess I need to go to Padang Bai this week.. hows the temp? Was 23 last week..

Hey Mike - it is good to hear from you. Let me know if you want to meet up with Brent while he is in Bali, it would be cool to get some photos of you in our SE Asia blog, since you are one of the local residents and experts. - Scott

 

[Cali_diver]

In June we saw a beautiful red paddle flap Rhino at the Sidem dive site in Tulamben! Just down the beach from Scuba Seraya! Keep the reports coming Scott!

 

[Leejnd]

Yes, keep the reports coming! My own trip to Bali starts in exactly a month from today. We'll be diving in Padang Bai, Nusa Penida, Tulamben and Menjangan Island. Hoping to see the mola-mola at Nusa Penida. Will Brent be diving there?

 

[Luko]

oh ya? Guess I need to go to Padang Bai this week.. hows the temp? Was 23 last week..

23 on Jepun, slightly warmer on the jetty.

 

[charlier]

It's amazing how fast the water temperatures change. Only a few weeks ago, 27*C @ Jepun and Blue Lagoon. This was after week of unsettled weather and rain.

 

[Hintermann]

Diving the wreck of USS Liberty, sometimes it is hard to remember that you are actually diving a wreck. It is so covered with coral and critters that it is easy to forget the fact.

Apart from day and night dives on the wreck, an unmissable experience is at the end of the so-called Tulamben Drift Dive, when to wreck looms out of the blue above you.