Best Dive Operators For Mola Mola Dives?

[cleung]

I'm hoping on coming to Bali especially to dive with the mola molas. I'm wondering which are the best dive operators for this specific type of dive since I imagine that some have more experience than others for mola mola.

 

[Neptune Scuba Diving]

Hands up, we're here haha

About the experience, well there are specific spots where you can see the Mola Mola - example, Manta Point has a Mola Mola cleaning station as well and some dive centers go there while others don't.

However, the main dive site is Crystal Bay and a secondary at Toya Pakeh but keep in mind Blue Corner, although a very difficult dive because of the currents, Blue Corner is a good spot for the Mola Mola.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I'm hoping on coming to Bali especially to dive with the mola molas. I'm wondering which are the best dive operators for this specific type of dive since I imagine that some have more experience than others for mola mola.

When do you plan to be in Bali?

 

[Luko]

Gekodivers at Padang Bai, they'll take you early morning at Crystal bay, first on the spot with their fast speedboat and they're also diviing Tepekong/Mimpang/Biaha nearby Amuk bay.
I've seen MolaMolas on every of these sites while diving with them in august.for the past 3 years

 

[chillyinCanada]

I was diving and staying with Absolute Scuba in Padang Bai and saw a mola on 2 different Crystal Bay dives, off season end of February. I don't know how they conduct the in season dives because our first dive of the day was Manta Point.

 

[Dan]

My best time to see Mola Mola was in August 2014 during full moon in Crystal Bay. I saw 9 of them. Today (Ketut Gede Somadhyana) of aqua cat bali, the best travel to scuba diving / dive / diving in Bali, Indonesia has been my guide there for the last 11 years.

I'll be there this coming September with 5 of my dive buddies after returning from the Ring of Fire trip (Alor-Banda-Ambon) with Blue Manta. Hopefully we might be lucky to see Mola Mola while we are in Alor too.

 

[chillyinCanada]

This is why I'm asking when @cleung plans to go to Bali hoping to see mola.

 

[cleung]

When do you plan to be in Bali?

No decision yet but I'm fairly flexible between say late June to early August I would like to max the chances of seeing the mola mola

Also, I'm thinking of bringing along my dry suit to deal with the thermoclines with these mola mola dives -- do you all think this might be overkill? For those of you from Canada, I figure the thermoclines can't be any worse than diving in Tobermory waters and I imagine the mola dives are shorter duration too. If I do bring a dry suit, I can see the potential discomfort of overheating while on the boat where the air temps will be drastically higher than the thermocline temps.

 

[Dan]

Overkill.

I’d wear 5mm wetsuit with hood.

 

[borisphotosafari]

I dove with AquaMarine dive shop a few times. Staying in Padang Bai will save you hours in traffic every day. I wore 5mm plus 3/5mm vest. I was cold in the thermocline. My guide was turning purple. Diving at Cristal Bay can be really cold, +19C with a strong current.
Mola Molas are getting cleaned, and as long as divers are not swimming through a cleaning station, you have a good chance of seeing them.