Secret Bay is the local name for the shallow waters of Gilimanuk Bay, at the western tip of Bali beside the ferry port to Java. On the surface it looks unpromising: sand, mud, seagrass and murky water. Below, it is one of the island's best muck-diving sites, rich in the small, unusual creatures that underwater photographers travel long distances to find.
The bay is fed by mangroves and sheltered from open-ocean swell, creating a nursery for juvenile fish and a habitat for species that thrive on soft bottoms. Dives here reveal dragonets, frogfish, seahorses, ghost pipefish, Banggai cardinalfish, cuttlefish, octopus, nudibranchs and bobbit worms. Water can be cooler than elsewhere in Bali, and visibility is often limited to around ten meters.
Dives are shallow, mostly between one and ten meters, with little or no current, so the pace is slow and close to the bottom. The skill is in buoyancy and patience, scanning the sand for movement. Most divers visit from Pemuteran or combine Secret Bay with Menjangan, and a guide who knows the site is essential for finding its hidden residents.
Highlights
- Dragonets, frogfish and seahorses
- Ghost pipefish and Banggai cardinalfish
- Shallow, current-free dives
- A macro photographer's site
Good to know
- Bring a wetsuit with good thermal protection; the water can be cooler than elsewhere in Bali.
- Perfect your buoyancy before diving here to avoid stirring up silt.
- Dive with a local guide who knows where the rarer critters live.
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