The Gili Islands, Indonesia, are known as an idyllic slice of paradise. Located off the North West Coast of Lombok in the heart of the Coral Triangle, are three peanut sized tropical islands boasting white sand beaches, palm trees, a relaxed vibe, and, because there is no motorised transport, the gentle clip-clopping of the islands’ horse and carts provide a peaceful mind for all who visit.
But what can the Gili Islands offer scuba divers? When approaching the islands by boat from Bali, you will see crystal clear aquamarine waters providing fabulous visibility averaging 20 to 25 metres all year round (sometimes more!). Not only are the waters clear, they are wonderfully warm (up to 31 degrees) and many divers enjoy the freedom of wearing shorts and a rash vest – no wetsuit required!
Divers don’t just want to hear about beautiful diving conditions, they want to see marine life.
And this is definitely where the Gili Islands deliver!
But what can the Gili Islands offer scuba divers? When approaching the islands by boat from Bali, you will see crystal clear aquamarine waters providing fabulous visibility averaging 20 to 25 metres all year round (sometimes more!). Not only are the waters clear, they are wonderfully warm (up to 31 degrees) and many divers enjoy the freedom of wearing shorts and a rash vest – no wetsuit required!
Divers don’t just want to hear about beautiful diving conditions, they want to see marine life.
And this is definitely where the Gili Islands deliver!
Indonesian waters are part of the Coral Triangle, the world’s primary marine biodiversity hotspot, which means it is teeming with marine life!
There is something here for every diver whether you like the big stuff or macro. There are drop-offs, slopes, sometimes there’s current for the adventure junkies, and plenty of marine life to see. Keep an eye out for white tip reef sharks, cuttlefish, octopus, moray eels, stingrays, frogfish, seahorses, scorpion fish, there are always turtles and the Gilis are often referred to as the unofficial turtle capital of the world.
It is here that I am going to address the elephant in the room … the coral, or lack thereof. The reefs around the Gilis were subjected to a completely natural event and stress factor known as El Nino. This refers to rising ocean temperatures across the tropical Pacific, and is part of a recurring climate pattern.
It’s no secret there is a history of intense El Niño fish bombing between 1997-1998 when dynamite used to catch fish killed the majority of coral around the Gilis. In 2000, local fisherman got together with dive shops and established the NGO Gili Eco Trust, and this destructive fishing practice was addressed.
However, there is good news ... when Nicole Helgeson of Reef Divers dived the Gilis in May 2018, she was very excited to find over 70 species of coral at The Bounty dive site. Nicole also discovered 35 different species of coral on one bommie at Halik and, during her dives, she found what she calls her "coral unicorns"; very rare corals only found in this area. This shows all is not lost for the Gili Islands' coral.
There is something here for every diver whether you like the big stuff or macro. There are drop-offs, slopes, sometimes there’s current for the adventure junkies, and plenty of marine life to see. Keep an eye out for white tip reef sharks, cuttlefish, octopus, moray eels, stingrays, frogfish, seahorses, scorpion fish, there are always turtles and the Gilis are often referred to as the unofficial turtle capital of the world.
It is here that I am going to address the elephant in the room … the coral, or lack thereof. The reefs around the Gilis were subjected to a completely natural event and stress factor known as El Nino. This refers to rising ocean temperatures across the tropical Pacific, and is part of a recurring climate pattern.
It’s no secret there is a history of intense El Niño fish bombing between 1997-1998 when dynamite used to catch fish killed the majority of coral around the Gilis. In 2000, local fisherman got together with dive shops and established the NGO Gili Eco Trust, and this destructive fishing practice was addressed.
However, there is good news ... when Nicole Helgeson of Reef Divers dived the Gilis in May 2018, she was very excited to find over 70 species of coral at The Bounty dive site. Nicole also discovered 35 different species of coral on one bommie at Halik and, during her dives, she found what she calls her "coral unicorns"; very rare corals only found in this area. This shows all is not lost for the Gili Islands' coral.
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There are around 26 dive site, and on some you may not find coral as you will in other parts of the coral triangle, but you will still see fascinating topography, and a plethora of marine life for your log book!
Instead of talking about the dive sites, let me show you.
When choosing a Dive Centre, we always check Trip Advisor to ensure we are diving with an environmentally conscious company, as this is extremely important to us. All our dives were carried out with Manta Dive Gili Air and Oceans 5. If you wish to dive with a small, personal dive centre, the amazing Gili Pilih Fun Divers is run by a personal friend of ours and comes highly recommended.
All photographs have been taken either by Feet Do Travel or our diver friends. Photo credits have been applied to all photos and we would like to thank Jenni Collier, Simon Bomholt and Simon Greatrex for their contributions.
Instead of talking about the dive sites, let me show you.
When choosing a Dive Centre, we always check Trip Advisor to ensure we are diving with an environmentally conscious company, as this is extremely important to us. All our dives were carried out with Manta Dive Gili Air and Oceans 5. If you wish to dive with a small, personal dive centre, the amazing Gili Pilih Fun Divers is run by a personal friend of ours and comes highly recommended.
All photographs have been taken either by Feet Do Travel or our diver friends. Photo credits have been applied to all photos and we would like to thank Jenni Collier, Simon Bomholt and Simon Greatrex for their contributions.
Gorgeous Gili Air - outside Manta Dive
Managua, one of the Manta Dive boats which are traditional for Indonesia
Gili Air Dive Sites
Night dives at the harbour
Some people hate night dives and others absolutely love them! Night dives are mainly carried out at the harbour, however they can also be from a boat at one of the other local sites.
The harbour is an easy shore dive and if you love your muck diving, this is the place to come. It’s not just the amazing octopus, shrimps, crabs and pipefish you can see on a night dive, nocturnal activity needs to be observed! Divers have witnessed rare mandarin fish mating dances, hunting, feeding and various behaviour that you don’t usually see during the day.
Night dives at the harbour
Some people hate night dives and others absolutely love them! Night dives are mainly carried out at the harbour, however they can also be from a boat at one of the other local sites.
The harbour is an easy shore dive and if you love your muck diving, this is the place to come. It’s not just the amazing octopus, shrimps, crabs and pipefish you can see on a night dive, nocturnal activity needs to be observed! Divers have witnessed rare mandarin fish mating dances, hunting, feeding and various behaviour that you don’t usually see during the day.
Getting ready for the night dive - a gorgeous Gili sunset
Lionfish
Pipefish
The elusive mandarin fish doing a mating dance
If you want to see a short video of the Mandarin's mating dance, check out this amazing footage from Simon Bomholt.
Pygmy Seahorse
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An octopus in a glass!
A frogfish
Seahorse - everyone wants to find the seahorse on a night dive!
If you want to watch a video of night diving in Gili Air (which includes a walking frogfish!), take a look at Simon Bomholt's awesome video!
Hans Reef & Secret Garden, sometimes known as Frogfish Point
Depth: 5 – 22 metres
These two dive sites are next to one another and dive guides sometimes combine a bit of both. A gentle sandy slope running parallel to the shore, there are large and small bommies plus a large coral mound.
You get to see a bit of everything here, schools of fish, turtles, peacock mantis shrimp, blue spotted stingrays plus the usual brightly coloured angels, butterflies and parrotfish, but it’s also a place for muck diving which means it’s a great all-round site and no one is disappointed.
Depth: 5 – 22 metres
These two dive sites are next to one another and dive guides sometimes combine a bit of both. A gentle sandy slope running parallel to the shore, there are large and small bommies plus a large coral mound.
You get to see a bit of everything here, schools of fish, turtles, peacock mantis shrimp, blue spotted stingrays plus the usual brightly coloured angels, butterflies and parrotfish, but it’s also a place for muck diving which means it’s a great all-round site and no one is disappointed.
Peacock Mantis Shrimp
Fimbriated Moray Eel
Cuttlefish
Titan Triggerfish
Toby
Blue Spotted Stingray
Gili Meno Dive Sites
Turtle Heaven/Turtle City/Turtle Point/Marlin Hill
Depth: 5 – 30+ metres
If you want to see turtles, this is the dive site to see them, it also happens to be my favourite dive site! It’s super fishy and that’s the reason I absolutely loved diving here. Located off the North East Coast of Meno, Marlin Hill is made up of two sloping coral reefs that turn into a pinnacle.
The turtles hang out around 12 metres where a plethora of marine can also be found such as schooling Fusiliers, Anemone Fish (including Nemo) snappers, angelfish, I could go on and on. Sometimes, there are just too many fish for the camera to capture and it does not do this site justice.
Turtle Heaven/Turtle City/Turtle Point/Marlin Hill
Depth: 5 – 30+ metres
If you want to see turtles, this is the dive site to see them, it also happens to be my favourite dive site! It’s super fishy and that’s the reason I absolutely loved diving here. Located off the North East Coast of Meno, Marlin Hill is made up of two sloping coral reefs that turn into a pinnacle.
The turtles hang out around 12 metres where a plethora of marine can also be found such as schooling Fusiliers, Anemone Fish (including Nemo) snappers, angelfish, I could go on and on. Sometimes, there are just too many fish for the camera to capture and it does not do this site justice.
Cuttlefish
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Yellow Boxfish
Simon's Reef
Depth: 18 – 35 metres
OK so I have changed my mind, THIS is my favourite dive site! There are many different types of schooling fish such as fusiliers, 2-spot snappers, surgeon fish and rainbow runners plus you can find stunning anthias hanging out around the amazing coral they have here – yes I said it, the coral on this dive site is very much alive and thriving! The coral formations are beautiful and are probably the healthiest and most diverse in the Gilis, there is a large pinnacle, gorgonian fans, barrel sponges, table coral it’s absolutely gorgeous.
Depth: 18 – 35 metres
OK so I have changed my mind, THIS is my favourite dive site! There are many different types of schooling fish such as fusiliers, 2-spot snappers, surgeon fish and rainbow runners plus you can find stunning anthias hanging out around the amazing coral they have here – yes I said it, the coral on this dive site is very much alive and thriving! The coral formations are beautiful and are probably the healthiest and most diverse in the Gilis, there is a large pinnacle, gorgonian fans, barrel sponges, table coral it’s absolutely gorgeous.
Banana Nudibranch
Blue Spotted Stingray
Two Spot Snapper
We saw this little dude on our safety stop making his way up for a breath of air
Meno Wall
As the name suggests this site is off the coast of Gili Meno and consists of two sections of steep walls extending down to 18 m before gently sloping deeper into the sand. Meno Slope is also nearby in between Meno Slope and The Bounty. It’s often protected from strong currents and waves and you can find turtles, octopus, moray eels, clown fish, Angelfish and Anemone Fish. Depth: 5 – 24 metres.
As the name suggests this site is off the coast of Gili Meno and consists of two sections of steep walls extending down to 18 m before gently sloping deeper into the sand. Meno Slope is also nearby in between Meno Slope and The Bounty. It’s often protected from strong currents and waves and you can find turtles, octopus, moray eels, clown fish, Angelfish and Anemone Fish. Depth: 5 – 24 metres.
Giant Moray Eel
Choose your shade of Day Octopus, would you like to see it in black ...
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... or brown, after it has changed colour for you!
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Nest – Meno Underwater Statues
Technically, you don’t have to dive to see the 48 life-size figures because, due to their proximity off the beach in front of BASK (a new luxury resort villa which is due to be finished in 2019), they are easily reached. Based on real people, the statues form a circle and were created by Jason deCaires Taylor, a well-known underwater sculptor. I first spotted them on a safety stop diving The Bounty and had to return to look at them properly and up close – some people think they are creepy and underwhelming, however I have high expectations and seeing them met these expectations! Despite the fact they are only a few months old, there is already good marine life around the statues and you can see turtles, Butterflyfish, Moorish idols and little schools of silver fish swimming all around.
The long-term plan is for the statues to become an artificial reef encouraging soft corals, sponges and, in time, hard corals which will then form a fully established reef.
The long-term plan is for the statues to become an artificial reef encouraging soft corals, sponges and, in time, hard corals which will then form a fully established reef.
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Gili Trawangan Dive Sites
Halik and Deep Halik also known as Coral Fan Garden
This site can be dived either shallow or deep as it has a coral reef here as well as a small cave where a few baby sharks live (at the time of writing anyway, they may have grown up and swam away by the time you read this!). You can also spot schools of rainbow coloured Anthias, Clownfish, Butterflyfish, Red Tooth Triggerfish plus a variety of Fusiliers to name a few. Depth: 10 – 35+ metres.
Halik and Deep Halik also known as Coral Fan Garden
This site can be dived either shallow or deep as it has a coral reef here as well as a small cave where a few baby sharks live (at the time of writing anyway, they may have grown up and swam away by the time you read this!). You can also spot schools of rainbow coloured Anthias, Clownfish, Butterflyfish, Red Tooth Triggerfish plus a variety of Fusiliers to name a few. Depth: 10 – 35+ metres.
White Tip Reef Shark in the small cave
Scorpion Fish
Manta Point/Sunset Point /Sunset Reef
Will you see Mantas at Manta Point? Possibly not … just saying! As with everything in nature, Mantas follow the food and arrive when there are algae blooms. For a few months, there were two living here but not everyone gets a chance to see them. If there are a lot of divers, the mantas tend to move off the site until it is quieter. So what about the dive site ... it's a gently sloping staghorn coral garden with larger coral bommies at 18-24, you can expect to see Octopus, Peacock Mantis Shrimp, and several species of Puffer and Angelfish and, of course, turtles! Depth: 5 – 24 Metres.
Update: Since releasing this blog post, in October 2017 groups of Devil Rays were spotted daily, hanging around for at least a couple of weeks! Up to 30 (sometimes more) created an excited buzz across all the Gili Islands. Please read the post I wrote for the Gili Guide, Dancing With the Devil Rays, to hear my story of diving to find them (hint, it wasn't my first attempt!).
Will you see Mantas at Manta Point? Possibly not … just saying! As with everything in nature, Mantas follow the food and arrive when there are algae blooms. For a few months, there were two living here but not everyone gets a chance to see them. If there are a lot of divers, the mantas tend to move off the site until it is quieter. So what about the dive site ... it's a gently sloping staghorn coral garden with larger coral bommies at 18-24, you can expect to see Octopus, Peacock Mantis Shrimp, and several species of Puffer and Angelfish and, of course, turtles! Depth: 5 – 24 Metres.
Update: Since releasing this blog post, in October 2017 groups of Devil Rays were spotted daily, hanging around for at least a couple of weeks! Up to 30 (sometimes more) created an excited buzz across all the Gili Islands. Please read the post I wrote for the Gili Guide, Dancing With the Devil Rays, to hear my story of diving to find them (hint, it wasn't my first attempt!).
Shark Point
Can you see sharks at Shark Point? You bet! Some of the best shark activity can be seen here and on one occasion, we were lucky enough to see a pregnant mother which is awesome … it means more sharks! This site is a fringing reef which is sometimes susceptible to current and waves when the weather is not ideal, there is also a small wreck down at 30 metres. You can hopefully spot moray eels, pufferfish, batfish, lobster, crab, scorpion fish, turtles (of course) and all types of aquarium fish live around the bommies. Depth: 10 – 35+ metres.
Can you see sharks at Shark Point? You bet! Some of the best shark activity can be seen here and on one occasion, we were lucky enough to see a pregnant mother which is awesome … it means more sharks! This site is a fringing reef which is sometimes susceptible to current and waves when the weather is not ideal, there is also a small wreck down at 30 metres. You can hopefully spot moray eels, pufferfish, batfish, lobster, crab, scorpion fish, turtles (of course) and all types of aquarium fish live around the bommies. Depth: 10 – 35+ metres.
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Porcelain Crab
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A pregnant shark ... which means more sharks yaaay!
Mentigi Bay/Seahorse Bay – off the coast of Lombok
It’s no secret that Sy is a muck-diving fan, it's the reason we visited Lembeh, and Seahorse Bay is his favourite site for that very reason.
A sandy slope dive, it is here that you can search and (hopefully) find the site’s namesake … seahorses! Beautiful, graceful little seahorses that live in the weeds, but there is plenty more to find such as longhorn cowfish, frogfish, nemo, ribbon eels and schools of Moorish idol. Depth: 5 – 20 metres.
It’s no secret that Sy is a muck-diving fan, it's the reason we visited Lembeh, and Seahorse Bay is his favourite site for that very reason.
A sandy slope dive, it is here that you can search and (hopefully) find the site’s namesake … seahorses! Beautiful, graceful little seahorses that live in the weeds, but there is plenty more to find such as longhorn cowfish, frogfish, nemo, ribbon eels and schools of Moorish idol. Depth: 5 – 20 metres.
Small school of Moorish Idols
Flying Gurnard
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Longhorn Cowfish
If all these photos aren’t enough for you, then have a look at this awesome "Diving the Gili's" video by Simon Bomholt.
How to get to the Gili Islands
The Gili Islands are a 30 minute fast-boat ride away from Lombok and 2 hours by speedboat from Bali (Padang Bai, Sanur or Amed). We used Eka Jaya but Gili Getaway are also recommended. If you wanted to island hop between Gili Air, Meno & Trawangan, it will take you around 20 minutes to travel between each one using the local “Island Hopper” boat. If you want to read more about the beautiful northern Gili Islands, check out our posts from Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan. You can also easily reach the "secret Gili Islands" in the South, Gili Gede and Gili Asahan.
The Gili Islands are a 30 minute fast-boat ride away from Lombok and 2 hours by speedboat from Bali (Padang Bai, Sanur or Amed). We used Eka Jaya but Gili Getaway are also recommended. If you wanted to island hop between Gili Air, Meno & Trawangan, it will take you around 20 minutes to travel between each one using the local “Island Hopper” boat. If you want to read more about the beautiful northern Gili Islands, check out our posts from Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan. You can also easily reach the "secret Gili Islands" in the South, Gili Gede and Gili Asahan.
Have you been diving in the Gili Islands? What were your thoughts? If you hadn’t considered it before, will you now? Tell us in the comments section below, we love to know what you are thinking.
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