Scuba diving in Bali, Indonesia offers many highlights but undoubtedly one of the best known, which appears on most divers bucket lists, is diving with the mighty mola AKA the oceanic sunfish. Mola mola is the world’s heaviest bony fish and if you are hoping to catch a glimpse of one there is no better place to stay that on the island of Nusa Lembongan. Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida are at the heart of the best mola dive sites in the world.
World Diving Lembongan has been exploring the waters around Nusa Lembongan, Penida and Ceningan for more than 20 years. World Diving was one of the first dive centres to open up on the island, one of the first to offer rooms and diving packages, and the only dive centre on the island that operates a traditional Balinese jukung dive boat – our famous ‘Big Boat’. Our Dive Guides are among the most experienced in the area, with a combined total of 10’s of 1,000’s of dives in these waters. Our team has the experience, passion, and expertise to give every diver the best possible chance of a mola sighting during their stay.
Why Do Mola Mola Visit Bali?
Mola mola are ordinarily a deep dwelling fish that live way beyond recreational (and even tec) diving depths. Why they visit our islands and travel from the deep to the shallows during the months of July to November is not known for sure. However, there are a number of theories – all of which are supported by behaviours we have seen underwater over the years.
Rewarming: Mola mola have a habit of laying on their sides on the surface. It is thought that this behaviour points towards the mola rewarming after spending long periods at depth.
Cooler Waters: During these months the colder waters that we experience are more to the molas liking – it could simply be that outside of these months our waters are too warm for them.
Cleaning: Mola mola carry a heavy parasitic load and when we see mola on our reefs they are often in a trance like state and completely stationary while being cleaned by smaller fish. Schooling bannerfish tend to clean the molas body whereas smaller butterflyfish will clean around the eyes and mouth.
Feeding and Global Currents: During these months we often experience plankton blooms as colder water pushes north from Australia to Indonesia. This often brings with it plankton blooms and provides additional feeding opportunities for mola mola. Did you know that a mola mola's preferred diet is jellyfish?
Big Boat & Fun Diving with Mola Mola
Our purpose built boat, “Big Boat”, is a traditional ‘Jukung’ which in simple terms means that she has two long outriggers – one on either side. Outriggers have been used by the Balinese for as long as records show. The outriggers give the boat additional stability in the water, so you’ll experience a smooth ride and won’t be bumped around on the way to sites.
To dive with World Diving you’ll be staying on Nusa Lembongan which also means you are closer to the dive sites than operators in Bali – no car journeys or long transfers from Bali to our islands. Our proximity to dive sites also means that we can pick our departure times according to the tides for the best conditions and best chances to spot a mola. If we have an early departure time, we arrive at sites before Bali operators arrive meaning less divers in the water and more chance of a personal encounter.
Big Boat carries a maximum of 12 fun divers plus guides to ensure small groups, lots of space, and a more personal service. Big Boat is packed with features to make your trip more enjoyable and comfortable:
Maximum of 12 divers plus PADI certified Divemasters and Instructors
Individual tank rack and gear space for every diver
Dry area for bags and towels
Onboard toilet
Drinking water available
Rice parcel and fresh fruit during surface intervals
Shaded area on the diving deck
Marine radios on board for communication
Sun deck upstairs with comfortable beanbags
First aid kit and emergency oxygen
Spare gear parts and items on every trip
Life ring and life jackets
Experienced boat captain and crew
Long ladder for easy boarding after diving
Daily detailed boat briefing pre departure
Diving in Mola Mola Season in Bali
The best time to dive with us if you are hoping to mola is between July and November with September being the strongest month.
During the mola season the water temperatures can be surprisingly cool so we have full-length 5mm wetsuits available to rent. Some divers also wear a shortie over the top and/or a hood depending on their comfort levels in cooler waters. Water temperatures are around 24-26 °C but there can be much cooler thermoclines of below 20 °C.
Our knowledge of dive sites and the local conditions - with a view to seeing mola, means that we have a higher than average sighting rate and have enjoyed many close up encounters with these incredible fish. Our aim is deliver you the best possible encounters whilst enjoying a phenomenal day out diving and exploring the reefs around our stunning islands.
Mola can be seen at all depths but they are most commonly seen below 20 metres as they are a deep dwelling fish. You can increase your chances of a sighting if you have your PADI Advanced Open Water certification which increases your depth limit to 30 metres. If you are not yet an Advanced Open Water Diver, we can offer this course in conjunction with mola dive trips and it will open up new dive sites to you around the world. If you are already an Advanced Open Water Diver, you may want to consider the PADI Deep Diver Specialty course which increases your allowable depth to the maximum recreational depth of 40 metres!
Mola Mola Dive Sites in Bali
The best known site around our islands for mola sightings is Crystal Bay which also offers beautiful hard corals and a host of macro critters. We choose our dive times according to the time of the tides, lunar cycle and conditions, which unlike Bali based operators, we can see from our doorstep. We use this inside knowledge to take you to the best sites each day.
The downside to diving in Crystal Bay is that it can become incredibly busy and it is a relatively small site. However, did you know that we have sighting of mola mola on the North coast of Nusa Penida at sites such as Toyapakeh, SD, Pura Ped and Buyuk that actually outweigh the sightings in Crystal Bay and have far fewer divers?
On Nusa Lembongan the best dive sites for mola mola sightings include Mangroves and, for experienced divers, Blue Corner.
This is the inside knowledge that we have gained over more than 20 years and from being located practically ‘on site’. You can rest assured that we will take you to the best spots, at the best times, to give you the best dives – and the best chances of a sighting.
Diving with Marine Megafauna in Bali
The mola mola is a great example of Balinese marine megafauna, however it’s not the only giant that we spot around Lembongan. We also have a resident population of manta rays at Manta Point on the south coast of Nusa Penida. Mantas aggregate here for feeding in the plankton rich water, cleaning at the large cleaning station, and mating. On occasions we have seen both manta rays and mola mola in the same dive at Manta Point!
The Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF): Southeast Asia are an NGO that record and identify Nusa Penida’s manta rays and now have a database of over 700 individual manta rays. Representatives visit our dive center in the morning before we dive manta point to deliver an extra special presentation to our divers. MMF’s presentation includes information about diving responsibly with the mantas, information about manta rays and how to identify individuals.
During the mola season, MMF also share information relating to mola and diving with them. To support the important work and research that MMF undertakes, we support them by offering free places on our dive boats for their researchers and volunteers when visiting manta ray sites so they can continue to document, monitor and record our manta rays!
Other megafauna marine species that we encounter around our islands include sea turtles, occasional passing whale sharks, dolphins, and other pelagics and shark and ray species including bamboo sharks, white tip reef sharks, marble rays, and spotted eagle rays.
Guarantees?
Although we cannot guarantee what you will see, what we can guarantee is that you will be fun diving with a passionate and experienced team who love to see these fish as much as you. We keep our groups small (maximum of 4 divers to 1 PADI Divemaster or Instructor) to maximize safety and to encourage more exclusive and personalized dive experiences and marine life encounters.
Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida offer world class dive sites in the heart of the Coral Triangle so if you want to explore one of the richest marine areas in the world with an awesome team, contact us!
Are you Ready to Dive with Mola Mola in Nusa Lembongan?
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida have something to offer everyone – including Mola! If you’d like to take a PADI course while you are here we have a purpose built onsite dive training pool and you’ll be amazed by the reefs, marine life, and our professional team. No matter what time of year you want to visit, we are open and enjoying phenomenal diving and marine mega fauna encounters!
To make a reservation or for more information please feel free to contact us on info@world-diving.com or use the button below...
We are looking forward to introducing you to underwater Nusa Lembongan soon!
Comments