Crystal Bay

A sheltered white-sand bay with an easy shallow reef inshore and a genuinely serious dive outside it. The sunfish come up the channel wall in the cold season, which is also when the down-currents are worst. Two dives here can feel like two different sites.

Depth

5–40m

Current

Strong

Diver level

Advanced open water

Entry

Boat

Unique features

The main Mola alexandrini site — cleaning stations at the channel-side pinnacle, usually below 30m
Thermoclines of 18-20°C in the July-October upwelling, reported near 16°C
Down-currents on the outer channel side have caused fatalities and bends cases; the site was closed after two deaths on consecutive days in 2012

Sources & last checked

Checked August 2026

This is a researched draft, not yet human-verified. The seasonality and logistics are drawn from the sources below — confirm specifics (permits, fees, closures) with an operator before you book.

Diving Bali's Most Notorious Dive Site — Alpha Gentlemen
Photo identification of giant sunfish (Mola alexandrini, Molidae) — Frontiers in Marine Science

Note on the data: Coordinates are approximate; not surveyed dive-site GPS.