Lovina Diving
Lovina offers spectacular reef dives perfect for novice divers while providing an excellent base for divers wanting to explore dive locations further west and east in Bali. Discover deep wall dives at Menjangan and weird and wonderful creatures among volcanic black sand before returning to watch dolphins from Lovina’s idyllic beach.
Info
We don't currently have any dive centers or liveaboards in Lovina, but that might change. In the meantime, take a look at other dive experiences nearby in Bali.
Diving in Lovina
Lovina is a coastal town in the north of Bali consisting of seven villages. Kalibukbuk village is Lovina’s central tourist hub which is famous for its stunning black sand beach and dolphins that are frequently spotted of its shores. Lovina diving is possible from Kalibukbuk beach in the sheltered coral reefs, but often Lovina acts as a base for muck diving at Gilimanuk, nearby at Pemuteran or at the jaw-dropping walls of Menjangan Island.
Scuba diving in Lovina is operated from a number of dive centres in the area, with most offering trips further afield to Menjangan or Tulamben. The small reef off the shores of Kalibukbuk beach is perfect for novice divers to brush up on their buoyancy skills or partake in dive courses. There are few dive resorts in Lovina, with more found closer to Pemuteran Bay, but plenty of attractive hotels will ensure you have a comfortable stay. For those who want to fully immerse themselves in the Bali sea, liveaboards will transport you from each charming dive destination to the next.
Best time to dive
Lovina diving is possible all year round with good visibility even in the wet season. Yet, the wet season, from November through to March can present divers with challenging conditions when exiting sites by the shore in choppier seas. The prime time to visit is April through to October, in the dry season, when the visibility is at its peak and the seas are calmer.
Types of diving
In Lovina, you have the opportunity to dive in tranquil reefs at night or search the black sand seabed for strange creatures. Dive centres from Lovina can provide day trips to the world-class wreck dive of the Liberty Wreck at Tulamben as well as inviting advanced divers to the towering walls found at Menjangan Island by a chartered boat. A short drive from Lovina will find you diving on fine grey sand and rubble in some of Bali’s best muck dive sites before you end the day with a night dive and make your way back to the comfort of your Lovina accommodation. Liveaboards are also available to help you experience each of the dive locations around Lovina.
What to see
While scuba diving Lovina reef, sea turtles can be seen chomping on seagrass while dolphins are spotted playing further off in the distance. For a chance to see whale sharks, ask a Lovina dive operator to take you to Pemuteran or Menjangan Island where they are often witnessed by divers elegantly breaching the sea’s surface.
While the animals in muck dive sites are much smaller, they are often much rarer. Gaze in fascination as the mimic octopus, which can imitate fifteen other marine creatures, shapeshifts to disguise itself under your watchful eye. Among sea urchins and sea cucumbers, you may spot pegasus sea moths, leaf scorpionfish, dragonets, and seahorse within silty seabeds and healthy corals. Many reef fish occupy the water of Kalibukbuk beach, making it the ideal place for snorkelling as you rest on the day before your flight home.
Best places to dive
In walking distance from your Lovina hotel, take a 5-minute boat ride before descending into shallows filled with a healthy reef and a myriad of tropical fish. After complete immersion in this lively reef, head to a slope covered by coral fragments where you can muck dive in search of nudibranch and crabs. Deeper, at 15 to 20-metres, explore canyons, crevices, and coral bommies that shelter turtles, moray eels and giant clams.
Take a day trip to Pemuteran, where you can spot eagle rays and whale shark at Close Encounter or night dive at Pemuteran House Reef to watch mandarin fish courting. Enrol in an advanced dive course at Pemuteran before heading to Menjangan Island to scale walls up to 30-metres deep and discover hidden treasure at the Anker Wreck.
Underwater photographers should take a twenty-minute drive to Puri Jati where they can look for seahorse, nudibranch, dragonets, and frogfish all going about their daily business. Another famous muck diving site, Secret Bay near Gilimanuk, is a longer drive from Lovina but is sure to delight lovers of the ‘small stuff’.
