Pemuteran
Northwest coast of Bali
Two kilometres to the east of Pemuteran and a couple of kilometres off shore lies Napolean Reef. This submerged reef rises to five metres from the surface and slopes down to 30 metres to the north, providing some easy paced Bali scuba diving.
The slopes are dominated by soft corals, sea fans and small table corals. Shy masked porcupinefish peek out from under the ledges with their large, round eyes. Pygmy seahorses and spider crabs hang out in the pink gorgonians. The sea bed is covered with fields of clasping flower corals and delicate blue vase sponges. Close by on 22m lies the empty 16 metre long hull of a scuttled dive boat, generously "donated" by one of the local operators. Reef-fin squid and large cuttlefish can be seen as well as the occasional school of bigeye trevally.
Other dive sites in the area, such as Rock Garden and Close Encounters, offer large fields of shore-based hard coral reefs and boulder pinnacles with a large array of macro life including colourful nudibranchs and flatworms.
In 1998 the House Reef at Pemuteran was devastated by El Nino. So three years ago, this reef became the first Bali scuba diving site to be sponsored by an artificial re-generation project fund. Large holding domes were sunk with live coral samples. The reef receives electronic stimulus from shore and responds with remarkable growth rates. The local village have buoyed the area and guard it as a no-fishing exclusion zone, so that fish stocks can re-group too. So far, although still incomplete, the project has proved a well-deserved success.
Pemuteran Reef Basics: Reef banks and invertebrates
Depth: 5 - 30m
Visibility: 10 - 25m
Currents: Gentle
Surface Conditions: Calm
Water Temperature: 26 - 29°C
Experience Level: Beginner - intermediate
Diving Season: All year round, but can be choppy in August
PADI Course Compatibility: Great for underwater photography and coral reef conservation
Distance: ~100 km northwest of Kuta (3½ hours)
Access: Dive Bali resorts
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