Page 40 - Diving Indonesia 21 November 2019

PEMUTERAN AND Pemuteran and Menjangan Island

MENJANGAN ISLAND

Menjangan Island lays just a short Conditions
emuteran is a relatively small and sleepy coastal town boat ride from Pemuteran and spans
which attracts tourists wishing to visit the Menjangan around 38 km2. This small island The Menjangan and
PNational Park (Bali Barat National Park). The majority of is home to the rare Javan rusa deer Pemuteran area offers
local people (mainly Hindu and some Muslim) are fishermen or (Menjangan in Indonesian), which a range of walls around
Menjangan Island, slopes
farmers growing sweetcorn (jagung) and keeping livestock, some gave the island its name. Menjangan off of Pemuteran’s outer reef and macro
are also involved in the tourism industry and in construction. is uninhabited and to visit the island and muck diving at Secret Bay to the
Pemuteran is still considered an “off the beaten track” part of you need a permit and a park guide, North West of the island. Dive sites here
Bali when compared to areas in the south but it offers a range which can be arranged with most are sheltered and currents are mild to non-
of accommodation options and places to eat. The National Park tour operators or hotels in the existent. Year round easy diving makes
area is one of stunning natural beauty – green forests bordered by Pemuteran Beach area, or obtained this an ideal location for all levels of divers.
at the park office in Labuhan Lalang.
black sand beaches which open up onto clear tropical waters. Besides pristine nature, you can
also admire the island’s collection of Annual water temperatures range from
shrines, including Segara Giri Dharma 28 to 29 degrees Celcius but cooler
Kencana Temple with its towering thermoclines of 26 degrees Celcius can
seaward-facing Ganesh statue on its be present from July to October. Secret
hilly north-eastern shore. Bay is an exception and has much cooler
temperatures and can drop to 24 degrees
This region of north west Bali offers Celcius between July and October. The
divers a taste of many different best visibility is from April to October
topographies so if you want to try a when it averages 18 to 25 meters plus;
few different dive types, relax and during the wetter months of November to
enjoy the beauty of the Bali Barat March the range is from 5 meters (after
Park then Menjangan and Pemuteran rainfall) to around 15 meters. Peak season
are perfect destinations. is June to October and this is when more
pelagics are seen passing through the
area.

Dive Site and Marine Life Highlights of Menjangan
and Pemuteran

One of Menjangan’s around 12 meters and can be entered.
best known sites is the The wall itself is a mix of hard and soft
Cave II wall dive which is corals with the latter being more notable.
located to the south of the east coast Large gorgonian sea fans and wild looking
of Menjangan. Cave II offers some bushes of black corals adorn the wall and
interesting vertical rifts and faults; one the underwater reefscape is really quite
of which forms a tall, narrow cavern at impressive.

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