Bali Diving Location : Nusa Penida

Sunfish or Mola Mola

The Oceanic Sunfish or Mola – Mola will be coming again, the family name of Sunfish is Centrarchidae Molidae. The sunfish is an unusual looking fish; it doesn't have a caudal (tail) fin. Instead it has a clavus, which is formed by extensions of the dorsal and anal fin rays. These take the place of a true tail fin which does not form.

Now the Mola – Mola will come again on middle of July until Middle of September, they always appear around three sister island of Bali, i.e. Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Ceningan, especially in Blue Corner Point or Crystal Bay Point.

Mola Mola Fact Sheet
Family name : Centrarchidae Molidae
Order name : Tetraodontiformes
Common name : Oceanic Sunfish
Scientific name : Mola Mola

Diving Sites for Mola Mola
Location: Bali
Dive Site: Blue Corner or Crystal Bay
Depth : 10 - 35m
Visibility : 20 - 30m
Temperature : 20 - 25°C
Currents : Can be very strong
Season : August – middle of September
Access : By Boat from Bali

Nusa Penida is a small island located in the southeast of Bali, across the Badung Strait which separates the island (and two other small islands, Nusa Ceningan Island and Nusa Lembongan Island) and Bali Island. Nusa Penida covers a wide area of Diving Site Locations. They are Penida Bay, Manta Point, Batu Meling, Batu Lumbung, Batu Abah, Toyapakeh and Malibu Point. The flow through the Lombok Strait is, overall, south-tending, although the strength and direction of the tidal streams are influenced by the monsoon seasons.

During the southeast monsoons, the tidal flow tends south; during the northeast monsoons, the tidal flow tends north. In the area of the strait north of Nusa Penida, the pattern is relatively simple, with a flow, at peaktide, of about three-and-one-half knots. But when you reach the area around Nusa Penida, things get very messy indeed. Tidal streams in Selat Badung (Badung Strait) are semi-diurnal, but owing to the fact that its direction runs obliquely to the general S to N direction of Selat Lombok, and the curved shape of the channel, the character of the stream is very complicated.

Toyapakeh has a very beautiful stretch of reefs, and in the southern part of the bay there is a similar area of rugged bommies, rich with color and fish, that is, if anything, even better. Big schools of fish, sea turtles, and occasionally, molas are highlight of Toyapakeh diving. Toyapakeh is special for its structure; those great pillars of coral. Malibu Point is one of the nicest diving sites in the island with gray reefs, reef white tips, silver-tips and numerous sharks. While Penida Bay is another anchorage, and the rocky islands have an interesting forms; something like an old resting elephant. The bay is very vulnerable to swell, creating-up-and-down-currents. Then, Manta Point is a limestone rock off Pandan cafe.

The above-water scenery is dramatic, with sheer limestone cliffs cut out by the monstrous swell that pounds this coast year-round. The swell is so strong that even being on a boat here is very uncomfortable. The same conditions are owned by Batu Meling, Batu Lumbung, and Batu Abah.

Members: PATA, JATA, ASITA

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