Gilimanuk- Secret Bay

[Jonnie 0]

Gilimanuk/Secret Bay

 

This shallow water mangrove lined inlet/cove is 30 minutes drive from Mimpi Menjangan Resort. It is famed for its rare and unusual macro-life. Dives at Secret Bay can be arranged through the Mimpi dive center. Water temperature is usually 23-25° Celsius but I was fortunate in that it was 28° for my 2 dives. (The cool water is good because it attracts the bay’s unusual inhabitants.) The bay is shallow, with a maximum depth of 10-12 meters and the black sand silty bottom is covered in many places with sea grass and a type of algae resembling lettuce. There was no current. Visibility was 1-5 meters and entry is by shore.

 

This is a pure muck diving site. There is no coral or other scenic beauty to the site…just a shallow sandy trash strew bottom and rare easily photographed specimens. Right off the bat, what do we see 2 minutes into our dive but a Shaggy Long-haired frogfish sitting amongst the sea-grass. It was small (8-10 cm) and greenish/brown in colour. Another first for this trip! Next up was an Indian Dancer/Fingered dragonet ambling about the sand. The DM had said there was a spot where up to 5 frogfish congregated but on this dive, only one giant yellow one appeared for its photo shoot. Other gems included several Spot-head snake eels peering up from the sand, an unusual “lacy†scorpionfish (but not the true lacy variety), and a couple Yellow Many-banded pipefish.

 

The show continued with unusual nudibranchs, several spiny seahorses (a black and a yellow), several rare gobies (including Sail-fin and Crab-eye), Banggai cardinalfish {sorry Helmut, these are apparently not limited to the Banggai Islands of Sulawesi}, Weedy filefish, Shrimp fish, Yellow Cowfish, small cuttlefish, and finally a WONDERPLUS MIMIC OCTOPUS! This site is really muck diving at its finest and much of what I saw was for the first time.

 

Conclusion

 

Needless to say, I have a very high opinion of Bali as a diving holiday destination. First and foremost, the quality of the underwater marine environment is superb. The sites I have dived seem to be very healthy reef ecosystems filled with a dizzying array of fish and invertebrate life. Conditions for diving at the sites have also been generally ideal, with good visibility and currents easily handled by all but the most junior diver. The dive resorts/operations have been comfortable and staffed with friendly and competent staff. The topside activities available are numerous for non-divers or for a break from diving. I can say without doubt that Bali will provide many full-filled diving days for me in the years to come.

 

 

 

Post-Script

 

I am organizing another trip to Bali tentatively scheduled for April 2006. The plan is to dive sites at Padang Bai and Candi Dasa (open-water drift, coral reef, and macro dives) and the newly discovered PJ near Pumeteran (another “better†Secret Bay macro site). Email or PM to me for further information.

 

Any of my previous reports referred to in this report can be found on the DAMNAM.org or Scubaboard.com site forums.

[james 0]

Please post a photo of the bangaii cardinalfish - my fish-loving scientist friends will be very interested to hear that they have been spread to Bali.

 

Cheers

James

[michelangelo 0]

Sorry for maybe stealing in. I was in Secret bay about a month ago and took a snap of a very skittish Banggai Cardinal fish. No prizes for the quality though .My excuse is that it was the end of a 2nd dive and the water temp was 24°c, the AF on my camera didn't seem to be working well. Or maybe it was just the tears in my eyes from the cold. A note for anybody diving here bring a 5mm, from my bitterly garnered experience a 3mm just doesn't cut it.

I was more than a little surprised to see this little chap , as I thought you could only find them in Lembeh and the Banggai islands. The dive guide didn't seem at all phased though when I told him what I had seen. Of coarse this was after I had come a shore as he didn't finish the dive with me. Another note for anybody diving here, don't expect an Indonesian dive guide even in a 5mm with hood to stay in 24°c water for more than 30 minutes.

 

 

[seagrant 4]

Yes, I saw the cardinal too (Sept 05), maybe even three or so of them, but didn't even take a pic cause even my very experienced guide (Yan) wasn't surprised at all. Plus I was too into the mucky stuff, there were scads of froggies when I was there (I even got two different frog species in what looks to be an attempt at mating (mistaken identity???), I'll post pic soon).

 

Anyway I was so enamored with other stuff the cardinals didn't phase me.

 

And, well I did my research before I went to Indonesia and was toasty warm for 70 minutes X 3 dives that day in a 7mm with hood! B)

 

And my wonderful Indonesia dive guide (Yan, booked through Diving4Images), was very stalwart and stayed in the (71 degree F, 21.5 C) water with me for three 70 minute dives that day even though I told him he didn't have to. What a champ!!!! Guess quality speaks........ (But he did warn me at the beginning he would probably only be good for 60 minutes X 3, aaah, he went that extra mile....!)

 

I loved the guys at Secret Bay and the T-shirt I got there (they made it themselves), with the cool stonefish & logo on it is now a highlight in my wardrobe!! Plus the guys there were full of information and most warm and friendly.

 

Can't wait to return!!! C

[Jonnie 0]

Hi Guys,

 

Yes, there was a small school of Bangai's - maybe 5-6 amoungst some urchins when I was there. I did get a couple photos and will post them here and on Scubaboard. Michangelo, you photo looks just like mine and in fact, I almost thought you did steel it but mine has not been posted anywhere yet

[Alex_Mustard 0]

Interesting to hear that Banggai have been spread to Secret Bay too.

 

Alex

[whitehead 0]

Very nice writeup, as always, Jonnie

 

Keep well

 

 

Paul

[Jonnie 0]

P,

 

I need to fish you out of Lembah long enough to dive Bali sometime

 

I'm sure my UW photos would improve with some tips from the master...

 

Chook dee Pee Mai,

 

J