Dive site: Eel Garden - Nusa Menjangan
Time to destination: 45min
Difficulty: 2 to 4
Current: medium
Tips: lots of big fish, similar to an aquarium
On the outer north of the Lagoon is the start of the Eel Garden Dive.
Running along a steep wall dropping into open Ocean this can be one of
the best dives around Menjangan. As you head along the wall towards the
channel, the top of the reef gently slopes down to meet you as you drift
along and into the channel. Strong currents are prevalent here making
it a good hangout for big fish, Grouper, Napoleon, large shoals of
Trevally and Shark all like to hang around here when the current is
running. As the reef comes down to meet you at 20+mtrs you have two
choices. You can either turn in and left, which will bring you into Blue
Lagoon or continue on into the Eel Garden itself. Left is where we
usually find the Pygmy Seahorse's, following a coral slope on your left
side, the right side disappears into a long sandy plateau as you move on
into the Lagoon you will have to run the gauntlet of triggerfish alley.
A sandy valley populated by titan and yellow margin triggerfish. You
have been warned.
Continuing along the wall as the sand comes up to meet you brings you to
a small coral mound that swings round to a sand ridge. This ridge is
the garden itself, home to hundreds of garden eels who all rise up to
greet the current. This is the entrance to the channel between Menjangan
and Bali, this is where you'll find the bigger fish when the current is
running. Swimming up the ridge brings you to 16mtrs and midway up a
small hill populated by many corals, fish and shrimp. Take the right
side your going through the channel itself, left will take you around
the outer edge of the lagoon. If you come to the top of this small hill
you'll find a beautiful coral garden, which if the currents are running
too strong is where you may end up hiding till it's time for safety
stops.
On good days you drift around the hill and on into the Aquarium, which
is the only way to describe this place. White sandy channels running
through clumps of corals, soft, hard, fans, tables, sponges and fish
galore. All in the 12m range.