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Deep Dive: Introducing Dive Sites
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
We have gathered an in-depth site analysis for your convenience, so you can get an educated view on how diving in Kertasari truly is. But first, it is important for us to explain why we have chosen to publish this information. We feel strongly that everyone should have access to nature, and the gatekeeping culture in diving industry is an old-world relic we don't want to associate with. Grab a cuppa and enjoy the read!
5 Reasons why we don’t gatekeep dive sites:
Visibility drives environmental protection: Shining a light on these ecosystems makes illegal practices like dynamite fishing and poaching harder to hide and puts pressure on authorities to enforce protections.
More eyes on the water mean better monitoring: Every dive becomes an opportunity to monitor species populations, like the manta rays, and report illegal activity in real time.
Open data strengthens marine research: Conservation requires baseline ecological data. Openly sharing information allows visiting researchers, students, and NGOs to contribute to mapping and studying local marine flora and fauna.
Conservation outweighs commercial secrets: Treating marine sites as exclusive commercial assets prioritises short-term business interests over long-term ecosystem survival. Protecting vulnerable marine life requires open collaboration, not gatekeeping.
Community ownership builds long-term defense: When sustainable ocean tourism benefits the local community more than illegal fishing (=pays more, provides more), outside-in conservation efforts become futile and the system feeds in its own positive cycle.
Kertasari dive sites map - First one ever published
We published our first version of the Kertasari dive site map on social media a while back, after a long and careful consideration. Why?
"We believe that the ocean belongs to everyone".
The dive sites
1. Champagne Reef (house reef right in front of our shop)
2. Sarang Garden
3. Tempok Dalam
4. Shark Avenue
5. Anemone Garden
7. Bikini Bottom
8. Mantahari
Plus a handful of secret spots, and new sites being explored every week.
Champagne Reef 🍾
Difficulty Level: Easy
Level Requirements:
Snorkeler, Freediver, Discovery Diver, Beginner Diver (Open Water), Advance Diver
Depth: 5 — 18m
Topography: Sloping reef
Coral Types: Sponges (barrel), anemones, stony corals (boulder, branching, fleshy, plate)
Marine Life: Turtles, reef fishes (pufferfishes, batfishes, angelfishes, surgeonfishes, rabbitfishes, damselfishes, anemonefishes, snapper, fusilier, sweetlips), rays (blue spotted rays, eagle rays, marble rays, leopard whiprays). Flatworms, arthropods (shrimp, hermit crab, mantis shrimp), snails, sea slugs (dorid), bivalves, cephalopods (cuttlefish, squid, octopus), echinoderms (sea star, sea urchin, sea cucumber),
Description:
This site starts with flat hard corals stacked on top of each other with green algae growing between them. A place to find nudibranchs and cuttlefish blending in with the green. As you go deeper, the reef slopes down into large coral structures: table, leafy, and brain corals. Each coral structure is home to different reef fish like batfish, angelfish, and pufferfish.
Turtles are often passing by or resting on plate corals, and anemonefish here are very curious and often come out to look at divers. The deeper flat sandy area is also a great place to spot rays.
Sarang Garden 🪸
Difficulty Level: Easy
Level Requirements:
Snorkeler, Freediver, Discovery Diver, Beginner Diver (Open Water), Advance Diver
Depth: 4 — 18m
Topography: Sloping reef
Coral Types: Hard corals with sandy bottom, soft corals, soft fans
Key Wildlife: Macro, turtles, reef fishes (pufferfishes, clownfishes, angelfishes, parrotfishes), rays (blue spotted rays)
Description:
This site has colorful soft corals in the shallow area and big hard coral structures with sandy bottom as you go deeper. The white sand makes the coral colors stand out so the reef looks even more colorful. The reef is home to turtles, pufferfish, parrotfish, and many small reef fish living around the coral. Keep an eye on the sandy patches too as blue spotted stingrays are often resting below!
Bikini Bottom
Difficulty Level: Advanced / Experienced
⚠️ Can have moderate to strong currents.
Depth: 10 — 20m
Level Requirements:
Beginner Diver (Open Water with 15+ dives), Advance Diver
Topography: Sloping reef
Coral Types: Hard corals, soft corals
Key Wildlife: Macro, turtles, reef fishes, rays (blue spotted rays, manta rays), schooling fish (sardines, barracudas), sharks (white tip reef sharks, nurse sharks, bamboo sharks), crustacean (lobsters, mantis shrimps)
Description:
The site starts on a steep coral slope before reaching a deeper, flat reef with hard and soft corals growing on top of each other. Various sizes of sponges are one of the most noticeable features of this site. The biodiversity of marine life here is the highlights, from clouds of small reef fish sea goldies to well fed whitetip reef sharks. You can also spot turtles and lobsters hiding inside the big structure. If you’re lucky, you might come across a school of sardines. If you’re very lucky, you may even see a school of barracudas!
Tembok Dalam (Blue Wall)
Difficulty Level: Advanced / Experienced
⚠️ Can have moderate to strong currents. A washing machine can be found near the edge.
⚠️ Can have a strong surge that pushes divers towards the wall during big swells.
Depth: 10 — 40m
Level Requirements:
Beginner Diver (Open Water with 10+ dives), Advance Diver
Topography: Vertical wall, sloping reef
Coral Types: Hard corals, soft corals
Key Wildlife: Macro, turtles, reef fishes, schooling fish (surgeonfishes), sharks (white tip reef sharks, nurse sharks, bamboo sharks), lobsters
Description:
The dive starts along a steep wall with the bottom ranging from about 18 to 40 m. Look closely into each hole in the wall, lobsters and octopuses are often hiding! Also look out into the blue and you’ll often see large schools of surgeonfish. Then the wall slowly changes into a slope covered with healthy & colorful corals. Many adventurous divers enjoy this site because it starts with a steep wall and finishes on a beautiful & relaxing reef. The slope is full of marine life, and if you’re lucky, you might even spot a bamboo shark or a nurse shark.
5. Shark Avenue
Difficulty Level: Advanced / Experienced
⚠️ Can have moderate to strong currents.
Depth: 10 — 20m
Level Requirements:
Beginner Diver (Open Water with 10+ dives), Advance Diver
Topography: Sloping reef
Coral Types: Hard corals, soft corals
Key Wildlife: Macro, turtles, reef fishes, schooling fish (surgeonfishes, rainbow runner), sharks (white tip reef sharks, nurse sharks, bamboo sharks)
Description:
The dive starts on a gentle slope with stacked hard corals, surrounded by endless schools of small reef fish sea goldies, turtles, pufferfish. A place to spot different kinds of sharks: whitetip reef sharks, bamboo sharks, and nurse sharks. They are often seen resting on the reef or swimming curiously towards divers.
6. Anemone Garden
Level Requirements: Snorkeler, Freediver, Beginner Diver (Open Water with at least 20+ dives), Advance Diver (Advanced Open Water) — comfortable in current/drift dive
⚠️ Can have moderate to strong currents. A washing machine & downcurrent can sometimes be found near the edge.
Depth: 5 — 30m
Description:
The dive starts on a gentle slope with stacked hard corals, surrounded by endless schools of small reef fish sea goldies, turtles, pufferfish. A place to spot different kinds of sharks: whitetip reef sharks, bamboo sharks, and nurse sharks. They are often seen resting on the reef or swimming curiously towards divers. As you continue, the hard corals change into a slope covered with pink pulsing xenia corals, where sea snakes are often seen hunting for prey.
Further along, anemones begin to appear, which slowly turns into a large anemone garden where they cover almost every part of the reef. The dive finishes at a steep wall decorated with colorful large sponges. With so many different topography and marine life, divers always come back to the boat feeling fulfilled! All smiles!
7. Mantahari
Difficulty Level: Advanced / Experienced
⚠️ Can have strong currents and downcurrents for 7-8 months of the year.
⚠️ Snorkeling only calm season (September, October, December). Rest of the year conditions are choppy and unsuitable for surface activities.
Level Requirements: Snorkeler & Freediver (Calm season only), Advanced Diver / Experienced Open Water Diver comfortable with strong currents
Depth: 15 — 45m
Topography: Sloping reef
Coral Types: Hard corals, soft corals (similar structural formation to Bikini Bottom)
Key Wildlife: Manta Rays, cleaning station fauna, turtles, reef fishes, schooling fish, sharks (whitetip reef sharks, nurse sharks), rays
Description: A slope starting at 15 meters and descending down to 45 meters, structurally similar to neighboring Bikini Bottom with dense layers of hard and soft corals.
Highlight of this site is an active reef manta cleaning station. During the season (August through December), manta rays frequently visit the station. During the calmest months, September, October, and December, the water is clear enough that mantas can often be spotted right from the surface by snorkelers.
While parts of this reef has suffered damage from illegal dynamite fishing, recovery and protection efforts are underway. Working alongside local officials and the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) to eliminate destructive fishing, monitor the local manta population, and protect the ecosystem.
If you want to explore these pristine sites sustainably and with respect to the fragile ecosystem, with calm, kind and experienced dive professionals, we'll be just the fit. ;)
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