AGUNG BALI NIRWANA North Bali Villas Snorkeling on living coral reef

Agung bali nirwana's unrivalled fish & coral

We are extremely lucky at Agung Bali Nirwana, as we have a living, preservation order protected coral reef, literally just off "our" beach. There are also a number of good spots around this whole area. And many colorful fish too. Our staff have a selection of high quality snorkeling equipment you can use for free. They can even arrange for a local fisherman and his outrigger to take you to other local snorkeling spots.

Snorkeling for most people requires flat water conditions. Despite the fact, on the north coast with nothing but water between us and the nearest island of Kangean, 125 Km away. For most of the year, the waters are extremely calm. Also, with winds generally from the East to North East, our location in relation to a nearby headland offers protection from the swell. However, during January to March (the wet season), you may find the water too rough for easy snorkeling. Also, El Ninó does affect this island every 4 years to some degree or another. And this may also detrimentally affect snorkeling conditions. The El Ninó years are 2002, 2006, etc.

Also, our Indonesian Ministry of Fisheries sponsored coral and fisheries project, which started in December 2002, has been a phenomenal success. To read more about this superb venture to protect and enhance both coral and fish in the area, please click here. The picture left shows the edge of the coral project structure and just how many fish this attracts. This is in additional to the coral reef itself, so there are a large number of places right offshore to go and snorkel.

We believe we need to introduce programs like this into the area to preserve the coral and fish for future generations. Although we are better off than the south of Bali, where coral was used for concrete and whole beaches washed away (as in Candi Dasa and Tanjung Benoa). We still have living coral structures and fish. But it is an uphill struggle. Although the reef has a preservation order on it, this does not always stop local aquarium fishermen from netting or even worse cyaniding / using explosives on the reefs to stun / bring up the fish. Hopefully, we have passed the later in Sambirenteng, but there are still people with nets. We realize just telling local people they can not fish here anymore is not that simple. Preservation orders are not easily enforced, as there simply are not the police to do it. Now we have the coral project started, we are hopeful the locals will join us in protecting the offshore environment.

We are therefore naturally defensive of the coral and fish off "our" beach. And until we can be sure all forms of aquarium fishing have stopped for good off our beach, we must ask guests not to feed the fish (as this makes them less timid and more susceptible to netting). Of course, we would also ask people to please be careful of living coral anywhere in the world. And not to touch, step on, or otherwise interfere with it. The coral picture to the left, is one of the many hard corals that grow both on our coral project structure and on the reef itself.

It is not just soft and hard corals, plus lots of grateful fish you can find around "our" reef and submersible coral "magnet". Here (picture left) you can see a rare "Featherstar". The corals / marine life on our structure can grow well in sea temperatures 4 or 5 degrees above what they could normally (because of the beneficial change in pH). So we are like a coral bank during the expected imminent rise in sea temperatures through global warming. As coral continues to die elsewhere in Bali, we expect "ours" to thrive.

Ardent snorklers may also like to consider a day trip to Menjangan Island. This involves a 2 hour car journey there and back, to the north west of Bali. Then, after having made arrangements with the National Park station, to take a 30 minute boat ride (with approved guide) out to the best snorkeling site in Bali. Our staff will take you there, accompany you, look after your belongings and then come back with you / bring you back after, say, 3 hours of some of the finest snorkeling anywhere. An early start will ensure fewer people / fellow snorklers are in the area.

At Menjangan, you can bring small plastic water bottles and either banana or bread to feed the fish, as aquarium fisherman leave the island alone. Our staff will be delighted to take you to a good beach restaurant for lunch in Pemuteran on the way back. And perhaps stop at one of the places of interest if you would like. We also feature a trip to Jemeluk / Amed (see our Tours / Activities page for details). Plus we are able to take you to snorkel at nearby Tulamben, although this area is principally of interest to divers (see our Scuba-Diving page).