The north coast of Nusa Penida offers among the most beautiful drift dives of Bali. Five dive sites stand out around the same area. SD point, Ped, Sental, Buyuk and Tugu walls.
The drop-off stretches about eight kilometers, allowing the current to carry you throughout the dive site. When the current is weak, you’ll remain near your starting point within the same dive site. However, if the current is stronger, your drift dive may take you through several different sites. Generally, the current is stable, making for enjoyable diving experiences. Nonetheless, it is important to stay vigilant for rip currents and downdrafts. With the guidance of a qualified instructor, safety will always be the top priority! To know more about the marine fauna in Bali, you can also read this guide of Nusa Penida diving.
Diving SD point dive site
SD stands for Sekolah Dasar, which means elementary school in Indonesian. The dive site is indeed located between two elementary schools. The SD Point dive site features a wide plateau that ranges from 4 to 6 meters deep, characterized by sandy terrain where turtles can occasionally be spotted. The plateau transitions into a coral slope that descends to greater depths. The ideal depth for experiencing the site is around 18 meters, where an abundance of vibrant colors and fascinating macro life can be observed. This experience is particularly enjoyable during the early morning hours.
When you dive frequently at the same dive site, you begin to encounter challenges to tackle. At SD Point, it became a game to search for a large black frogfish that resides there. In this photo taken by my friend Roy, you can gauge the size of the frogfish by comparing it to me as I take a video with my GoPro. Roy’s photo is much better than my video!
The location is ideal for amazing encounters with turtles, tunas, and barracudas. A few whitetip sharks inhabit the area. From the start of our immersion to the conclusion of the dive, we are often surrounded by large schools of sergeant majors. Additionally, during the season, divers may even encounter Mola Mola at SD Point. There’s never a dull moment at the drop-off of SD Point; we wish time would stand still.
Be especially cautious with the current at the SD point. If the current changes direction during your dive, it usually indicates that you may encounter down currents or even washing machines later on. It’s advisable to stay close to the reef and start ascending when this occurs.
Diving Ped dive site
The Ped dive site is located just after SD point. It is named after the city of Ped, which is home to a very sacred temple. This temple is famous for housing a powerful demon that once devastated the island of Bali on Nyepi day. Diving at Ped offers an incredible experience for divers of all skill levels.
Like all dive sites on the north coast of Nusa Penida, this site is a drift dive. The current carries us along the dive, but be cautious of pull-out currents and downdrafts. When diving with a knowledgeable guide, safety will always be the top priority!
The site consists of a fairly wide and shallow plateau where there is an impressive diversity of flora and fauna. Turtles love this site and we come across them quite often. Following the plateau, a wall takes us to the seabed. The ideal depth for exploring the dive site is between 18 and 20 meters, where you’ll experience an abundance of macro life and a vibrant explosion of colors. The area is quite spacious and blends several different sites, making it an extensive dive location. Diving from Ped sometimes allows us to extend our dives all the way to SD point. And when the current is strong, we can effectively explore two dive sites in one trip!
Pay attention to the blue while diving, as you might encounter some surprises!
Great White Shark encounter at Ped dive site
A group of divers at the Ped dive site in Nusa Penida had a once-in-a-lifetime encounter on March 12, 2025, when a five-meter-long great white shark swam beside them at 22 meters deep. Divemaster Fabian Clinton first spotted the dark shape in the deep blue and quickly realized it was a great white, signaling the others. As the shark turned towards him, he held his nerve, maintaining eye contact and preparing to push it away with his fin if necessary—but just before that, the shark veered off. The divers erupted in excitement, calling it the “perfect dive,” with Clinton describing it as “beyond the holy grail of diving.” Believed to be a pregnant female, the rare sighting highlights the vulnerability of great whites, whose populations have declined due to overfishing. The video of the encounter can be seen on @foffo4 Instagram, and the full story comes from Yahoo News Australia.
You can also cross Mola Mola diving Ped !
The chances of encountering a Mola-Mola at Ped dive site during the season are relatively high. Though their peak season typically runs from July to October, sightings can still happen beyond this period—I was lucky enough to see one even in late November, well after the season had officially ended. However, my most unforgettable experience at Ped was witnessing not just one, but three Mola Molas swimming in a line, following each other quietly. Seeing a single Mola Mola up close is already an incredible experience, but watching three together in perfect formation was a truly magical and rare moment that I’ll never forget!
Diving PED Instructor’s best of
A relaxing ride.
The underwater world is often outstanding, sometimes breathtaking. A beautiful dive becomes unbelievable. That is what happened while diving Ped that day. I was taking care of some guests during a discovery dive. The conditions were perfect: crystal clear water and a tiny bit of current that made the dive even easier. We don’t know it yet, but the next 45 minutes will be in our memory forever.
A Mola Mola appears, my guests were a bit confused as I didn’t mention in my briefing that a massive sunfish could show up. Scream of joy in our regulator. He is following us, we just admire and enjoy his presence. Once he decided to go back deep, I felt something unusual, different. Here comes a thresher shark, followed by a school of barracudas. Do you want some more ? A second Mola Mola shows up, with its natural grace and decides to jump at the surface right in front of us. Magical. Time just stopped for a few seconds. There we are, stars in our eyes, feeling like we just lived a dream.
Loic, PADI OWSI
Diving Sental dive site
Between SD Point and Buyuk, you will find the Sental dive site. This site is exceptionally well preserved and characterized by high-voltage submarine lines from Bali. Diving Sental is a fantastic opportunity to observe a great diversity of flora and fauna.
Just like the other dive sites mentioned above, we practice drift diving on this site. Indeed, you will let yourself be carried by the current along the wall in order to watch the “movie” in front of you! The tray located above the wall allows you to progress in excellent conditions during a PADI discovery dive or a PADI training dive.
Your guide will show you the macro present on this place. For example, the many varieties of nudibranchs, crabs, and even ghost fishes. It is indeed a real treasure hunt which allows even experienced divers to have stars in their eyes! However, it is still necessary to have good buoyancy to observe the macro! An ill-advised palm stroke can prevent you from observing what your guide is showing you. You will also have to be patient because we do not find ghost fish or other rare creatures with the first anemone!
Diving Buyuk dive site
The Buyuk dive site continues Sental and is just before Tugu. Diving Buyuk starts close to the beach. The entry point is just above a very shallow plateau.
The coral reliefs already stand out from the white sand. We will descend along a gentle slope and drift according to the currents. Sponges, sea fans, corals, and anemones surround us in all directions, as far as the eye can see.
We take full advantage of the film by tracking down orangutan crabs, nudibranchs, Thor shrimps. But we also always keep an eye in the blue, because Mola Mola or fox sharks could surprise us. More rarely, too, a whale shark can silently observe us. Wide smiles, stars in the eyes, and images full of the head, are therefore always there when leaving this particularly easy and rich dive.
Some dive instructors told me there is a thresher shark cleaning station at Buyuk, 50 meters deep. But I never saw it myself.
Words of our guests diving Buyuk
On the morning of December 31 in Nusa Penida, I was very excited to dive Buyuk dive site, well known for offering great marine life. It’s really my favorite type of diving. The ocean is calm, a small current quietly pushes Yann and myself. We are the only ones diving there today. The conditions are perfect. So, I am amazed by the decor while Yann focuses on the deep blue, looking for a big beast.
Then I suddenly hear him knock on his cylinder to get my attention. I turn around and with surprise, I see this fabulous whale shark less than two meters in front of me, swimming peacefully. This amazing animal allows us to admire him for a little while despite the proximity, then he continues on its way.
What a beautiful and captivating moment ! This dive will certainly be my greatest New Year’s gift of my life. This dive will indeed remain forever engraved in my memory.
Stephanie, December 31, 2019
Diving Tugu dive site
On the north coast of Nusa Penida, close to the ferry port of Sampalan, Tugu dive site is located just after Buyuk wall. We practice drift diving here, as on the sites mentioned above. The diversity on the wall is great, and one can see and observe a large quantity of fauna and flora. Because of its proximity to the ferry line, you must remain extremely careful not to go back to the surface in its path! The instructor will guide you to avoid this!
Once I saw a small Mola Mola jumping out of the sea at Tugu dive site ! But I cannot promise we will see another one…
The characteristics of the dive site
Type of diving : wall, drift, deep, photography, marine biology.
Depth: 5 to 40 meters
Level required: all levels
Visibility: 25-30 meters
Current: weak to moderate
Access: 15 to 20 minutes navigation from Toyapakeh
Fauna and Flora: Mola-mola, reef shark, barracuda, trevally, shrimp, crab, nudibranches
Best time: All year