SD Point, Ped, Buyuk and Tugu are among the fastest and most exciting drift dives in Bali, famous for sharks, schooling fish and seasonal mola mola encounters.
Stretching for nearly eight kilometers along Nusa Penida’s north coast, this dramatic drop-off creates ideal conditions for fast and exhilarating drift dives. The strength of the current determines the dive profile: on calm days, divers remain within a single site, while stronger currents can carry you seamlessly across SD Point, Ped, Buyuk and Tugu in one continuous drift. Currents are usually predictable and steady, making these sites extremely enjoyable for experienced divers. However, occasional rip currents and downdrafts may occur, which is why these dives are always conducted under the supervision of qualified local instructors, with safety as the absolute priority. To learn more about the marine life you can encounter here, explore our Nusa Penida diving fauna guide.
SD Point (Sekolah Dasar) – One of Nusa Penida’s Most Colorful Drift Dives
SD stands for Sekolah Dasar, the Indonesian term for elementary school. The dive site takes its name from its location between two local elementary schools, right along Nusa Penida’s north coast.
SD Point features a wide, gently sloping plateau at 4 to 6 meters, composed mainly of sandy patches where green turtles are frequently spotted. This shallow area makes for a relaxed start to the dive and is also suitable for snorkeling. Beyond the plateau, the site transitions into a coral-covered slope that descends toward deeper water.
The ideal depth for diving SD Point is around 18 meters, where the reef truly comes alive. At this level, divers are rewarded with vibrant coral colors, dense fish life, and excellent macro opportunities. Early morning dives are particularly enjoyable, offering calmer conditions, softer light, and increased marine activity.
Frogfish Encounters at SD Point
Diving frequently at the same site often turns into a treasure hunt. At SD Point, one of our favorite challenges has been searching for a large black frogfish that has made this reef its home.
In the photo taken by my friend Roy, you can clearly appreciate the impressive size of the frogfish by comparing it to me while I’m filming with my GoPro. As usual, Roy’s photo turned out far better than my video 😉
Encounters like this are one of the reasons SD Point remains fascinating dive after dive.
Marine Life at SD Point
SD Point consistently delivers rich and varied marine encounters. Divers can expect to see:
- Green turtles cruising the sandy plateau
- Large schools of sergeant majors surrounding divers throughout the dive
- Tunas and barracudas hunting along the drop-off
- A resident population of whitetip reef sharks
- Excellent macro life hidden among the corals
During the season, lucky divers may even encounter a Mola Mola (ocean sunfish) passing through deeper water. From descent to ascent, the drop-off at SD Point is rarely quiet — it’s the kind of dive where you wish time would slow down.
Currents & Safety at SD Point
While SD Point is an exhilarating dive site, currents demand respect. If you notice the current changing direction during the dive, this often signals the potential arrival of downcurrents or washing-machine conditions further along the reef.
When this happens:
- Stay close to the reef
- Avoid drifting into open water
- Begin a controlled ascent when advised by your guide
With proper awareness and guidance from experienced local instructors, SD Point remains a thrilling yet safe dive site for confident divers.
Diving Ped Dive Site – Sacred Waters & Dynamic Drift Diving
The Ped dive site is located just after SD Point, along the north coast of Nusa Penida. It is named after the nearby town of Ped, home to one of the island’s most sacred temples. According to local belief, this temple once housed a powerful demon said to have brought devastation to Bali on Nyepi day, giving the area a strong cultural and spiritual significance.
Diving at Ped offers an exceptional underwater experience suitable for divers of all levels, combining rich marine life with exciting drift conditions.
Drift Diving at Ped
Like most dive sites on the north coast of Nusa Penida, Ped is a drift dive, with the current gently — and sometimes swiftly — carrying divers along the reef. While conditions are generally enjoyable, it’s important to remain alert for pull-out currents and occasional downdrafts. With an experienced local guide, dives are conducted with safety as the highest priority, allowing divers to enjoy the site with confidence.
Underwater Topography & Marine Life
The dive begins on a wide, shallow plateau featuring an impressive diversity of coral and marine species. This area is particularly popular with turtles, which are encountered here on a regular basis.
Beyond the plateau, the reef drops into a wall descending toward deeper water, creating a dramatic underwater landscape. The ideal depth for exploring Ped is between 18 and 20 meters, where divers are rewarded with abundant macro life, vivid reef colors, and dense fish activity.
Ped is a spacious and interconnected dive area, blending seamlessly with neighboring sites. Under favorable conditions, dives starting at Ped can sometimes be extended all the way to SD Point. When the current strengthens, it’s even possible to explore two dive sites in a single dive, making each immersion unique.
Keep an Eye on the Blue
While drifting along the reef, always watch the blue water. Pelagic visitors can appear unexpectedly, adding an exciting element of surprise to every dive at Ped.
Great White Shark encounter at Ped dive site
On March 12, 2025, a group of divers at the Ped dive site in Nusa Penida experienced an extraordinary and extremely rare encounter when a five-meter-long great white shark glided past them at a depth of 22 meters.
The encounter began when Divemaster Fabian Clinton noticed a large, dark silhouette emerging from the deep blue. Realizing almost instantly that it was a great white shark, he calmly signaled the rest of the group. As the shark slowly turned toward him, Clinton maintained eye contact, staying composed and ready to gently deflect it with his fin if needed. Just moments before any interaction, the shark changed direction and disappeared back into the blue.
The divers surfaced in disbelief, unanimously calling it the “perfect dive.” Clinton later described the moment as being “beyond the holy grail of diving.” The shark is believed to have been a pregnant female, making the sighting even more exceptional.
Such encounters are almost unheard of in tropical waters and serve as a powerful reminder of the vulnerability of great white sharks, whose populations have declined sharply due to overfishing and bycatch. A video of the encounter can be viewed on @foffo4’s Instagram, and the full report was covered by Yahoo News Australia.
While sightings like this are exceptionally rare, divers in Nusa Penida may also, on very special occasions, encounter other large pelagic sharks, such as whale sharks or thresher sharks, passing through deeper blue water.
Mola Mola Encounters at Ped Dive Site
You can also encounter Mola Mola while diving at Ped, and during the right season, the chances are relatively high compared to many other dive sites in Bali. The peak Mola Mola season in Nusa Penida usually runs from July to October, when colder upwellings bring these iconic ocean sunfish closer to the reef. That said, sightings are not strictly limited to these months — I was lucky enough to spot a Mola Mola as late as November, well after the official season had ended.
One of my most unforgettable dives at Ped wasn’t just about seeing a single Mola Mola, but three of them swimming silently in a line, one after another. Encountering a Mola Mola up close is already a powerful moment, but witnessing three together in perfect formation was something truly magical and exceptionally rare — a memory that remains etched in my mind.
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 appeared, and 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 to 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 straightforward 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