Amed
Amed is a small fishing village situated on the north eastern tip of Bali. The Amed area consists of
different bays divided by a mountainous area.
There is Amed, Cemeluk, Bunutan, Lipah and Selang bay which all have their hotels and
restaurants. The people here live from fishing, salt collecting and tourism. On the outskirts of Amed, you can see traditional
salt-panning.
The north east part of Bali receives less rain because it is in the lee of Mt.Seraya and
Mt.Agung, the highest volcano in Bali, see
Activities in Bali.
The snorkeling is very good in all the bays and can be done from the shore or go from bay to bay by the local boats called
Jukungs.
Since the area is stretched out over 15km divided by hills and bays it is a good idea to have transportation over here.
We can provide transportation in the form of driving your own car or a car with chauffeur.
From Amed you can do diving in Tulamben and vice versa.
There is a wide range of accommodations in this area in every price category, most with a pool and their own restaurant.
Many local and western style restaurants can be found in the different bays.
Amed, although it is getting more busy, still breaths the local atmosphere of Bali.
Dive conditions Amed
The easy conditions in the Amed area, Cemeluk, Bunatan and Lipah bay, make diving possible for all divers except Gili Selang which, due to currents
with the possibility of down currents, is more suitable for experienced divers.
Cemeluk bay has two headlands with steep coral walls that drop-off dramatically to over 30 metres.
The water temperature is between 25°-28°C, but can be affected by thermo clines and the
visibility is usually 14-22m.
Best time for diving is from May to October, although many places in Bali can be dived year round, see
detailed weather graphs.
Amed annual weather graphs
© 2010-2015 World Weather and Climate Information
Shark numbers are decreasing at a shocking rate.... What all people, especially divers, should know about the shark population.
Shark population
Most divers would love to see sharks, but should realize that there is a great slaughter amongst these apex predators happening every single day.
Indonesia ranks number 1 on the list of top 20 shark catchers.....
Diving in 1995 in the Bunaken national park we encountered sharks every dive. When we went back in 2008 we saw maybe 5 sharks on a total of 60+ dives!
When describing dive sites, we often mention that you might see sharks, but every year the chances are less..
An estimated 100 million sharks a year are killed, mostly for shark fin soup, says a shark researcher of the University of Windsor.
These are the shocking results done by the Institute for Environmental Research published in March 2013 in the journal Marine Policy.
The postdoctoral researcher, Steve Kessel, was part of this research team that came up with a more comprehensive estimate of the number of sharks being killed each year.
Due to the incomplete nature of the data for shark catches, that number could be as low as 63 million or as high as 273 million, but both the high and low end estimates are
considered outside of safe biological limits.
The study also found shark populations cannot reproduce fast enough to overcome that death rate.
There are about 400 species of sharks and 28% of them are threatened by extinction, Kessel said.
“One in every 15 sharks is taken every year”.
The Top 20 shark catchers in descending order are:
Indonesia, India, Spain, Taiwan, Argentina, Mexico, United States of America, Malaysia, Pakistan, Brazil, Japan, France, New Zealand,
Thailand, Portugal, Nigeria, Islamic Republic of Iran, Sri Lanka, Republic of Korea, Yemen.
Sources UNFAO, TRAFFIC 2013
Indonesia and India are responsible for over 20% of global catches between 2002 and 2011. Three EU Member States: Spain, France and Portugal, are among the top 20 shark catchers, responsible for 12% of global catches. Collectively, the 28 EU Member States are the largest shark catching entity of all.
Major hotels that continue to serve shark fin soup include:
Ritz Carlton-Hong Kong
Nikko hotels throughout Asia (headquartered in Japan)
Regal Hotels in Hong Kong
Prince Hotels and Resorts in Japan
InterContinental Group, a UK-based company
This list was comprised in conjunction with Wildlife risk.
Dive sites Amed
Use the map to jump to the dive site :
Amed / Cemuluk reef - [1]
This site has a depth from 12 to 30 metres and is located on the left side of Cemeluk bay.
Visibility here will be between 15 and 30 metres depending on the season.
There are many different kinds of Sponges and Gorgonians, and an abundance of
marine life. At 30 metres you might see some resting White-tip reef sharks on the sandy bottom. Should there be any current you will have
a relaxing drift dive.
Amed / Cemuluk wall - [2]
This site has a depth from 10 to 35 metres and is located on the right side of the bay. Visibility here
will be between 15 and 30 metres depending on the season.
The walls are home to a large variety of fish and Corals, including Angelfish,
Lionfish and the occasional White-tip reef shark. Gorgonian fans sprout from the walls and brightly coloured soft Corals coat their surface.
Bunutan - [3]
An extraordinary dive for which some experience is needed.
The drop into the dive site from the local Jukung - outrigger boat - takes you down 25 metres through a field of Garden eels to the relatively undamaged reef.
Here an amazing variety and there for a spectacle of fish can be found.
White-tip reef sharks, Stingray, Barracuda and Honeycomb-moray eels all inhabit the reef here and are a photographer's dream.
Lipah bay and wreck - [4]
Just a few metres away from the shore in shallow water lies a 20 metres long shipwreck of unknown origin.
The wreck is fully covered with healthy soft and hard Corals and is suited for all levels of divers and a famous snorkeling site.
Behind the wreck the "real" dive starts and brings you along a slope with Barrel sponges, hard Corals and Moray eels.
Under the right conditions Pipefish, Shrimp, Seahorses and Dragonfish can be found here.
Dive site Gili Selang
This small island at the most eastern tip of Bali is a spectacular dive site. The currents here can be very
unpredictable with regular up and down currents.
This large outcrop is separated from the mainland by a narrow, shallow channel.
Divers usually enter from in front of the nearby village
in the protected eddy near the rock. As you drift near the island's outer face you'll find a wall covered with beautiful soft Corals.
If the currents aren't too strong, take a ride at a depth of 18 to 24m along this wall and look for the big fish like White-tip and Grey
reef sharks, Dogtooth tuna's and Bumphead parrotfish. But watch out for the outgoing current which can make it difficult or even
impossible to return!
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