Want to discover an underwater Hindu Temple or underwater temple garden in Bali or another fascinating dive site where you can enjoy meeting the marine life of the island face-to-face?
We’ve found 10 amazing places where you can find statues, temples, and other interesting underwater creations, which will make your diving experiences in Bali even more interesting.
So, it’s time to head off from the shore and enjoy everything the coast has to offer beneath the waves!
Our 10 Best Underwater Spots In Bali
The Underwater Temple Garden Of Bali, Pemuteran
This garden near Pemuteran Beach is a collection of underwater temples that were all designed to stimulate coral growth.
They’re not actual temples, as they were never used for worship. However, they are a cool art project that can deliver some dramatic underwater snaps.
It’s nice to know that we can create conservation projects of such beauty and encourage others to participate in such worthwhile activities.
Where Is It? Desa Pemuteran, Buleleng, Bali 81155
BASK Nest, Gili Meno
This underwater sculpture park is, perhaps, the most famous underwater site in Bali.
It was built by the world-famous sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor and it’s not his first underwater world creation.
This one is comprised of 48 figures, each one life-sized, in a circle on the se bed.
It’s an extraordinarily beautiful place to go diving and you can’t beat the chance to swim with turtles, octopi, reef sharks, etc.
Where Is It? Gili Meno, Gili Indah, Pemenang, Lombok Utara, Nusa Tenggara Barat 83352
Jemeluk Bay Underwater Gallery, Amed
This is a wonderful place with “living sculptures” it was created by Indonesian artists and sits just off the coast of Amed, an area famed for its w world-class diving spots.
Check out the giant baby head, some apsara (water nymphs), treasure chests and more.
One of the coolest things about this place is that you can actually send a postcard underwater here.
Buy a waterproof postcard at a local shop, mail it in the box at the dive site and it will be delivered to the lucky recipient!
Where Is It? Jemeluk Bay Underwater Gallery, Pantai Jemeluk, Amed Street, Bunutan, Abang, Karangasem, Bali 80852
Karang Lestari Bio-Rock Reef Project, Pemuteran Beach
This is one of the world’s best reef restoration projects and it’s a series of artificial reefs that have given rise to coral growth over an area of 20,000 square meters!
The sunken metal frames here are a bit abstract compared to the sculptures at other sites but they’re quite fabulous.
One nice thing to do at the Biorock Centre is to have them make an iron wire mock-up of your name and they will then let you plant it for baby coral to make their home on!
That means you could live on forever under the waves of the Indian Ocean here in Bali.
Where Is It? Biorock Center, Banjar Loka Segara, Desa Pemuteran, Buleleng, Bali 81155
Boga Shipwreck, Tulamben
This isn’t as famous as the wreck of the USAT Liberty but it’s a wonderful place to go diving and there’s an interesting attraction here.
You’ll find that in addition to the ship (which was sunk by a Japanese submarine during World War 2) there’s also a Volkswagen 181 at this site!
Why? Well, we have no idea but we do know that the local coral loves it and has been happy to grow all over this site.
Watch out for coral trout, barracuda, sunfish and more at this brilliant underwater site in Bali.
Where Is It? Tulamben, Kubu, Karangasem, Bali 80852
Submerged Stupas, Amed
This area is a spot with a spiritual edge. The sculpture designs here are all of Buddhist imagery and Buddhist stupas.
If you’re in the mood for some underwater meditation this could be the perfect spot for you to find inner peace in the Indian Ocean.
Of course, the main purpose of these sculptures, as with all the other projects listed here, is to give coral a new home.
Where Is It? Kec. Abang, Amed, Bali 80852,
Suci Palace, Tulamben
This is a lovely dive site that has been incorporated into a local dive resort, so if you want to visit, you can enjoy the place pretty much all to yourself as long as you stay in the Matahari Tulamben Resort.
It’s quite a shallow site, which makes it ideal for new divers and the garden has statues of the Buddha, Hindu deities, and temples.
You will also find that the area has some incredibly diverse marine life and you should be able to see eagle rays, moral eels and more here.
This is probably the only “private reef” in Bali and it’s a great spot for getting away from it all.
Where Is It? Tulamben, Kubu, Karangasem, Bali 80853
Deus BioRock, Gili Trawangan
This is a project that was devised by The Marine Foundation and the biker’s brand Deus Ex Machina here in Bali.
They sunk a motorbike into the water and now, it’s home to some gorgeous coral. It’s not the biggest underwater world moment in Bali but it’s certainly a pleasant sight to behold.
If you love to take photos under the waves, this is the ideal place for a little bio rock’n’roll in your shots.
Where Is It? Gili Trawangan, Gili Indah, Pemenang, Lombok Utara, Nusa Tenggara Barat,
Ceningan Buddha Point, Nusa Ceningan/Ceningan Island
This is one of the easiest sites for diving as it sits only 7 meters below the waves, heck even snorkelers can find some great views here.
There’s a 2.4-meter-tall Buddha statue here and some Buddhist stupas, like the ones in Borobudur Temple near Yogyakarta in Java.
You can actually swim from the beach to this spot but we’d urge you to be careful as the current can get very strong, very quickly.
Don’t get pulled out to sea, that’s not a good way to end your Bali holiday, we’d recommend hiring a boat from a diving school.
Where Is It? Ceningan Island, Lembongan, Nusapenida, Klungkung, Bal
Badung Underwater Cultural Park, Nusa Dua
There are 26 sculptures at this little park just off the coast of Nusa Dua and they’re all about 11 meters below the waves.
That makes this an excellent place for beginners to try their hand and the sculptures include figures from Hindu epic tales.
Interestingly, while the water is probably too deep for someone in snorkel gear, you can actually see the sculptures from the surface on days when the water is calm.
Where Is It? Pantai Samuh, Benoa, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali 8036
How To Get The Most Out Of An Underwater Temple Garden Or Similar Spot
If you want to get the most out of your visit to these spots, we’d encourage you to read up on them before you go and learn about their history and wildlife.
It can really help you to appreciate these places if you know what to expect there.
PADI Certification
If you want the incredible experience of swimming under the ocean with tropical fish and marine life, then you will need to invest in a PADI certification.
You can become a certified diver quickly and relatively cheaply in Bali, but you must visit a dive school before you can discover what’s beneath the ocean in this beautiful place.
This is because diving can be a magical experience when done safely but could quickly become very unpleasant if you don’t know what you’re doing.
It makes more sense for authorities here in Bali to require a PADI certification before you explore the world underwater when you realize that it’s for your own safety.
What To Do At Dive Sites In Bali
You are free to swim around and enjoy the spectacle under the waves. These sites are beautiful to look at.
If you have a camera, then please feel free to take as many photos as you want.
However, please don’t touch or remove anything from these sites. Corals are fragile and disturbing the environment can be fatal to them.
We’d also encourage you to join dives that help support the restoration projects here in Bali, it helps you to give back.
Reef Gardeners Bali
Reef Gardeners is a side project of the Bali Rehabilitation Fund, and a small donation is made towards this project from the fees at some of these dive sites.
This helps to ensure the future of the coral reefs in Bali and Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningan, and Nusa Lembongan.
FAQs
Where Are The Underwater Statues In Bali?
There are many underwater statues in Bali but the most famous of them are not in Bali, but rather between Bali and Lombok but in Lombok’s official boundary on the island of Gili Meno.
They’re called “Nest” and are the work of the world-famous British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor.
What Is The Circle Of People Underwater In Bali?
It’s called Nest and it’s not actually in Bali, it’s in Lombok in the strait between Bali and Lombok on the island of Gili Meno.
What Do The Statues In Gili Meno Represent?
The 48 statues at Nest in Gili Meno are arranged in a circle to represent the “circle of life”.
The artist’s intention is that as the statues “die” coral growth on them will increase and artificial reefs will spring forth from his conservation efforts.
Thus, the circle of life is fulfilled from birth to death to life again.
What Island Has Statues Underwater?
In Bali, you will find statues underwater at many dive sites and also at the islands of Gili Meno and Nusa Ceningan Island.
Perhaps the most famous underwater statues in the world are at the Molinere Bay Underwater Sculpture Park, which was created by the British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, who is also responsible for “Nest” at Gili Meno.
Are Underwater Temples The Same As Water Temples?
No, underwater temples and underwater gardens are deliberate structures to help with the development of artificial reefs and dive sites and are placed by reef gardeners seeking to boost coral growth.
A water temple, on the other hand, is on land and is connected to the Hindu faith here in Bali.
It’s a place with a natural spring where a religious (and occasionally non-religious) participant may undergo a water purification ceremony to help with spiritual cleansing.
The most famous water temple here in Bali is Tirta Empul, but there are several others, all quite firmly located in and on mainland Bali.
What Is The Famous Underwater Statue In Bali?
There are many underwater statues here in Bali, but the most famous of them is the sculpture by Jason deCaires Taylor on the island of Gili Meno.
This isn’t, technically, in Bali, it’s actually part of Lombok province but the islands are between Lombok and Bali.
The sculpture is called “Nest” and it’s a collection of 48 life-sized figures in a circle on the bottom of the ocean.
What Is The Underwater Tribe In Indonesia?
The Bajau or “sea nomads” of Indonesia are famous for being among the most experienced divers in the world.
They are free divers, and as such, they can swim underwater at great depths for extended periods of time with no real discomfort.
A member of the Bajau can stay underwater for up to 10 minutes at a time and their spleens act as an oxygen tank that keeps the bloodstream rich in oxygen once their lungs are completely drained of oxygen.
They can dive to depths of up to 200 feet without any need for scuba equipment.
Are There Other Dive Sites In Bali?
Yes. Not all of Bali’s underwater world consists of statues and temples. There are other great places to choose as a dive site too.
These include Menjangan Island, the USAT Liberty Wreck, Crystal Bay in Nusa Penida (where you can swim with manta rays and mola-mola) and many more.
We’ve got a full list of the best dive sites in Bali.
Final Thoughts On Underwater Features In Bali
If you want to discover an underwater Hindu temple or underwater temple garden then Bali is the place to do it.
There are plenty of dive sites for both less experienced and more experienced divers, and they’re all diverse and beautiful.
Most tourists will never get to see what’s below sea level on the island, and that’s a real shame, as diving here is your opportunity to explore a truly sacred place where the bond between man and the seas really comes to life.
If you can’t get PADI qualified there are even a few places where snorkelers can snorkel near the beaches where you can witness some amazing marine life and creatures without doing any dives at all.
