Dive site: Close Encounters - Bali West

Time to destination: 10min
Difficulty: 0 to 3
Current: non to little
Tips: big accumulation of fish, lots of swarm fish



Close Encounters; a large three sided reef, two of which are very diveable the last is one big sandy slope. Situated two kilometers offshore the Reef has steep sloping sides coming up to a flat top, with ranges from 12mtrs at the far end to 3-4mtrs at the shallow. The slopes themselves start to level off to a gentle sandy bottom at 25-30mtrs. Currents on all the house reefs tend to be nominal to none existent, unless we are getting the bigger tides with short intervals between. The coral cover along the slopes is a good mix of hard and soft covering; the east side is particularly good with many little nooks 'n' crannies, healthy sponges, providing many hiding places for interesting life.

Marine Life: usual, schooling snapper, trevally, batfish, sweetlips, angelfish, and fusiliers.
Unusual stuff: frogfish, crocodilefish, pipefish, many interesting nudis, scorpionfish, Octopus and leaf scorpions.
Occasional stuff: Shark, Tuna, Bumphead Parrotfish and large Rays