Snorkeling
Snorkel at three stops
No certificate needed
- Length2 to 9 hours by option
- Rating4.68 from 5,062
- Pricefrom $17
Pick-your-trip helper
Nusa Penida diving or snorkeling: which one is yours?
Two taps to your depth
Snorkel, try a dive or dive properly?
Say whether you hold a dive certificate and how deep you want to go, and the matching trip appears with its from-price.
Nearest equivalent
The three-dive day
from $247
For certified divers only: Manta Point, Crystal Bay and SD Point.
Nearest equivalent
A dive-center outing
from $31
It lists a 15-minute introductory dive for guests without a certificate.
Nearest equivalent
The three-bay snorkel session
from $17
About 2 hours of snorkeling, for confident swimmers.
The same reefs sit under both kinds of boat. What changes is your certificate, the hours you spend below the surface, the price and the risk you accept. Here is how the listings and the official advice line up.
Editorial team, nusapenidasnorkeling.quest · Updated November 3, 2026 · Reading time about 6 min
Begin with this
- SnorkelingOur snorkel session lists about 2 hours of snorkeling and asks for confident swimmers, from $17.
- A first diveA dive-center outing lists an introductory dive of 15 minutes for guests without a certificate.
- Certified daysA three-dive day is for certified divers only, Open Water or above, from $247.
- One reefManta Bay and Manta Point are shallow bays of 7 to 25 meters.1
- RiskAustralia's travel advice lists scuba diving and snorkelling among the risky activities.2
Same bays, different equipment
Nusa Penida's reefs do not belong to divers or to snorkelers. Both groups visit the same named places. The island's dive locations include Penida Bay, Batu Lumbung, which is known as Manta Point, Batu Meling, Batu Abah, Toya Pakeh and Malibu Point.3 A scuba day on a listing visits Manta Point, Crystal Bay and a drift site called SD Point. Diving at Manta Point and snorkeling at the surface above it are two views of one reef.
Our snorkel session visits Manta Bay, Gamat Bay and The Wall, and its itinerary lists Crystal Bay and SD Point as optional alternatives to The Wall. A study of manta rays calls Manta Bay and Manta Point shallow bays between 7 and 25 meters deep, fringed by steep rocky cliffs and deep water.1 That depth is why the same cleaning station can hold a diver on the bottom and a snorkeler at the surface.
The choice is less about where to go than about how long you want to look, how much gear you want to manage and whether you hold a certificate. Both formats in the listings are guided outings with a briefing, a boat and an itinerary that the guide may change on the day, so you are not choosing between a serious option and a casual one. The rest of this page works through each of those in turn, with the numbers from the listings.
Three formats side by side
Snorkeling, intro dive and certified dive
| Format | The requirements | Minutes in the sea | Listing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snorkel session | Confident open-water swimming | Roughly 2 hours | Our session |
| Intro dive | No card needed | 15 minutes | Dive-center outing |
| Certified dives | Open Water or above | Three dives | Three-dive day |
Requirements and times as each listing states them; the dive-center outing lists 40 to 50 minutes for each certified dive and 15 minutes for the intro dive.
What a snorkel session asks of you
The entry requirement is stated plainly on the snorkel listings: guests must be confident swimmers who are comfortable in open ocean conditions. Another listing adds that snorkeling takes place in open ocean, that you should feel at ease in swell and waves, and that a life jacket is strongly recommended in the water.
In return you get the lightest kit and the lowest price. Our session lists about 2 hours of snorkeling in total, with the three stops given 40 minutes each, and it starts from $17. A GoPro film of the session is emailed 8 to 12 hours afterwards, so you do not need to hold a camera while you try to keep up with the guide.
The limits are also plain. You see the reef from above, you spend a fixed block of time in the water and you depend on the surface conditions. If Manta Bay cannot be used because of weather or sea state, the listing says a safe alternative snorkeling site is visited instead.
What it costs to start
From-prices of four ways in
- Our snorkel session17
- Manta Point and west coast26
- Dive-center outing31
- Three-dive day247
Each bar is the listing's own from-price in US dollars, so the cheapest option on its date picker; real totals change with the option and group.
What a certified dive day asks of you
The three-dive listing is for certified divers only, with an Open Water certificate or above, and it asks you to bring your certification card, swimwear, a towel and dry clothes. It lists hotel pickup from Sanur, Kuta, Seminyak and Jimbaran, or a meeting at the dive center in Sanur.
The day is long. It lists 8 to 9 hours, starting with a safety briefing and a speedboat crossing of 45 minutes from Sanur Harbour, then dives at Manta Point, Crystal Bay and SD Point with a lunch stop in between. Light snacks and water are provided, but no full meal is included, and the dive sites may change with weather or sea conditions. That is what Nusa Penida scuba diving looks like when the whole day is built around it.
The price reflects the format: it starts from $247, against a rating of 4.85 from 24 reviews. The review count is small next to the snorkel listings, which is worth knowing when you compare scores. The listing also says mola-mola are best from July to October and that manta sightings are common year-round.
Choose your entry
Snorkel, try a dive or dive a full day
Mixed
A dive-center outing
Dive, intro dive or snorkel
- Length5 to 6 hours
- Rating4.82 from 31
- Pricefrom $31
Scuba
Three guided dives
Certified divers only
- Length8 to 9 hours
- Rating4.85 from 24
- Pricefrom $247
The middle path: a dive center that takes beginners
A dive-center listing covers the gap between the two. Its morning outing runs from 8:00 AM to 1:30 PM and offers two dives of 40 to 50 minutes for certified divers, a 15-minute introductory dive for guests without a certificate, or two snorkel dives at Manta Point and Crystal Bay, with a buffet lunch in between.
An afternoon outing from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM adds one dive of 40 to 50 minutes at SD Point or Toyapakeh, which is a drift dive along a drop-off. The center is affiliated with SSI and FFESSM, its groups are small and its instructors speak French, English, Spanish, Indonesian and Portuguese.
It lists 5 to 6 hours in all, a rating of 4.82 from 31 reviews and a starting price of $31. That start price most likely belongs to the cheapest option, so read which option the date picker applies before comparing it with the other trips. For a first-timer who is curious about scuba, the 15-minute introduction lets you test the feeling without committing a full day. Tell the instructor about ear trouble, nerves or medical conditions before the boat leaves the jetty, not after you are kitted up.
Group price estimate
Cost the trip for your party
Enter how many are going and compare three ways in
Weigh up 3 trips
Cost the trip for your party
Enter how many are going and compare three ways in
- Snorkel sessionAbout 2 hours in water · per swimmer, from $17
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View - Dive-center outingTank or snorkel · per swimmer, from $31
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View - Three-dive dayOpen to card-holding divers · per swimmer, from $247
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View
The lowest GetYourGuide prices, converted at the ECB rate; the exact total appears at checkout.
The dive day, in order
How the three-dive day runs
Up at dawn
Collection, then briefing
Hotel pickup from Sanur, Kuta, Seminyak or Jimbaran, then a safety briefing.
At Sanur
Boat cruise to the island
The speedboat crossing from Sanur Harbour takes 45 minutes.
Morning
Manta Point
Swimming and scuba diving at the cleaning station.
Next
Crystal Bay
A scuba dive in the bay known for sunfish in season.4
Midday
A lunch stop
Light snacks and water are provided and no full meal is included.
Afternoon
SD Point
A drift dive before the speedboat and car ride home.
What each choice lets you see
Mantas are the headline for both. Manta rays were recorded at the island's reefs throughout the year, and Manta Point is the site where the study puts cleaning and courtship.6,7 A snorkeler may meet a manta near the surface at Manta Bay, where the same study finds juveniles feeding, while a diver at Manta Point watches the rays hover over the reef.7
Sunfish belong to the diver's list. Upwelling of colder water peaks in August and September, and ocean sunfish numbers are high in Crystal Bay from August to October.4 A research paper on giant sunfish describes the species as seasonally important for scuba tourism in Bali.8
Turtles and reef fish are the fair-weather bonus for both groups. Our listing says manta sightings depend on conditions and cannot be promised, and no listing here offers a guarantee of any animal. Plan the day around the experience of being in warm, clear water in good company, and let the animals be a pleasant surprise. Travelers who have only one day on the island may find that a snorkel session fits more easily around a ferry timetable than a long dive day does. If Nusa Penida manta ray diving is what you came for, a certified day or an introductory dive gives you the longer look.
Video
What scuba diving at Nusa Penida looks like
Divemaster Austin on YouTube · The video stays still until you press play.
be careful when swimming, snorkelling or scuba diving near motor-powered boats or where there is frequent passage of boats
Checklist
Before you pick a depth
Your own side3
- A certificate card in your bag if you plan to dive
- An honest check of your open-water swimming
- Travel insurance that names snorkeling and scuba
Ask the boat company3
- How many guests share one guide
- Which safety gear is on the boat
- What happens when the sea is too rough
Contents of your bag3
- Sun cover for the boat ride
- Dry clothes and a towel for after the water
- Tablets for queasy stomachs
Risk, insurance and the current
Australia's travel advice lists scuba diving and snorkelling among the activities that carry risk, and tells travellers to check that their insurance covers them.2 It also advises care when swimming, snorkelling or diving near motor-powered boats or where boats pass often, which describes every popular bay on this coast.5
Water movement is the island's special feature. In the strait north of Nusa Penida the tidal flow at peak tide is about three and a half knots, and the streams in the Badung Strait are semi-diurnal.9 A snorkeler on the surface and a diver on a drift site feel that flow differently, and a guide who reads it is worth more than any piece of equipment.
Whichever way you go, ask how many guests share a guide, which safety gear is on the boat, and what happens when the sea is rough. The advice from the Australian government on boat trips is to check for life jackets, GPS and communication equipment and to wear a life jacket at all times.10
FAQ
Short questions, plain replies.
Can I scuba dive at Nusa Penida without a certificate?
Yes, as an introductory dive.
A dive-center listing offers a 15-minute introductory dive for guests without a certificate.
Do I need to be certified for the three-dive day?
Yes, Open Water or above.
That listing is for certified divers only and asks you to bring your certification card.
How long do you snorkel on a tour?
About 2 hours in total on ours.
Our listing counts about 2 hours of snorkeling across three stops.
Is snorkeling cheaper than diving?
Yes, by a wide margin on these listings.
Our snorkel session starts from $17 and the three-dive day from $247.
When can I see sunfish?
August to October in Crystal Bay.
That is when sunfish occurrences are high there, as upwelling peaks.4
Can I snorkel if I swim slowly?
You need to be confident in open water.
Our listing says guests must be confident swimmers comfortable in open ocean conditions.
Does insurance matter for these activities?
Yes, check that it covers them.
Australia's travel advice names scuba diving and snorkelling among the risky activities.2
Sources
- Frontiers in Marine Science (peer-reviewed; authors include the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia) · Contrasting Habitat Use and Population Dynamics of Reef Manta Rays Within the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area, Indonesia ↩
- Smartraveller (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) · Indonesia travel advice ↩
- Wikipedia · Nusa Penida ↩
- IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science · Sea surface temperature variability and ocean sunfish occurrences in Nusa Penida, Bali (Tito and Susilo) ↩
- Smartraveller (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) · Indonesia travel advice ↩
- Frontiers in Marine Science (peer-reviewed; authors include the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia) · Contrasting Habitat Use and Population Dynamics of Reef Manta Rays Within the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area, Indonesia ↩
- Frontiers in Marine Science (peer-reviewed; authors include the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia) · Contrasting Habitat Use and Population Dynamics of Reef Manta Rays Within the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area, Indonesia ↩
- Marine Ecology Progress Series (Inter-Research) · Overcoming challenging telemetry data of giant sunfish Mola alexandrini in Bali, Indonesia ↩
- Wikipedia · Nusa Penida ↩
- Smartraveller (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) · Indonesia travel advice ↩
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