Scuba Diving in Gili Air

Named after its star residents - frogfish are remarkably hard to spot, even when they're right in front of you. Also home to seahorses, moray eels, scorpionfish and stonefish. Strong currents in places make this site better suited to certified divers with good buoyancy. We brief the current direction before every dive and choose entry points to match the conditions.

Best dived in the late afternoon - the light coming through the water during golden hour is genuinely something to see. Reef fish of every shape and colour, moray eels in the cracks, octopuses on patrol, and reef sharks if you're lucky. Mild conditions suit most certified divers.

A vertical wall dropping past 30 m on the north side of Gili Air. Hard and soft corals, sponges, pufferfish and stingrays the whole way down. Best dived on the morning boat — visibility is highest and the wall isn't crowded. Recommended for Advanced Adventurer divers or confident Open Waters with experience on previous wall dives.

The most-named dive site in the Gilis, and earned. A shallow reef topping out at 15 m where green and hawksbill turtles congregate to feed and rest. You'll also see butterflyfish, angelfish, rays in the sandier patches, and the occasional moray eel. Open Water students and Try Scuba divers often see their first turtle here.

Less crowded than the headline sites because it's a longer boat ride from any of the Gili centres. The reward: abundant marine life and zero crowds. Barracudas, lionfish, several species of reef shark on a good day. Moderate currents and a forgiving depth profile suit divers with at least the Open Water certification under their belt.

An unusual urban-feel dive site right by the main harbour — submerged structures, small wrecks and a sloping coral bottom. Schools of barracuda and parrotfish hang around the wrecks, groupers patrol the edges, and stingrays cruise the sandy patches. Suitable for all levels, but we always tow a surface marker buoy because of boat traffic.