There are 3 islands here, Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan & Nusa Ceningan. These are located some 20 km from Bali's south-east coast. Nusa Penida is the largest of the three islands and is one of the main locations for scuba dive trips departing from Bali.
The largest island is Nusa Penida and the smallest is Nusa Ceningan.
Nusa Penida, the largest of the 3 Sisters Island, along with Lembongan and Ceningan, offers the chance to see turtles, shark, mola-mola, and healthy reefs in fantastic visibility. However, the currents are fast and unpredictable so you must go, not only with a reputable dive operator, but also with a guide who knows how to 'read' the currents. Most of the diving is along the north and northeast coasts and in the strait between Nusa Penida and Ceningan. Manta Point is located off the southwest of the island.
Ped is the most popular site on the nearby Nusa Penida north coast, as it tends to offer currents milder than some of the other sites at Lembongan. Healthy low lying hard coral reef banks slope gently to 20 metres, then down to 40 metres. Occasional manta rays and schools of crevron barracuda add to the rich variety of smaller fish which seem to prefer the calmer waters of Ped. Wonderful barrel sponges and gorgonians can be seen in the deeper waters, and sea snakes can be seen on almost every dive. With the reef extending up to within five metres of the surface your safety stop will allow time to spot moray eels and the brilliantly coloured emporer angelfish. Be careful not to touch the reef as the local scorpionfish are notoriously difficult to spot.
Crystal Bay is perhaps Nusa Penida's best dive site. It is located in the south west of the island and features a shallow bay, carpeted in corals. The bay provides shelter from current and is a good place to start your dive. Apart from the superb corals in the bay, the big attraction here is that this area is a favourite spot for mola mola, which gather to be cleaned on the slopes of the reef just outside of the bay.
During the southeast monsoons, the tidal flow tends south; during the northeast monsoons, the tidal flow tends north. In the area of the strait north of Nusa Penida, the pattern is relatively simple, with a flow, at peaktide, of about three-and-one-half knots. But when you reach the area around Nusa Penida, things get very messy indeed. Tidal streams in Selat Badung (Badung Strait) are semi-diurnal, but owing to the fact that its direction runs obliquely to the general S to N direction of Selat Lombok, and the curved shape of the channel, the character of the stream is very complicated.
