Menjangan Island is off the northwestern end of Bali. It was about a 45-minute ride in a slow boat. The island is a popular dive site, as there were a number of other boats scattered along the coast. The wave-sculptured coastline drops onto a flat shallow reef that is rather narrow, soon dropping straight off to deep water. The wall is full of ledges and small caves, and easily boasted the most dense growth of soft corals and gorgonians I have ever encountered. A gorgeous site with lots of photo ops and fish; not too many nudibranchs but some nice large ones we did not see elsewhere, such as Ardeadoris egretta. In the first photo, Menjangan Island is visible in the distance as our boat leaves the harbor on Bali.
Much of the island has a rugged coastline.
Boats gather for the lunch stop.
Expert dive guide Ketut explains what we'll be seeing.
La bandita. Actually, it helps keep the sun off. But I draw your attention to the repair job on the boat roof support.
The island is inhabited by deer, who came down to a small beach by the lunch site to wade in the water. It appeared that they were at times sipping the sea water. Menjangan in Indonesian means "Deer," and the island was named because people witnessed deer swimming about 1.2 miles out to the island every spring.
A typical dive boat with dive guide Janri and the boat's skipper.
Volcanoes on Java from Menjangan.
Ganesha Temple on Menjangan.
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