ELPAPUTIH - Bali
Elpaputih is one of our favorite Bali wrecks, especially for those comfortable with deeper dives. This old motor vessel, sunk intentionally in 1988, sits upright in the sandy bottom, the wheelhouse at about 35 meters and the stern dropping to 53 meters. We love tracing the deck, noting how the ocean has slowly reclaimed it; the railings are thick with soft corals, and you’ll often find schools of fusiliers swirling around the superstructure. It’s a proper wreck dive, not just a pile of rubble. You can peek into cargo holds, see the davits where lifeboats once hung, and often spot a curious turtle gliding past. The wreck is quite exposed, so check conditions before you go; strong currents can make the descent a bit of a workout, but they also tend to bring in larger pelagics. It’s a great site for photographers too, particularly on a sunny day when the light penetrates just enough to highlight the wreck’s ghostly form against the blue.
- Location
- Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- -6.625095, 113.283800
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 53m
Marine Protected Area: PKK-007 Sampang
Best Time to Dive in Bali
The warmest water temperatures in Bali occur in December, averaging 30.9°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 29.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 30.1°C
- February: 29.7°C
- March: 30.1°C
- April: 30.7°C
- May: 30.6°C
- June: 30.2°C
- July: 29.4°C
- August: 29.1°C
- September: 29.3°C
- October: 30.1°C
- November: 30.9°C
- December: 30.9°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Bali
- Air Kecil Island (reef)
- AKISHIO - 40m (wreck)
- ALKEN PENDA - 2m (wreck)
- All 4 Diving Indonesia
- ALPHINE - 19m (wreck)
- Amed wall (wall)
- Amed Zen Divers - 5-15m (reef)
- AMUKTI - 20m (wreck)
- Anchor Wreck (wreck)
- Anchor Wreck (cenote)
- Anchor Wreck (wreck)
- Ayer Sedang (reef)
- Bali Aqua Diving
- Bali Dive Trek
- Bali International Diving Professionals (BIDP)
Nearest Dive Centres to ELPAPUTIH
Marine Life in Bali
Home to 528 recorded species including 359 reef fish, 73 hard corals, 42 sharks & rays, 12 other, 12 sea snails & nudibranchs, 11 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Boring Clam (Tridacna crocea) - Clams & Mussels
- Fluted clam (Tridacna squamosa) - Clams & Mussels
- cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
- Species code: Ea (Enhalus acoroides) - Seagrass & Algae
- Black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra) - Sea Cucumbers
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
- chocolate chip sea star (Protoreaster nodosus) - Starfish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora hyacinthus) - Hard Corals
- Rock Cod (Cephalopholis boenak) - Reef Fish
- Pinkfish (Holothuria edulis) - Sea Cucumbers
- Philippine Spurdog (Squalus montalbani) - Sharks & Rays
- Gendarme Fish (Acanthurus olivaceus) - Reef Fish
- seagrass (Halophila ovalis) - Seagrass & Algae
- Staghorn coral (Acropora cerealis) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora solitaryensis) - Hard Corals
- Hoeven's wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus) - Reef Fish
- Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Staghorn coral (Acropora nasuta) - Hard Corals
- Argus Grouper (Cephalopholis argus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for ELPAPUTIH
Based on average water temperature of 30.1°C, currents 3 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 30°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories