Baung Penyu Conservation Site / Goa - Lombok & Gili Islands
Crystal Palace, just southwest of Dyer Island on Rottnest, is a favourite when the conditions are right. We’re talking about a maze of limestone caves and swim-throughs, not just a couple of holes in the wall. You really need a torch here; it’s dark inside, even on a sunny day. We love pushing into those deeper sections, the light filtering in from cracks above creating these incredible shafts. Keep an eye out for dhufish tucked into crevices, and we’ve often seen big schools of buffalo bream grazing on the walls. The max depth is around 18 metres, but you'll spend most of your time shallower, exploring the intricate passages. It’s a site for divers comfortable in enclosed spaces, but the sheer number of options means you can choose your adventure, from tight squeezes to more open caverns. It’s a definite standout for cave diving in the region.
- Location
- Lombok & Gili Islands, Indonesia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- -8.527100, 115.513200
- Type
- cave
- Maximum Depth
- 10-25m
Marine Protected Area: KK Karangasem
Best Time to Dive in Lombok & Gili Islands
The warmest water temperatures in Lombok & Gili Islands occur in December, averaging 30.1°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 28.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 29.6°C
- February: 29.3°C
- March: 29.6°C
- April: 30.1°C
- May: 29.9°C
- June: 29.2°C
- July: 28.5°C
- August: 28.3°C
- September: 28.6°C
- October: 29.3°C
- November: 30.1°C
- December: 30.1°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Lombok & Gili Islands
- AB29 - 0m (wreck)
- Abwonderdive House Reef - 5-30m (reef)
- Abwonderdive House Reef (reef)
- Ada Reef (reef)
- Air Wall (reef)
- Air Wall (wall)
- Air Wall (wall)
- Alamanda (reef)
- Alamanda (reef)
- Alam Batu Housreef - 5-20m (reef)
- Amed - 5-15m (reef)
- Angel Reef - 5-20m (reef)
- Angels Canyon Bali (reef)
- Angels Canyon Bali (reef)
- Anker Point
Nearest Dive Centres to Baung Penyu Conservation Site / Goa
- 3Wdive
- 7 Seas International
- Absolute Scuba
- Abyss Dive Center - FFESSM, ANMP, CMAS, CEDIP, SSI
- Abyss Ocean World - ["PADI"]
- Adventure Divers
Marine Life in Lombok & Gili Islands
Home to 258 recorded species including 153 reef fish, 44 sharks & rays, 37 hard corals, 10 seagrass & algae, 4 other, 3 clams & mussels.
Notable Species
- sorrah shark (Carcharhinus sorrah) - Sharks & Rays
- Brown Spinecheek Gudgeon (Eleotris fusca) - Reef Fish
- Fluted clam (Tridacna squamosa) - Clams & Mussels
- Gendarme Fish (Acanthurus olivaceus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora hyacinthus) - Hard Corals
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Staghorn coral (Acropora solitaryensis) - Hard Corals
- cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
- Argus Grouper (Cephalopholis argus) - Reef Fish
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
- Boring Clam (Tridacna crocea) - Clams & Mussels
- Species code: Ea (Enhalus acoroides) - Seagrass & Algae
- Staghorn coral (Acropora austera) - Hard Corals
- Spine-cheek Gudgeon (Eleotris acanthopomus) - Reef Fish
- seagrass (Halophila ovalis) - Seagrass & Algae
- Species code: Hp (Halodule pinifolia) - Seagrass & Algae
- Staghorn coral (Acropora valida) - Hard Corals
- Bigmouth Goby (Redigobius bikolanus) - Reef Fish
- Sleepy Goby (Psammogobius biocellatus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora cerealis) - Hard Corals
Recommended Packing List for Baung Penyu Conservation Site / Goa
Based on average water temperature of 29.4°C, currents 23 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°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