Snorkeling - Lombok & Gili Islands
The Gili Islands, just off Lombok, are a solid pick for a relaxed day in the water, especially if you’re new to the reef or just fancy a float. We’ve found the eastern side of Gili Trawangan and the stretch between Gili Meno and Gili Air generally offer calm conditions, making it easy to drift along. Keep an eye out for blue-spotted stingrays resting on the sandy patches and the occasional fluted clam tucked into the coral. Patches of staghorn and table coral dominate, and you'll often spot small seastar shrimp if you look closely. It’s a gentle introduction, good for families or anyone wanting a shallow swim without much fuss.
- Location
- Lombok & Gili Islands, Indonesia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- -8.338125, 116.037735
- Difficulty
- beginner
Marine Protected Area: KK Pulau Gili Air, Gili Meno, dan Gili Trawangan
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 Snorkeling
- 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 Snorkeling
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