Because the island is in a protected position, currents and wind-generate waves are rarely a bother, and the reefs here offer fine diving, particularly for beginning and intermediate divers. The island is part of Bali Barat National Park, a protected reserve area that encompasses much of Bali's little-populated western end. The drive from the resort areas of the south is at least three hours, the first hour through the thick traffic that envelops Denpasar like a fog. The coral walls around Menjangan are vertical down to 30-60 meters, and then slope outward. Gorgonians of many kinds reach large sizes here, and huge barrel sponges are abundant.
Soft corals blanket the colorful walls all the way down.
We were blessed with a curious pack of half a dozen fully grown round-faced batfish, and two aggregations of bignose unicornfish.