Lembongan Snorkeling Tours 🥽 Hunt for the Elusive Manta Ray
We’ve all seen the glossy, sun-drenched Instagram shots of people gliding effortlessly through sapphire water, a gigantic, majestic manta ray a mere arm’s length away. We tell ourselves that this could be us, that for a few $$s, we too can achieve this level of serene, aquatic Zen.
What we fail to factor in is the universe’s dry, relentless sense of humour, which has a habit of turning picturesque dreams into a slightly damp, slightly anticlimactic anecdote.
And so it was with our expedition to Lembongan, an Indonesian speck of land that, on paper, promised an underwater Eden.
Highlights
- Arranging Tours from Mushroom Bay
- 1st Stop: Mangrove Point
- Onwards to Crystal Bay
- Down the Coast to Manta Point
- Last Stop: Secret Manta
- Lembongan Island Transfers
- Our 18-day Itinerary
- Lembongan Guesthouses
- All Hotel Options in Lembongan
- Ferries from Bali to Lembongan
Arranging a Tour from Mushroom Bay
In our experience, the idea of “exploring” is generally a euphemism for “getting lost and spending an inappropriate amount of money on a sugary drink.” So when the idea of a snorkeling tour was presented, my initial reaction was a raised eyebrow and a mental tally of how many books I could read instead.
But the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out, for the uninitiated) is a powerful, insidious beast, and soon enough, we were being ushered towards a small, slightly weathered boat, our fellow passengers a motley crew of wide-eyed international tourists.
We were, without a doubt, the most skeptical individuals on board.
Map of dive & snorkeling sites (click to view)
The booking process had been simplicity itself. We’d simply mentioned our interest to the management of our guesthouse, TS Huts in Mushroom Bay, and before we could say, “Is this a binding contract?” we were set for the day. A tidy IDR 250,000 (£15) per person, complete with a mask and a pair of fins that felt like they’d seen more action than a pirate’s treasure chest.
We were assured a full day of aquatic wonder, a promise as grand and sweeping as the tropical horizon. What could possibly go wrong?
Our journey began with a rather optimistic walk from the guesthouse, our excitement levels hovering somewhere between ‘mildly curious’ and ‘we hope there’s lunch’.
We joined a dozen or so others, a mix of Germans with very practical sandals and French couples whose effortless chic made us feel like we were wearing an old sack. The boat chugged out of Mushroom Bay, its engine groaning in a way that suggested it, too, was skeptical about the day’s activities.
The coastline of Jungut Batu glided by, a pleasant enough view, but we weren’t here for coastal panoramas. We were here for the underwater spectacle.
1st Stop: Mangrove Point
Our first stop, to my complete disappointment, was Mangrove Point (see our Lembongan island map).
We knew this place. We’d been here a few days prior, having hired a boat from the beach itself, a decision that had led to a rather choppy, slightly nauseating experience. It felt like returning to an ex: a familiar disappointment, but a manageable one.
This time the sea was calmer, and the waves less aggressive.
The beach at Mangrove Point
We slipped into the water, armed with an underwater video camera that felt both a bit ambitious and a bit heavy. The visibility was good, the morning light cutting through the water to reveal a kaleidoscope of coral and small, technicolor fish. We drifted through the underwater forest, a vibrant, buzzing ecosystem.
The depth, ranging from 3 to 10 meters, was perfect for our cinematic aspirations. We captured some footage of fish going about their business, a task as easy as filming traffic on a busy street.
Like ‘shooting’ fish in a barrel – Lembongan
It was nice. Pleasant. Perfectly fine.
It was just… not the stuff of postcards.
Crystal Clear Disappointment 💧
After a respectable hour of pretending to be David Attenborough, we clambered back onto the boat, dripping and slightly cold.
The boat captain, a cheerful man with an inscrutable smile, pointed us in the direction of our next grand adventure: Crystal Bay.
As we sailed through the channel between Ceningan and Nusa Penida, we felt a flicker of hope. Surely, this would be the place. The name alone promised clarity and jewels. It sounded like something out of a fairy tale, or at least a particularly well-funded holiday brochure.
Crystal Bay was, for all its grand title, a large, sheltered cove. We plunged back into the water, our spirits buoyed by the change of scenery.
Arriving at Crystal Bay – Lembongan, Indonesia
The snorkeling here was pleasant enough, the water shallow and clear. But the problem, as is often the case with popular spots, was the crowd. It was a watery traffic jam of tour boats, all disgorging their passengers into the same small area. We spent most of our time trying not to whack other people in the face with our flippers.
The marine life seemed to have gotten the memo about the impending invasion and had mostly relocated. We saw a few fish, a bit of coral. It was a bit like a crowded supermarket on a Saturday afternoon – lots of movement, but nothing particularly interesting to look at.
We mused that perhaps the key was to come here alone at sunrise, before the throngs arrived, though the thought of getting up before 7 am for anything other than a fire alarm felt like a monstrous chore.
Our boat (snorkelers-eye view)
Manta Point Mystery 🗺️
Our hopes, still stubbornly intact, were pinned on the next leg of the journey: Manta Point.
The captain’s voice, a little more excited now, had promised us the big show. Manta rays. The very reason we had all crammed onto this boat. The journey there was a scenic one, a half-hour ride along the rugged cliffs of Nusa Penida. The sheer scale of the landscape was impressive, a backdrop of towering green-topped cliffs plunging into the turquoise sea.
We felt a thrill of anticipation. We had seen these cliffs, these jagged, dramatic coastlines, on a website somewhere. Now, we were here, on a boat, in search of a mythical creature.
I’d been fortunate enough to have a manta ray encounter in the Maldives once, an experience that had felt almost spiritual. I’d been surrounded by the gentle giants, gliding through water so clear it felt like we were in a glass box. I held that memory close, a benchmark for what was to come.
If Manta Point delivered, it would be the grand finale, the metaphorical icing on a rather soggy cake, and maybe we’d all be going home happy bunnies.
Lembongan snorkeling – Cliffs of Penida
As we arrived, the boat slowed to a crawl in a wide, expansive bay. I jumped in, eager to get the first glimpse.
The water was… a bit underwhelming. Murky. Deep.
Not exactly the “crystal clear” we’d hoped for. The kind of water where you know something could be lurking, but you have no chance of seeing it until it’s practically brushing past your snorkel.
I gamely scoured the gloom, my fellow snorkelers doing the same, their heads swiveling like periscopes. We kicked and paddled and peered into the deep, dark nothingness. The visibility was so limited that we could barely see our own flippers, let alone a majestic manta ray.
Maybe if we had scuba gear (and a torch) we could have found what we were looking for.
But for us snorkelers it was, in a word, a bust. We didn’t see a single fin. It was just a cold dip in the ocean, a brief, disappointing interruption to our boat trip.
We would have had a better chance of spotting a manta ray in the gift shop.
A Secret That Stays Secret 🤫
Back on the boat, a sense of collective disappointment hung in the air.
The tour guides, usually so jovial, looked a bit deflated. They had a reputation to uphold, after all, and the mantas had failed to show up for their cue. But they were not to be defeated. As we began our journey back up the coast, they kept a keen eye on the water, a desperate last-ditch attempt to salvage the day.
And then, a cheer went up. Another stop. “Secret Manta,” they declared.
This place was well-named. The mantas here managed to stay very secret indeed.
We jumped in once more, our hopes now on life support. The water was just as murky, just as unhelpful as before. We swam in circles, we held our breath, we peered into the shadowy depths. Nothing. The mantas, it seemed, were excellent at keeping a secret.
Lembongan island snorkeling – Secret Manta
After a few more minutes of fruitless searching, we finally accepted our fate. The show was over. The stars of the show had, it seemed, taken an unscheduled day off.
We headed back to Mushroom Bay, the boat journey now a quiet, contemplative affair. We were tired, a little cold, and perhaps a bit humbled by the sheer uncooperativeness of nature.
But in fairness, despite the lack of marine giants, the day had been a genuinely enjoyable one. We’d seen some beautiful coastlines, spent a day on the water, and had a chance to explore a few different spots. It was a reminder that sometimes, the true joy of an experience lies not in the grand, photo-ready moments, but in the journey itself.
Snorkeling trips will always be a little hit-and-miss, so its often best to leave your expectations back on the beach.
Lembongan snorkeling, Indonesia
Grand Finale Shopping Spree 🛍️
Our time in Lembongan was drawing to a close. We’d had just eight days in total, a lightning-fast trip squeezed in between a visit to London, some time in Bali, and a final stop in Hong Kong.
It’s funny how much you can cram into a short space of time, if you’re prepared to do a bit of planning.
Our final Balinese destination was Denpasar, not far from the airport. Here, we had one last night before a long flight back to London, a return journey via Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific. Our final mission, a true challenge in its own way, was to get in as much shopping as possible. Denpasar, we were told, was a mecca of excellent and inexpensive markets.
The manta rays might have eluded us, but a bargain was something we felt we could definitely find.
If you enjoyed Lembongan Island Snorkeling, check out our Bali & Lembongan 2-island itinerary. You may also like:
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