Anchor Wreck · Pemuteran

The story

A ship that nobody claims.

No one knows for sure what hit the bottom here. Best guess: a 19th-century Dutch trading vessel, possibly carrying Balinese slaves to Batavia (now Jakarta), that anchored at Menjangan Island for shelter and never left. Locals call it Kapal Budak — "the slave ship".

What's certain: there are two anchors here — one at 6 metres, the other at 32. The wooden hull is mostly gone, but the cargo remains: piles of antique ceramics and glass bottles sit scattered between 35 and 50 metres on a sandy slope below the reef wall.

"150 years underwater — the structure is completely colonised."

Soft corals, sponges, sea fans. The historical context plus the depth plus the marine life is what makes this a ★★★ advanced bucket-list site.

Topography

How the dive unfolds.

The classic Anchor Wreck profile: descend the reef from the anchor at 6m, follow the wall down past the second anchor at 32m, find the wreck scattered between 35 and 50m on the sand.

Plan a typical 45–60 min dive: drop on the anchor, follow the wall down, 5–8 min on the wreck, ascend slowly along the wall, safety stop at 5m. Total NDL-friendly, no decompression required.

Marine life · what you might see

The ocean's not a zoo.

Sightings are pure chance — current, season, time of day, and luck. Below is what divers spot at this site, but no operator can guarantee any specific encounter on any specific dive.

Visitor Whitetip sharks 25%

Resident Napoleon wrasse 70%

Resident Blue-spotted stingrays 75%

Visitor Schooling jacks 40%

Visitor Barracuda 35%

Visitor Tuna · Wahoo 20%

Visitor Giant trevally 30%

Resident Moray eels 85%

Resident Scorpionfish 80%

Resident Nudibranchs 80%

Resident Bannerfish 90%

Resident Batfish 85%

Visitor Sea turtles 50%

Resident Soft corals 100%

Resident Sea fans · gorgonians 100%

Resident Sponges 100%

Always-presentThe wreck structure itself, the soft coral colonies, gorgonian fans on the wall.

Sometimes-presentThe big fish — sharks, jacks, barracuda. They visit, they don't live here.

Practical

What you need.

01 · Cert

Certification

AOWD or equivalent. The wreck section is past 30m — Open Water divers can swim the anchor + wall but won't reach the structure.

02 · Entry

Entry · Distance

Boat dive. ~30 min from Pemuteran beach. Entry off the back of a traditional jukung or local dive boat.

03 · Flow

Currents

Usually mild. Channel position can bring stronger flow on full/new moon. We check tides before every dive.

04 · When

Best time of day

Morning (08:30–10:30 dive window). Visibility peaks before midday wind picks up, and the sun angle through the wall is dramatic.

05 · Fees

Park fee

Menjangan is part of West Bali National Park. ~200,000 IDR (€12) per diver per day — included in your PMD safari price.

06 · Schedule

Surface intervals

Lunch on Menjangan beach between dives. Two-tank trip standard. Third dive same day NOT recommended due to depth.

Ready?

Dive Anchor Wreck
on a Pemuteran safari.

All-inclusive: flights, transfers, villa, dives, food, marine fees. Two-tank Pemuteran day with this site as part of the rotation.

Plan Your Trip ← All Pemuteran sites