Gili Mimpang · Padang Bai

The story

Mola season headquarters.

Gili Mimpang ('three rocks' in Indonesian, though there are actually four islets) sits east of Candidasa harbour in the deepest part of the Lombok Strait. The four exposed rock pinnacles are surrounded by submerged pinnacles dropping to 30+ metres, and the strait current pulls steadily through them.

The dive is a managed drift — moderate to strong, with eddies and downcurrents. Whitetip reef sharks resting on ledges, Napoleon wrasse patrolling, schooling jacks circling, tuna in the blue. In mola season (Aug–Oct), the cold thermocline brings mola mola up to the cleaning stations — Mimpang is one of the two most reliable mola sites on Bali.

"Cold water, fast current, big fish. The Bali advanced dive."

★★★ — strong current, downcurrents possible. AOWD with 50+ logged dives recommended. 5–7mm wetsuit in mola season — water can drop to 22°C.

Topography

How the dive unfolds.

Submerged pinnacles dropping from 8 m at the top to 30+ m. Strong drift current pulls between the rocks.

Plan a typical 40–50 min dive: negative entry on the upstream pinnacle, descend to 22–28 m, drift along the pinnacle line, hold near a cleaning station for 5 min, ascend gradually, safety stop at 5 m with deployed SMB. Watch for downcurrents.

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 Mola mola (Aug–Oct) 25%

Resident Whitetip reef sharks 70%

Visitor Napoleon wrasse 65%

Resident Schooling jacks 80%

Visitor Tuna · Wahoo 45%

Visitor Bumphead parrotfish 30%

Visitor Sea turtles 55%

Visitor Eagle rays 15%

Resident Anthias clouds 90%

Resident Pyramid butterflyfish 90%

Resident Bannerfish 85%

Resident Moray eels 75%

Resident Gorgonian fans 100%

Resident Soft corals 100%

Resident Hard coral pinnacles 100%

Resident Sponges 100%

Always-presentThe pinnacles, gorgonians, anthias, the drift.

Sometimes-presentWhitetip sharks, Napoleon wrasse, jacks, tuna, sea turtles. Mola in season.

Practical

What you need.

01 · Cert

Certification

AOWD recommended. Strong-current trained, downcurrent-aware, 50+ logged dives. SMB mandatory.

02 · Entry

Entry · Distance

Boat dive. ~12 min from Padang Bai harbour by traditional jukung. Negative entry.

03 · Flow

Currents

Moderate to strong — drift dives are the norm. Always carry SMB and stay close to your guide.

04 · When

Best time of day

Morning slack tide window. Currents pick up after midday — plan accordingly.

05 · Fees

Site fee

Padang Bai harbour fee ~30,000 IDR (€2) per diver per day — included in your PMD safari price.

06 · Schedule

Surface intervals

Back to harbour between dives. Two-tank trip standard.

Ready?

Dive Gili Mimpang
on a Padang Bai safari.

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

Plan Your Trip ← All Padang Bai sites