★ ★ · Cave · Statues · Padang Bai · Between Drop-Off and Jepun

Goa

A small open cavern in the reef wall between Drop-Off and Jepun, with submerged Hindu statues at the entrance. Cavern is open-water — no overhead penetration required.

Also known as Goa Cave · Padang Bai Cavern · Goa Lawah Padang Bai
Story
Difficulty★ ★ Intermediate
Depth8m → 18m
TypeCave · Statues
Visibility15–25m
Water26–29°C
Best seasonYear-round
GPS 8°31'26"S · 115°30'46"E · Area Padang Bai · Between Drop-Off and Jepun · Aliases Goa Cave · Padang Bai Cavern · Goa Lawah Padang Bai
The story

A cave you can just swim through.

Goa (Indonesian for 'cave') is a small open cavern formed where the Padang Bai reef wall has eroded into an arch. The cavern entrance sits at 12 m and exits at the same depth on the other side — no true overhead penetration, no specialty cert required.

Inside the cavern, local divers placed a small Hindu shrine with deity statues — the underwater echo of the temple ritual. The cavern walls are lined with soft coral and sponges. Glassfish swirl in the entrance, moray eels hide in the cracks, and you'll often spot banded sea krait resting on ledges.

"Cave-dive aesthetic, open-water exit always in sight."

AOWD recommended for the depth (18 m) but the cavern itself is forgiving. Pair with Jepun (5 minutes' boat away) for a Padang-Bai-statues double.

Topography

How the dive unfolds.

The cave site east of Padang Bai. Cave entry at 10 m opens to a shallow chamber lit by surface holes — sweepers fill the cave like a wall of moving silver. Beyond the cave: a soft-coral wall with Hindu shrine statues at 14 m and macro hunting on the outer slope.

★ OPEN WATER · 0–18m ★ ★ ADVANCED · 18–30m ★ ★ ★ TECH ZONE · 30m+ SURFACE ENTRY · BOAT EXIT · BOAT 10m 20m 30m 40m 50m CAVE OUTER SLOPE 18m · sand bottom CAVE ENTRY · 10m sweepers + light beams HINDU SHRINE · 14m soft corals on stone statues OUTER SLOPE · 17m macro + nudibranchs DIVE PATH SAFETY STOP 5m · 3 min 8°31'48"S · 115°31'42"E · GEBCO 2020 · 12 samples

Plan a 50-min cave + reef dive: boat drop above the cave, descend into the chamber at 10 m (bring a torch — sweepers fill the cave), exit through the wall, photograph the shrine statues, continue to the outer slope. Open Water-friendly (no overhead — chamber is open above).

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.

Hindu shrine in cave 100%
Glassfish (cavern entrance) 100%
Banded sea krait 60%
Moray eels 85%
Lionfish (cavern) 80%
Scorpionfish 75%
Sweepers (cavern) 90%
Octopus 50%
Nudibranchs 80%
Sea turtles 35%
Whitetip sharks (rare) 12%
Pufferfish 70%
Soft coral on cavern walls 100%
Sponges 100%
Anemones · Clownfish 100%
Cleaner shrimps 80%

Always-presentThe cavern itself, the Hindu shrine, glassfish, sweepers, moray eels.

Sometimes-presentBanded sea krait resting on ledges, lionfish in the cavern, octopus.

Practical

What you need.

01 · Cert

Certification

AOWD recommended. Cavern-comfortable buoyancy required — silt up the floor and you'll cloud the dive.

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 Goa
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.