Algae fields in the Jungut Batu cove. Nusa Lembogan, Bali. July 2008.

Lembongan, seaweed and waves

  Indonesia: Bali - July 2008

Dear English-speaking readers, this page is an automatic translation made from a post originally written in French. My apologies for any strange sentences and funny mistakes that may have been generated during the process. If you are reading French, click on the French flag below to access the original and correct text: 

Four days, already, that I am in Nusa Lembongan, a small island in the southeast of Bali. Very peaceful atmosphere, as I like, here again...

Seaweed growers

There are some surfers and divers to make the stormy crossing of the strait from Sanur, Bali. But we are not in a very touristy area, far from it.

The locals are seaweed growers. The cove of the village of Jungut Batu, protected by the reef where the waves roar, is in fact made up of fields of seaweed, which form a dark mosaic under the turquoise blue of the water.

Sunset over Jungut Batu Bay. Nusa Lembogan, Bali. July 2008.
Sunset over Jungut Batu Bay. (Nusa Lembogan, Bali, July 2008.)

Algae fields in the Jungut Batu cove. Nusa Lembogan, Bali. July 2008.

Cultivators of seaweed in Jungut Batu. Nusa Lembongan, Bali. July 2008.

On the sand, between the bungalows that welcome tourists, the seaweed dries, giving off an indefinable smell, a little acrid.

One gets used to it very quickly. The women carry from the shore to the beach large baskets filled with red or green seaweed, balanced on their heads.

Dream Beach

Dream Beach. Nusa Lembongan, Bali. July 2008. I like this island for this reason: the beaches are not really tourist beaches. Those who come here only for the pleasure of swimming and sunbathing are a bit disappointed.

I don't really care, since I'm always in the water with the dives, and I take the sun to warm up on the boat.

The most practicable beaches for beaches pleasures are Mushroom Beach and Dream Beach. As well as the pretty Crystal Bay on the nearby island of Nusa Penida.

I have a crush on Dream Beach (opposite), with its rocks, its offshore rollers, its white sand and its small temple.

The tears of the Devil

Next door there is a place called Devil's Tears, the Tears of the Devil. It is a portion of cliff jagged by the sea.

The stone is sharp, transformed into rocky lace by the surf. There are big holes, some filled with water, others forming corridors where the big waves coming from the open sea rush in.

The water gushes upwards, with a lot of spray. It is impressive, a little frightening. We feel at the end of the world, on these cliffs plunging in the stormy water.

Devil's Tears, near Dream Beach. Nusa Lembongan, Bali. July 2008.

Reunion with a family of friends

My arrival at Lembongan Island was easy. Some friends, Philippe and Corinne (whom some will recognize), were already there, with their children, Clementine and Maxime. They took care of booking me a room at Ketut Losmen.

The guy came to pick me up on his motorcycle, so I only had to put my bags down and join the family, who had gone for a dip in Mushroom Bay.

Nice afternoon, followed by an apero and a small meal together in the evening, facing the sea, as we had planned!

In Jungut Batu, with Corinne and Philippe, and their two children, Clementine and Maxime. Nusa Lembongan, Bali, July 2008.

Intense dive

I dive every day, with the excellent World Diving (which I recommend to you by the way), in the hope of approaching the famous molas-molas, the sunfish. Lembongan is one of the few places where they can be observed.

Today, no luck... My group is the only one not to have met them. The other groups of divers came back to the boat very excited, and for good reason. They all crossed the path of several molas-molas. I am green!

The dives here are quite physical. I solved the problem of the cold by wearing my shorti under the 5mm lent by the center, which allows me to better support the temperature variations in the water, from 22°C to 27°C, on average.

The other parameter is the currents, which are often very powerful, unpredictable and changeable... Fortunately, our dive-masters know the whims of the sea here.

Crystal Bay. Nusa Penida, Bali, July 2008.

Today, probably because of the full moon, the swell and currents were particularly strong. I did not take a single picture underwater, that's to say! It was impossible to stay on the reef to take a picture of a bug.

The only thing to do, in these conditions, is to go with the underwater "wind", hoping that the drift dive will cross the path of some molas-molas...

Come on, I believe it. Sunfish, it will be tomorrow!!! Maybe...

  Indonesia: Bali - July 2008

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Hi Corinne,
    Alors, je ne sais pas si tu te souviens de moi, je suis Carine Hervé, je suis attachée de presse chez Universal Music et on s’était rencontrée brièvement à Semporna, chez scuba Junkie, tu avais plongé à Sipadan avec mon amie Monica et moi, je passais mon Open Water. Et le plus drôle, c’est qu’on connaît des gens en commun (Philippe et Michel, si vous me lisez…).
    Bref, pas de nouvelles durant ces 2 ans, mais je rentre justement de Bali où j’ai plongé (notamment à Amed) et là je me dis “tiens, je vais aller voir ce que fait Corinne, si je me souviens bien, elle a un site…”. Et là, je vois que tu es en ce moment même à Bali, chanceuse ! On n’a pas fait exactement le même trajet, d’ailleurs, si ça peut t’amuser, je t’ai laissé l’adresse de mon blog, ce n’est pas aussi complet que le tien, mais c’est sympa d’avoir un souvenir (et puis comme ça, si tu ne te souviens pas de ma tête…).
    As I have already returned from my trip, I will follow you regularly, it will prolong a little pleasure!
    A bientôt, peut-être un jour sous l’eau !
    Carine

  2. well, I will console myself for not being in the sun far, far away 😥
    en ce moment à cherbourg il y a un dauphin qui vient rendre visite au bateau de plongée!, pour les raies il faudra à défaut de manta se contenter des torpiles ou des raies bouclées 🙂 et pour ce qui est des poissons lune …… et bien figure toi que l’été quand il fait bien chaud ( en ce moment c’est pas le cas!! 👿 ) on peut en apercevoir en surface se dorer au soleil !! par contre là on peut rien faie sur la température de l’eau ….16°C 😥
    alors profite et envoie plein de belles photos sous et sur l’eau, encore et encore!!!
    @ more
    laurence

  3. @ Carine:

    Bien sur que je me souviens de toi! C’est drole, aujourd’hui, avec nous sur le bateau, il y avait un couple de dive-masters ou instructeurs, qui bossent justement pour Scuba-Junkie. Le monde des plongeurs est tout petit!

    Merci de ton petit message, ca me fait bien plaisir d’avoir des nouvelles. Je suis allee jeter un oeil vite fait sur ton blog (je prendrai le temps de mieux le parcourir a mon retour en France a la fin du mois) et j’ai mis l’adresse dans ma liste de “Blogs de voyage”.

    Bien sympa votre petit periple, qui correspond a peu de choses pres a celui que j’avais fait en 2002, juste avant les attentats a Kuta… C’est sympas, les blogs que l’on redige en route, ca fait des souvenirs “sur le vif” en effet, et en plus, ca permet de retrouver des amies plongeuses…

    See you soon!
    8)

    @ Laurence:

    16 degres… Brrr ! Moi qui sort bien transie d’une eau a 24 degres, je deviens violette-bleue quand ca descend vers les 22 degres… M’enfin, je vois que Cherbourg n’a finalement rien a envier a Bali !
    😆

    J’exauce tes souhaits: voici de nouvelles photos sous-marines, pas top top, mais qui sont pour moi un bien beau souvenir… A mon retour en France, je monterai mes sequences videos pour faire un petit film sous l’eau sympathique.

    😉

Share
Tweet
Share