Candidasa
Indonesia · Asia Pacific
Candidasa is a laid-back fishing village on Bali's east coast, sitting between the mola mola hotspot of Nusa Penida and the famous USAT Liberty wreck at Tulamben. The reefs here are less visited than Bali's tourist centers, rewarding divers with intact coral gardens, resident barracuda schools, and strong drift dives along offshore pinnacles. The nearby Gili Tepekong and Gili Mimpang islets concentrate big fish action — white-tip reef sharks, barracuda, and occasional mola mola pass through the channels. Water visibility is often excellent, and the cooler upwellings from the Lombok Strait keep the water rich in nutrients.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Live coral covers 54% of this reef.
Coral cover
Fish life
More fish than a healthy reef of its kind.
Heat
Fishing
Open to fishing, and the water is busy.
Sources · MERMAID and the survey teams · Reef Life Survey · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
Coral cover over time
Live coral cover, by survey year
Across 16 survey years from 2009 to 2025, live coral cover here has fallen from 61% to 54%. Every point is a real survey reading, never a projection.
Live coral cover, percent by year
| Year | Coral cover |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 61% |
| 2010 | 40% |
| 2011 | 38% |
| 2012 | 40% |
| 2013 | 35% |
| 2015 | 46% |
| 2016 | 37% |
| 2017 | 37% |
| 2018 | 27% |
| 2019 | 28% |
| 2020 | 33% |
| 2021 | 27% |
| 2022 | 24% |
| 2023 | 21% |
| 2024 | 24% |
| 2025 | 54% |
What you will see
28 species across the dive sites here
Hawksbill Turtle
Seen 25 days ago
at Candidasa Reef
Critically endangered
Great Barracuda
Seen 28 days ago
at Gili Tepekong
Least concern
Whitetip Reef Shark
Seen 28 days ago
at Gili Tepekong
Vulnerable
Ornate Ghost Pipefish
Seen 28 days ago
at Candidasa Reef
Least concern
Barramundi Cod
Seen 1 month ago
at Gili Mimpang
Painted Frogfish
Seen 1 month ago
at Candidasa Reef
Least concern
Giant Trevally
Seen 2 months ago
at Gili Tepekong
Least concern
Ocean Sunfish
Seen 2 months ago
at Gili Biaha
Vulnerable
Ocean Sunfish (Mola)
Seen 2 months ago
at Gili Tepekong
Vulnerable
Reef Octopus
Seen 4 months ago
at Gili Tepekong
Least concern
Bluefin Trevally
Seen 4 months ago
at Gili Tepekong
Least concern
Humphead Wrasse
Seen 4 months ago
at Gili Tepekong
Endangered
Napoleon Wrasse
Seen 4 months ago
at Gili Mimpang
Endangered
Hard Coral (mixed reef-building species)
Seen 6 months ago
at Candidasa Reef
Bumphead Parrotfish
Seen Jun 2025
at Gili Tepekong
Vulnerable
Yellowtail Snappers
Seen Dec 2024
at Gili Biaha
Least concern
Acropora Hard Coral
Seen year round
at Gili Biaha
Blacktip Reef Shark
Seen year round
at Gili Mimpang
Vulnerable
Giant Clam
Seen year round
at Gili Biaha
Critically endangered
Grouper (various species)
Seen year round
at Gili Mimpang
Hard Coral (mixed species)
Seen year round
at Gili Tepekong
Nudibranch (various species)
Seen year round
at Candidasa Reef
Sea Fan
Seen year round
at Gili Mimpang
Slate Pencil Urchin
Seen year round
at Gili Biaha
Soft Coral
Seen year round
at Gili Mimpang
Banded Sea Krait
Seasonal visitor
at Gili Mimpang
Least concern
Blue-ringed Octopus
Seasonal visitor
at Candidasa Reef
Sea Eagle Ray
Seasonal visitor
at Gili Tepekong
Endangered
Dive sites
Gili Tepekong
whitetip reef shark · great barracuda · ocean sunfish (mola) · giant trevally
Gili Mimpang
blacktip reef shark · whitetip reef shark · napoleon wrasse · giant trevally
Gili Biaha
whitetip reef shark · blacktip reef shark · great barracuda · napoleon wrasse
Candidasa Reef
hawksbill turtle · great barracuda · nudibranch (various species) · whitetip reef shark