Bali isn’t known as a scuba diving paradise. The choppy surf waters mean that the island is much better known for surf breaks and surfing competitions rather than snorkelling and off shore scuba diving. However, since Bali is smack in the middle of the Indonesian archipelago marine life abounds. Those interested in seeing certain species while in Bali may like to look out for the following creatures.

Sharks | Catfishes | Eels | Skates and Rays | Exotic Fish | Fish to Eat

Though there are no man eating sharks in the waters off Bali, there are plenty of inquisitive reef sharks that will interact with you, but probably never harm you. These include the Blacktip Reef Shark, and its cousin the Whitetip Reef Shark. Plenty of other similar shark species are in the water.

The Spotted Eagle Ray and the Bluespotted Stingray are just some of the species of skates and rays that swim in the waters off Bali. In fact, many swimmers have reported seeing giant manta rays. As always, exercise caution with all wild creatures but look out for the beautiful Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray especially if you have an underwater camera.

Snowflake Moray eels slither around in the waters off Bali as do the timid but pretty Zebra Moray family and the Giant Moray which really does have very sharp teeth. Less dangerous and certainly never aggressive is the Spotted Garden Eel and the Banded Snake Eel. The Many-eyed Snake Eel is just that.

Striped eel catfish share the waters off Bali with other members of the catfish family which includes the Crocodile Longtom, Houndfish, Needlefish and the Soldierfish. The Chinese Trumpetfish is never too far away just like its partner in crime the Cornetfish.

Coral Razorfish and Radial Firefish dive in the corals and weeds and reefs off the shores of Bali along with glorious Tassled Scorpionfish and the ever-hungry Redmouth Grouper and its cousin the Blacktip Grouper. Honeycomb Groupers are rarer and as always, keep a respectful distance from tropical fish and remember that most species are endangered.

Mangrove Red Snapper, Blacktail Snapper, Midnight Snapper and many species of bream mean that most of the fresh fish you eat while in Bali is super fresh, having come from the local waters that very day.

Dining options in Bali are pretty much limitless. Grab a burger and fries at the Hard Rock Cafe, or hang out at Burger King or KFC in Kuta. Or, dine in high style at a French restaurant decked out in indoor ponds and lotus blossoms with food prepared by European chefs at a hidden laneway in Ubud. Better still, grab anything from the hawker trolleys, night markets or the vendors that prowl the beaches – nasi goreng is the popular tasty favourite but there are plenty of local Hindu and Muslim dishes to try from all over Indonesia.

Cheap restaurants in Bali are plentiful and western food in Bali is common. You don’t have to worry about getting sick or having to eat anything exotic if you don’t want to as most of the major fast food chains operate out of Bali and the western style restaurants are extremely hygenic and the food is fresh.

If you want to sample more authentic cuisine in Bali, though, you can do that too with countless local restaurants and vendors serving up rice dishes, sambals, and delicious fruits like jackfruit and durian. Try an avocado shake or even do a local cooking course while you’re in Bali, and then you’ll have something to impress your friends and family when you get home.