Diving with Underwater Gods in Bali: Ancient Ruins or Awesome Dive Site?
Nicknamed as the Island of Gods, Bali is thick with its Hindu and ancient traditions and its reflected in every single aspect of the Balinese’s life. You see the worship to the Gods at the sculpture of the Gods and the Goddesses in holy temples and almost every Balinese building, in each small temples at the house, down to the canang sari offering every morning. It turns out that the presence of the Gods is not only strongly felt in the island—but also deep in the underwater. Meet the Underwater Buddha, one of gorgeous dive sites in Bali you need to visit in this island!
The Secret Underwater Temple Garden
The internet seems to believe that the underwater Buddha in Bali is either one of an extreme Buddhist shrine in the world or a ruin of ancient civilisation buried deep in the ocean.
The fact? Not all sunken statue you see in the internet is an ancient religious site. The underwater garden is part of a 2005 art piece, not an ancient holy site. So, this amazing dive spot in Bali is far from ruins of ancient civilisation.
This temple garden of statues, which was created to emphasize the environmental threat to marine life, is allowing new life to emerge beneath the sea in a conservation initiative that is both beautiful and effective. The stunning works of art, which were mostly made of natural stone sculpted locally, were drowned to address worries about the demise of the ecosystem. The Buddhas are protecting the marine life by providing nice structure for the corals to grow and inviting fishes and other marine creatures to life around it!
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One of Dive Sites in Bali That are Part of Conservation Project
The Underwater Buddhas is one of the best diving places in Bali to see. However, their environmental usefulness is just as vital, and they serve a very specific purpose here. In and around the sunken sculptures, incredible biodiversity abounds, attracting even more life. The end result is a blooming patch that serves as an excellent coral bedding ground. The Buddha statues in the underwater temple garden allow new life to emerge from the ruins.
Diving in the Buddha Point
Ceningan Buddha Point is an underwater temple located at a depth of 7 meters, making snorkeling quite easy. A 2.4-meter-tall Buddha stands in the heart of multiple smaller sculptures and Buddhist temple stupas; similar to those found at Borobudur Temple. This awesome Bali dive sites can be easily accessed for everyone. You can even snorkel around it without any scuba gear. However, the currents can get a bit strong so you need to be a strong swimmer.
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Getting to the Buddha Point Bali
You can find organized snorkel or underwater scooter excursion for those who enjoy tours and groups: the day tour costs $95 USD or Rp.1.330.000. However, we would recommend hiring a local guide to accompany you to the location for a less crowded and more relaxing underwater experience! You may easily combine this with other snorkeling opportunities in the region.
