Ceningan Wall

Overview

Sources place Ceningan Wall on different sides of Nusa Ceningan: Tamarind Divers says the north-east side, Ceningan Divers the east side, and Bali Aqua Penida describes a drop-off on the south of the island. Tamarind Divers says the wall receives nutrient-rich water flowing through the Toyapakeh Strait, the deep channel between Ceningan and Penida. Ceningan Divers describes a coral wall at the base of limestone cliffs, fed by nutrients from the nearby mangroves and upwellings from the deep channel, which drops vertically to depths beyond recreational diving. Emperor Divers says the wall plunges to 170 metres and is likewise fed by the nearby mangroves and the deep channel.

The wall

PADI's page for the site describes a descent onto a shallow plateau rocked by the swell, with coral bumps, fusiliers, moorish idols and clownfish, before a steep and colourful wall goes down into the blue. It says the wall is completely covered by corals, sponges and sea fans. Tamarind Divers describes multi-coloured soft corals with nudibranchs, scorpionfish, lionfish, sea snakes, schooling bannerfish and red-toothed triggerfish. Bali Aqua Penida describes a drop-off strewn with hard and soft corals of all colours and schools of barracuda, fusiliers, red-toothed triggerfish, jacks, tuna and rays, and says mola are not rare. Emperor Divers lists invertebrates, octopuses and nudibranchs in the crevices, and reef sharks, bull rays, eagle rays, mola in season and occasional hammerheads out in the blue. The PADI page names several nudibranch genera, Zanzibar shrimps and pygmy seahorses among the macro life, and schools of giant trevally, tuna and batfish in the blue.

Conditions and level

Bali Aqua Penida says the site is not always doable because of strong currents and big surge, that it is not for beginners, and that good buoyancy control is needed, especially for the safety stop in surge and swell. Its site listing gives the difficulty as good to expert, the maximum depth as 40+ metres, the current as none to strong and the water temperature as 20 to 29 °C, with an average of 24 °C. Ceningan Divers gives the required level as advanced and the depth as 40+ metres. Emperor Divers calls it an advanced dive site that reveals itself at greater depths and often has strong currents. Tamarind Divers says the currents can be tricky, so the site can only be dived when conditions are suitable and is for experienced divers. Bali Aqua says the entry point depends on the current and that a weak current is ideal for enjoying the wall and its fauna.