March 22, 2024
Best Snorkelling Spots in the Gili Trawangan
Located off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia, the Gili Islands offer a beautiful coastline to snorkel and Gili Trawangan is no exception. Gili Trawangan is ideal for those who prefer snorkelling from the beach, however there are also other close-by locations that can be accessed by a short boat ride. There are several best beaches for snorkelling to discover the underwater world of tropical fish, corals and seeing sea turtles in Gili Trawangan:
1. Trawangan Slope
Snorkelling on Gili Trawangan is easiest right off the beach across from Villa Almarik. The official dive site, known as the Trawangan Slope, is located here. You can simply swim out to this area and explore the coral and marine life below. It’s common to spot several turtles cruising along the slope and enjoying a meal of seagrass in the shallows. This spot is great for families and those who are looking for a relaxed experience given its easy access and calm water conditions.
2. Halik
Halik Beach is one of the top snorkelling spots located on the north side of Gili Trawangan. The corals in this beach are quite shallow and most are brightly coloured with a diverse range of tropical fish that enjoy swarming and swimming across them, so you can enjoy a lively snorkel —perfect for your landing point to start your snorkelling tour.
3. Turtle Point
Further to the northeast tip of the island, you can spot several sea turtles at Turtle Point. With calm water, and also easy to access sandy patches from the beach, this area is the easiest spot for snorkelling with turtles. It is common to see a couple of turtles if you are patient, and given their gentle nature you can comfortably swim alongside them, keeping a few metres distance. They are very magical to watch and definitely a highlight for those visiting the Gili Islands.
4. BioRock
Head south and you’ll find BioRock, where several artificial reefs lie teeming with colourful fish and other marine life. Biorock was created in 2004 by Bali Eco Trust to protect Gili’s reefs from overfishing. The fisherman would unfortunately use dynamite leaving all the corals destroyed. Bali Eco trust now has many rules implemented on the islands for safe and sustainable eco tourism and waste management. The waters are protected and conserved so make sure to stop BioRock to see what can happen when we all team up to protect mother earth.
Gili Trawangan Turtles
Being one of the main attractions for tourists in the Gili Islands, sea turtles are no doubt incredible creatures that you’ll wish to swim with. The large population of these turtles can be found in Gili Trawangan in the spots mentioned above. Just like in the other Gilis, there are two species of sea turtles here: Green and Hawksbill.
The Green Turtle is a common species you can find around the Gili islands. They can grow up to 1.5 metres in length while weighing up to 300 kilograms. You might get confused when first seeing them, as they don’t seem green at all. The reason this species is called ‘green’ is because the colour of their meat is green. Eating mainly seagrass causes their insides to turn green. It’s quite easy to point them out: if you see a turtle with a blunt beak, you certainly bumped into a green turtle.
The Hawksbill turtles, however, grow only to 1 metre long and are smaller than green turtles. They also have a distinctive appearance to green turtles: darker shells and rougher segments. Just like their name, you can easily identify them by their hawk-like beak and also two claws on each of their flippers. Though they are less common around Gili Trawangan, you can spot them off the beach in front of Villa Almarik.
How to go Snorkelling in the Gili Islands
If you’d like to go by yourself, you can visit the shoreline of the north coast of Gili Trawangan and hire a snorkel set from a warung on the beach. This will cost you about 80,000 IDR for an hour and you can explore yourself in the hope to see some turtles.
Should you want to level up your snorkelling experience, join us on a morning or afternoon cruise on our catamaran. In addition to seeing the Gili Meno Underwater Statues, we also travel to Turtle Heaven on the north side of Gili Meno where we see many turtles in both deep water and shallow water. Our friendly snorkelling guides will help locate the turtles and assist you as needed to ensure best visibility for the day. We also capture these moments for you on GoPro!