Lipah Bay

Lipah Bay is a sheltered shore dive built around a small, shallow steel wreck often called the "Japanese Wreck" and an extensive, colorful coral reef with bommies, pinnacles and gorgonian fans. The site offers gentle, photogenic dives popular with snorkelers, photographers and training groups. Entry is from a narrow pebbly beach with a gentle slope; depths range from about 5–12 m at the broken wreck to roughly 30 m at the reef edge. Visibility is generally good, often 20–30 m in clear conditions, and water temperatures are typically in the high 20s °C. Currents inside the bay are usually mild but the area lies near the Indonesian Through-Flow, so currents can be strong and unpredictable outside the bay; divers are advised to remain inside the bay and be cautious of local boat traffic. Typical routes start at the wreck and continue along the sandy slope past coral bommies and fans. The wreck is believed to be a small steel tug or freighter of unclear origin, lying broken on a sandy slope in very shallow water (around 5–12 m). It is a central dive attraction and its encrusted surfaces host nudibranchs, shrimps, porcelain crabs and other small critters.