Muck Diving off North-West Lombok: Hunting for Tiny Treasures

Most people come to the Gili Islands for turtles and coral, but some of the region's most rewarding dives happen on what looks, at first glance, like nothing at all. Welcome to muck diving: slow, shallow dives over sand, rubble and the odd piece of debris, where the real stars are tiny and superbly camouflaged.

Several dive centres on Gili Trawangan and Gili Air run trips to the nearby north-west coast of Lombok, to bays such as Teluk Nara and Kecinan. The dives are usually between about five and twenty metres, over a simple landscape of dark sand with scattered coral heads. Take your time, scan every metre, and the 'muck' comes alive.

Typical finds include frogfish, seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, crocodilefish, lionfish, shrimps and crabs of all kinds, and a dazzling variety of nudibranchs. With luck and a sharp-eyed guide, you might even see a blue-ringed octopus, admired from a respectful distance.

Muck sites are a favourite of underwater photographers and experienced divers, yet they are accessible to all certification levels. The key is good buoyancy and careful finning, so you do not stir up the sand and spoil the visibility for everyone, or disturb the creatures you came to see.

After a day of macro hunting, the quiet north beach of The Gili Beach Resort is the perfect place to unwind, with breakfast and daily housekeeping taken care of.