Seahorse Bay, Lombok: My First Muck Dive

Austin Tuwiner
PADI Divemaster · 500+ dives · 20 countries & states
November 6, 2026
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I dove Seahorse Bay in July 2026 with Trawangan Dive, by boat out of the Gili Islands it was my first dedicated muck dive.

Instead of covering ground, you slow down and look at what's actually sitting on the sand.

Although I don't have the right camera setup for it, I had an amazing time!

Dive Log · Lombok, Indonesia, Indonesia · July 2026

Seahorse Bay

Dive Score4.4 / 5
Dive Data from my Garmin Descent MK3i
Max Depth
61ft / 18.6m
Avg Depth
28ft / 8.5m
Dive Time
56min
Water Temp
82.4°F / 28°C
Visibility
80ft / 24.4m
Entry
Boat
Recommended Certification
Open Water
Why it scored 4.4#11 of 13 I've dived in Indonesia
My take: My first dedicated muck dive. You slow down and look at what's on the sand, and even without a macro setup I had an amazing time.
My satisfaction5/5
Marine life5/5
Reef or wreck3/5
Conditions5/5
Crowds3/5
Getting there3/5
My 6 ratings above, plus visibility, water temp, cost, season and ease from the dive data. 5 = calm, uncrowded and easy to reach. How the Dive Score works
Muck Lombok Coordinates: 📍 -8.40488, 116.059556

The Dive

Austin and the group kitted up on the boat heading out with the coastline behind, Seahorse Bay, Lombok

Seahorse Bay sits closer to mainland Lombok than to the Gili Islands, which is part of why it's a rarely visited site for Gili divers.

You drop onto a sandy, sloping bottom and move slowly, working the terrain a few feet at a time instead of covering ground.

That pace is the entire point of muck diving.

This was my first dedicated muck dive, and it forces a different mindset than reef diving, you're not scanning wide, you're looking close, in the sand, along debris, in small crevices, for things that are easy to swim right past.

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What Marine Life I Saw

Feather stars and branching coral spread across the sandy bottom, Seahorse Bay, Lombok
Sea fans growing off the wreck structure in blue water, Seahorse Bay, Lombok
Flounder hiding in the sand, Seahorse Bay, Lombok
Flounder hiding in the sand.
Coral encrusted wreck framework standing up from the reef, Seahorse Bay, Lombok
Long section of wreck framework covered in growth running across the seabed, Seahorse Bay, Lombok
Mantis Shrimp saying hello, Seahorse Bay, Lombok
Mantis Shrimp saying hello.
Ornate ghost pipefish, Seahorse Bay, Lombok
Ornate ghost pipefish.
Another angle, Seahorse Bay, Lombok
Another angle.
Blue ribbon eel, Seahorse Bay, Lombok
Blue ribbon eel.
Moray eel hiding in the muck, Seahorse Bay, Lombok
Moray eel hiding in the muck.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Austin Tuwiner

Hey I'm Austin, a PADI Divemaster based in South Florida .

I initially got certified at 16 at a scuba camp in Kona, Hawaii, did my Advanced Open Water on Koh Tao, my deep and nitrox on Gili Trawangan, and my Rescue and Divemaster in Miami.

Since then I've logged 500+ dives across 20 countries and states. I write about the gear I dive with, the sites I've dived, and the trips I've taken.

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