In August 2006 I dived various locations around Bali as part of a Divequest underwater photography group trip to Bali led by Alex Mustard. The final location was the Water Gardens in Candi Dasa from where we were able to dive Padang Bai and also the island of Nusa Penida.

Nusa Penida is the largest of a trio of islands off Bali's south-east coast. Our Divequest group split into two teams, my buddy Paul Morgan and I diving with Dive Master Wayan Pengah from “S.Metta Paramitha 1” for two days. On the first day our group dived the island three times. The first dive was at Crystal Bay located on the west coast of Nusa Penida and we dedicated our time to searching for Mola Mola. They prefer cold water and are known to visit a Bannerfish cleaning station at a point off Crystal Bay at this time of the year. The currents ripping along the outside of Crystal Bay were extremely strong and we were warned by Wayan to keep very close to the edge of Crystal Bay. Unfortunately our group did not see any Mola Mola but the other Divequest group, “the lucky group”, did. Pedro Vieyra, who was in the other group tried to get close to a Mola Mola, got caught in the strong current and had to try and pull his way back along the reef away from the current. In order to have both hands free to hold onto the reef, Pedro secured his Nikon D70 to his BCD. Or so he thought. Unfortunately the camera was not connected securely and he suddenly realised that he had no longer had it. Both groups searched the surface for some while but there was no sign of the Nikon D70.

A little later we repeated the dive. Once again “the lucky group” saw Mola Mola. Once again we did not. For our third dive of the day we moved to Ped Nusa Penida for a drift dive. I had selected my 12-24mm lens, which proved inappropriate for the main highlight of the dive, Ribbon Eels.

The following day the two groups returned to Nusa Penida Island for the final two dives of this Divequest trip, Manta Point and Crystal Bay. Manta Point is reputed to reliably produce close encounters with Manta Rays but there were none to be seen. And so to Crystal Bay for the final dive of this Bali trip and the third and last chance for the “unlucky group” to see Mola Mola. The “lucky group” dived first and predictably had close encounters with two Mola Molas but when the turn of the “unlucky group” came all we could see was…blue water. Time seemed to pass all too quickly. We were beginning to approach “deco” and the end of the dive when finally a Mola Mola appeared! It was quickly chased off by some Japanese divers and did not come close enough for me to get a good photograph but at least I had the satisfaction of finally seeing a Mola Mola.