The Magnet
The Magnet is Belongas Bay's famous offshore pinnacle, marked by a small lighthouse on top and rising from 50–80+ m to just below the surface. Waves and surge hit hard, so dives usually start with a negative entry to 20–25 m. Resident whitetip reef sharks, large schools of barracuda, hunting trevally, tuna and mobula and eagle rays are the regular cast; in the cooler season schooling scalloped hammerheads, and occasionally great hammerheads, come up from the deep.
Facts
- Region: Lombok & Gili Islands
- Area: Belongas Bay
- Depth: 15–40 m
- Level: advanced
- Current: strong
- Type: pinnacle, drift, wall
- Coordinates: -8.922, 116.0021 (approximate)
- Highlights: scalloped hammerheads (seasonal), great hammerhead (seasonal), whitetip reef sharks, barracuda schools, giant trevally, bigeye trevally, dogtooth tuna, mobula rays, eagle rays, vertical walls
- Tips: Hammerhead season is roughly June–September (peak July–September), when water at depth can drop to about 20–21 °C – bring a thick suit. Advanced Open Water minimum; operators ask for solid current experience. The pin is approximate.