Japanese Wreck Point, Banyuning Bay
A little-signposted road in Banyuning Bay leads to one of Southeast Asia's most accessible shipwrecks — a small WWII-era Japanese vessel resting just 2–20 metres below the surface, encrusted in coral and teeming with nudibranchs, ghost pipefish and leaf scorpionfish. Snorkellers and divers share it equally, making it a rare democratic underwater adventure.
The wreck up close
The Japanese Wreck sits roughly 300 metres offshore in Banyuning Bay, about a 20-minute scooter ride south of central Amed Beach. The top of the wreck is only a few metres down, so a mask and snorkel is genuinely enough to explore it — you can see the coral-smothered hull clearly from the surface on a calm day.
The wreck is distinct from the more famous USAT Liberty at Tulamben: this is a smaller, more intimate site, and because it attracts fewer crowds it rewards patient observers with rare macro critters — ghost pipefish and leaf scorpionfish hide in the coral folds, and nudibranchs dot every surface.
Getting in the water
Shore access is free. A small road sign marks the turn-off; follow it 80 metres to the beach in front of Kawi Karma Beach Cottages. Local guides on the beach will offer to take you by jukung (outrigger boat) — a worthwhile upgrade that gives you a better angle of entry and local knowledge of where the best critters hide.
Snorkel gear is available to rent on site. For scuba divers, the wreck slopes down to around 20 metres, and beyond it a coral slope continues deeper still, making a two-tank day pairing the Japanese Wreck with Jemeluk Bay an excellent plan.
After the dive
Shaded tables and chairs sit under big trees right at the entry point — a genuinely relaxing spot to rinse your mask and watch local fishing boats drift past. The small parking fee of around 20,000 IDR includes a drink and a bowl of popcorn, which feels like the best deal in east Bali.
The surrounding coastline of Banyuning Bay is quiet and largely undeveloped, making this one of the few spots in Amed where you can sit by the sea without another resort in sight.
Japanese Wreck Point, Banyuning Bay on video
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