Glenn Nusa

The Glenn Nusa I is a tugboat that was purchased, cleaned of all contaminants, and deliberately sunk in 2016 to serve as a purpose-built artificial reef between Halik Reef and Shark Point on the northern side of Gili Trawangan. The vessel lies upright and intact on a sandy bottom at 28–30 m, measuring approximately 22 m long and 6 m high — proportions that make it an excellent canvas for coral recruitment and penetration diving. Because it was properly stripped before sinking, the interior is safe for divers with appropriate wreck training to enter.

In less than a decade the Glenn Nusa has colonised quickly. Schools of black snappers, oriental sweetlips, and unicornfish circle the superstructure. A resident whitetip reef shark was established on the wreck within the first year and remains. Trevally school in the water column above the wheelhouse, and smaller fish occupy every porthole and interior space. Close inspection of the hull reveals pipefish tucked into coral growth and nudibranchs browsing on sponge. The sandy bottom around the wreck hosts garden eels and blue-spotted stingrays.

The depth (28–30 m) requires Advanced Open Water certification as a minimum. The site is exposed to the Lombok Strait current, so conditions should be checked before diving. Visibility is typically 15–25 m. Penetration of the wreck interior requires PADI/SSI Wreck Diver specialty training.

Diver tips: Descend the mooring line directly onto the bow for the most dramatic initial view of the wreck. Do a full exterior circuit before entering; the whitetip shark is most reliably found resting under the stern. Nitrox extends your time at 28–30 m considerably and is recommended. Photography works best with a wide-angle lens to capture the full hull silhouette from a distance.