Nemo City

Nemo City occupies the south-eastern shore of Gili Air where the sandy slope transitions from sea grass meadows to open rubble and patchy hard coral, descending from 3 m to around 22 m. The name is a nod to the concentration of clownfish-in-anemone pairs visible throughout the dive, but the site’s real character is as a world-class muck and macro site — a sandy garden of rare and unusual critters that rewards every careful look.

The sea grass zone at 3–8 m is the most productive shallow section: seahorses of multiple species grip the fronds, double-ended pipefish drift in the current, and bobtail squid bury in the sand by day and emerge to hunt at night. Harlequin and seagrass ghost pipefish hover in open water near their matching hosts. Frogfish perch on rubble and sponge throughout the depth range. Ribbon eels (in juvenile black, adult male blue, and adult female yellow phases) occupy burrows in the sand and rubble. Cockatoo waspfish crouch motionless on the bottom. Stargazers lie buried with only their upturned eyes visible. Mimic octopus move across the open sand, impersonating flatfish and other species. At dusk, mandarin fish emerge from the coral in the shallower sections.

Current is none to very light. Visibility averages 8–18 m. The site is excellent for both day and night dives, with different species active at different times of day.

Diver tips: Nemo City is one of the most productive night dive sites in the Gili Islands — the Spanish dancer nudibranch (a large, brilliantly red creature that waves its body in a flamenco-like motion) appears reliably after dark. Daytime dives should focus on the sea grass zone for seahorses and the rubble patches for frogfish and waspfish. Move very slowly and pause frequently: the best species are invisible to divers who rush. An excellent site for beginner macro photographers.