Fantastic spot to see Turtles off the beach of Gili T if you’re staying on the island or going on a snorkel trip around the Gili Islands. But be aware the coral is dead and there isn’t much else to see.
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Snorkel Review
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I stayed on the island of Gili Trawangan (Gili T) for two days to experience the sunset and snorkel with turtles. Gili T is the larger and more popular of the three Gili Islands, located above the neighboring Gili Meno and Gili Air. It is known for its beachfront resorts, nightlife, and incredible sunsets. One of the more lively islands, popular with younger crowds, the back of the island is mainly resorts.
I started the day early setting off from my hostel on te harbor side of the island and walking up the East side of the island to the stretch of sandy beach. I left my vest and flip-flops on the beach and got into the water. The ocean was shallow at only about 1-1.5 meters, mainly sandy, dead coral sea bed which stretched along the East-side of the coast. It took me 10 minutes or so before I came across the first Green Turtle feeding on the seagrass, about 15-20 meters from the beach.
Turtle Point, Snorkel Spot Map
Turtle Point is at the North-East side of the island where the Turtles feed on the sea grass. You will see an elevated platform (Pic Below) on the beach which is a good marker. If you snorkel up the beach from this platform you’re in the right spot.
Snorkel Spot Pics
You can swim off the beach on the North-East coast of Gili T and sea turtles within 5-20 meters off the shore. There are snorkel tours that run to the popular snorkel spots around Gili T, Gili Meno, and Gili Air, which cost from $20-$40 per person. Depends on whether you’re going to visit the two other Gili islands, or whether you’d prefer to do a tour and snorkel all the popular spots across all three Gili islands which would also be a great trip.
Safety Tip:
Be aware of boats parking and passing in and around the snorkel spot. There is dead coral on the sea bed, cutting yourself on the dead coral on the shallow sea floor.
I spotted another larger Turtle in the same area, there was also a school of Whitecheek Surgeonfish swimming along the shallow waters. Aside from a few Moorish Idols and smaller fish, there wasn’t much else to see. But if you want to see turtles and you’re staying on Gili T, then this is a great option, you can also hire snorkel equipment for a couple of dollars either from your hostel, hotel, or along the main road.
Top Tip:
Go early in the morning to beat the crowds. I got to the beach at 7:30 am-8:00 am, and there weren’t any other snorkellers. Local fishermen were fishing off the beach near where I was. I saw 4-5 turtles before tourists turned up.
I snorkeled for an hour and saw five Turtles, both Hawksbill and Green turtles. The water visibility was very good when I went at 7:30 am, and I didn’t see any other snorkelers until 8:00 am. A small Turtle gave me a scare as I was exiting the water, it was feeding in the sandy water 3 meters from the beach!
The Hawksbill Turtle is ranked as Endangered by ICUN, so it is rare to see this species of turtles whilst snorkeling.
Check out other Gili Islands reviews below:
Tour Options
You have two options, you can either pay to go on a snorkel tour around the Gili Islands, stopping off at Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air, which will cost from $15-$40 Dollars. Alternatively if you are staying or visiting Gili T, you can snorkel off of the beach for Free! Trawangan is one of the more popular snorkel spots to see turtles, they feed on the sea grass fields which can be found in the North East of the island.
Best Snorkel Spot
The best snorkel spot was off the North-East side of the island where the Turtles feed on the sea grass. On Google Maps, the snorkel spot is called ‘Turtle Paradise‘. You will see an elevated platform on the beach which is a good pointer to where to snorkel. If you snorkel up the beach from this platform you’re in the right spot. I’ve added another image below which shows some of the seating that is found on the beach.
Best Time Of Year
Bali’s dry season is the best time to snorkel, running from May-October.
What We Saw
(Seen on April, 2023)
| Green Turtle | Hawksbill Turtle |
| Picasso Triggerfish | Unicornfish |
| Bigeye Emporah Fish | Moorish Idol |
| Redlip Parrotfish | Bluespine Unicornfish |
| Orangeband Surgeonfish | Black Surgeonfish |
| Convict Surgeonfish | Roundspot Surgeonfish |
| Klein’s Butterflyfish | Lobster |
| Black Sea Urchin | Sea Grass |
Popular Marine Life
Green Turtle
Clark’s Anemonefish
Moorish Idol
Parrotfish
Picasso Triggerfish
Klein Butterflyfish
Rare Marine Life
Unicornfish
Where is Gili Trawangan, Bali?
Gili Trawangan is one of the more popular Gili islands off the coast of Bali and Lombok. It is known for its beachfront resorts, nightlife, and incredible sunsets. One of the more lively islands, popular with younger crowds, the back of the island is mainly resorts.
Gili Trawangan Map
Frequently Asked Questions
How to get to Gili Trawangan (T)?
The best way to get to Gili Trawangan is by Fast boat from a port in Bali Mainland. If you are visiting from a neighboring Gili island, there is a fast and slow boat. Fast boats from Bali take approximately 2 hours and cost $40-$80 US dollars for a return journey. The fast boat only takes 10 minutes to cross to the neighboring islands and costs approximately $6.50, I’d recommend the slow boat as it costs $1.50 and is larger and takes another 10 minutes.
How much does it cost to snorkel with turtles at Gili Trawangan?
Free! You can swim off the beach on the North-East coast of Gili T and sea turtles within 5 meters of the beach. There are snorkel tours that run to the popular snorkel spots around Gili T, Gili Meno, and Gili Air, which cost from $20-$40 per person.
What is the chance of seeing a Turtle at Gili T?
The chance of seeing turtles is high if you snorkel off of the North East of the island off of the beach. The turtles come to Gili T to feed on the sea grass, which is found off of the North East shoreline. Turtles can be spotted feeding on the seagrass.
What tour did we go on?
I didn’t go on a snorkel tour, I snorkeled at 07:30 am to beat the crowds and see the turtles. I got out of the ocean at 8:30 am and tourists and boats started to turn up to snorkel.
