Sekotong Sea Diving

Sekotong, West Lombok, 2023

The Expedition Team:

Immanuel Raynaldo

Gabriel Genigno Pranoto

Tio Patrick Wicaksono

Esyela Fransisca Artarumiris

Alberta Gracia

Sekotong is a hidden gem tucked away in the West Lombok Regency, an archipelago made up of several small islands including Gili Gede, Gili Rengit, and Gili Layar. While it might not share the mainstream fame of its neighbor, Gili Matra, Sekotong offers an underwater charm that is just as breathtaking.

With its smooth, white sandy beaches and thriving coral reefs, it’s a region bursting with marine potential.

Arrival at Gili Gede

The highly anticipated moment finally arrived: our try-out day. Fresh off completing our sea training at Gili Matra, we headed straight for Gili Gede. We were picked up by Pak Ajis, our diving instructor and the captain of the small boat that would serve as our vessel for exploring Sekotong.

Upon arriving, we were greeted with a warm smile by Bu Elis, our host for the trip. We spent that first day sorting out official permits with the village chief and building up our camp craft to serve as our base of operations.

Day 1: Steep Walls and Stubborn Cows at Gili Layar

When the time finally came to dive, we set our sights on the waters around Gili Layar. Every dive spot had its own distinct personality:

Gili Gede Wall: Featured a steep, dramatic drop-off. The terrain created strong underwater currents, but rewarded us with an incredible diversity of marine life.
Sandy Slope: A gentle, sandy incline. The visibility here was poor, but it was a treasure trove for spotting fascinating micro marine species.

Between dives, we docked at Gili Layar for our surface interval and some lunch. The peace was briefly interrupted by a massive cow that decided to crash our break—luckily, Tio stepped up and managed to chase it away using a tree branch!

Day 2: Battling the Elements at Gili Rengit

On the second day, we moved our expedition to Gili Rengit. The morning brought dark, looming clouds over Lombok, leaving us anxious about whether we could safely dive. We collected our tanks and geared up. Eventually, the clouds cleared, but the wind continued to howl, whipping up high, choppy waves.

While waiting for our diving buddies to surface, we typically monitored their bubbles, joking around and snacking on biscuits from Kak Ajis. But with the rough weather and turbulent water, the bubbles became incredibly difficult to track, and we frequently lost their direction in the waves.

The Sobering Reality of Compressor Divers

That evening, we hung out with Bu Elis and the local men who frequented her place. It was here that we learned the real, often harsh stories of life on Gili Gede.

We discovered that many locals work as “compressor divers.” To harvest clams, they use heavy stones to sink themselves rapidly to the ocean floor, breathing through long plastic hoses, and are literally hauled back to the surface when they finish. Pak Ajis himself was a former compressor diver. It’s a highly dangerous livelihood; many divers end up paralyzed or even lose their lives to severe decompression sickness.

Day 3: Hiccups and Hidden Treasures

The final day brought a few logistical headaches. A delay in tank refilling meant we only managed to squeeze in two dives, and we had to wait until noon to start. We also ran into a few operational mishaps—like forgetting the measuring tape and hopelessly tangling the SMB during mark deployment.

Despite the chaotic start, these last two sites were arguably the most spectacular of the whole trip. We were surrounded by uniquely “dancing” fish, and on our very last descent, we came face-to-face with two different species of moray eels.

Under the Stars on Monkey Island

For our final night, we relocated to Lontar Island (aptly nicknamed Monkey Island, as macaques are its only residents). We built our camp craft, sparked up a bonfire, and slept directly on the beach. Falling asleep under a canopy of stars, we reflected on the expedition and what the journey home would bring.

The next morning, we boarded our beloved boat one last time, taking in a stunning sunrise over the open sea. A Hiace van picked us up and drove us to Lombok International Airport for our flight back to Jakarta.

Once in Soekarno-Hatta, it was back to reality: a quick pitstop at a dive shop to fix a leaking regulator hose, a celebratory meal at KFC, and finally, the drive back to Bandung to clean our gear and evaluate a successful, unforgettable expedition.