Until we visited Sulawesi, I had no idea that some of the world’s best diving takes place here. This is one of the few places that has such unusual bio-diversity within a small area. Deep vertical walls and droff offs, clear waters, and little “critters.” It’s simple to either base yourself in Manado and do day-trips to the reefs, or just outside Manado at one of the dive resorts that offer all-inclusive packages

If you don’t dive, or perhaps only one of you is here for the diving, there are quite a few places close to Manado to relax. Perhaps, Gangga Island Resort & Spa, Tasik Ria Resort & Spa (a resort 40 minutes outside of Manado. The three main diving locations are: Bunaken Island, Lembeh Straits and Bangka Island, all close to Manado. Non-divers, there are also glass-bottom boats that give you a chance to marvel at this extraordinary coral reef.

The Marine Park is one of the top 10 dive areas in the world and a mecca for both beginning and pro snorkelers/divers. Want to get PADI certified? This is the place.

,diving in Bunaken National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Some varieties of fish and marine life are: Napoleon Wrasse, Angelfish, Ribbon Eels, Stingrays, Eagelrays, Snappers, Groupers and sharks. High groups of corals, echinoderms, sponges…for example, 70 genera of corals compared to only 10 in Hawaii. On the south side of Bunaken Island a snorkeler or diver may spot over 33 species of butterfly fish, damsels, wrasses and gobies. Gobies are small fish with bulging eyes and are the most diverse but least known group of fish in the park

Bunaken Wall and Pygmy Seahorse, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Bunaken Marine National Park is comprised of five islands: Bunaken, Manado Tua, Siladen, Mantehage and Nain. Bunaken is only one hour by boat from Manado and the coral reef starts just below the surface and plunges to 3,000 feet. Manado Tua is the main island of the group and even has a hiking path to the top. Bunaken National Marine Park was established in 1991 and has wonderful visibility – up to 35-50m.

Lembeh Strait is known as the world’s best “muck diving” with waters filled with marine critters. This area is 1-1/2 hours from the center of Manado and is a completely different type of diving rom that of Bunaken or Bangka Island. Muck diving sites tend to be shallow, often littered with “stuff”, poor visibility and have a large number of really weird fishes and critters. The gospel according to Jeremy: “…this is where you may see ornate pipefishes, pygmy seahorses, porcupine puffers…(I read that porcupine puffers are kept in home aquariums and you can hand-feed them shrimp. They also can balloon up to three times their size when threatened). How about bobbit worms, burrowing sea cucumber, flamboyant cuttlefishes and much more…” Jeremy is a Certified Diving Master and knows what he is talking about. E-mail him with questions: info@manadosafaris.com.

an “unpuffed” Puffer Fish, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Bangka Island has more than 25 world-class diving locations. These dive sites are suitable for every level of diving experience and certification. Some sites offer drift diving opportunities (that, I did years ago in the atoll of Rangiroa, the second largest in the world). Drift diving is a tremendous amount of fun and easy since you are just carried along by the current.

In the know scuba divers fly in from all points of the globe to experience Sulawesi’s world famous diving and wish we knew about this and got a chance to experience a small portion of this unique bio-diversity even by glass bottom boat. Next time…