North Sulawesi Diving
Denise Nielsen Tackett & Larry Tackett
North Sulawesi is one of Indonesia's best kept secrets. Manado, the capital, is easy to get to with direct connections from Singapore, Malaysia and major Indonesian cities. Land-based accommodation ranges from backpacker's hostels to sprawling beach resorts and everything in between. Manado is the jumping off point for some of the world's best diving at Bunaken Manado Tua National Marine Park , Lembeh Strait, Bangka Strait , and the Sangihe-Talaud Islands.
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Bunaken - Manado Tua National Marine Park
The four coral islands, Bunaken, Siladen, Montehage and Nain, are flat. The fifth, Manado Tua, is an extinct volcano with an imposing crater that towers over the bay.
In 1989 Indonesia's first marine park was established in Manado Bay. Today, the North Sulawesi Watersports Association helps to educate the local population and foreign tourists on how best to enjoy and preserve this remarkable area. The park covers over 75,000 hectares in the Sulawesi Sea. The four coral islands, Bunaken, Siladen, Montehage and Nain, are flat. The fifth, Manado Tua, is an extinct volcano with an imposing crater that towers over the bay. Coral walls surround the islands, plunging over 1300m (4200ft) in depth. Excellent fish life and coral cover make this the world's premier wall diving destination.
The drift diving is easy; jump in and go with the current. Dive boats pick up divers wherever they surface. Most diving is in light currents when the filter-feeders open up and the reefs are at their best. Currents bring in schooling fishes and bigger animals like eagle rays, barracuda, Napoleon wrasses and sharks. The water temperature is warm, about 27ºC (84ºF). The best time to dive is March to November. The rainy season is December to mid-March. July and August are sunny and windy. Visibility is excellent at 15-30m or more.
Best Features & Dive Sites
The park's best feature is its steep walls and coral gardens. Snorkelers, too, can enjoy the shallow reefs filled with clouds of colorful fishes. Schooling pyramid butterflyfish are common along the reef crest. Deeper walls are filled with black corals, sea fans, and fantastic sponges. Nudibranchs are plentiful. Most diving takes place near Bunaken and Manado Tua, because of their many excellent sites. The following is representative of the diving in the area.
Lekuan Walls (I, II, III) on Bunaken is divided into three sites: Lekuan I, II and III. Together they represent the park's best. Steep walls are marked with deep crevices, sea fans and giant sponges. The shallows are filled with fishes. The wall, often protected from stronger currents, is frequented by bumphead parrotfish, turtles, and Napoleon wrasses. Mandolin has a knockout reef crest and a wall that attracts thousands of fishes like schooling fusiliers, surgeonfish, unicornfish, and bannerfish. They are acclimated to divers and are easily approachable. Bunaken Timor features strong currents and lots of fishes on this long wall. The shallow reef isn't as spectacular as some but there are turtles, sharks, eagle rays, and other big fishes in the blue. Overhangs and small caves mark the wall. Tanjung Kopi is a nice wall with a small school of barracuda and lots of sweetlips. Visibility in the shallows is not terrific but the numbers of fishes make up for it. Nudibranches and fire gobies are easy to spot here. Siladen Island has a beautiful wall of soft corals that bloom when the current is running. The shallows are nice with lots of fishes and schooling snappers. Muka Gereja is a pretty site with thousands of fishes in the shallows and deeper canyons that lead to the wall. Barracuda Point, on northwest Montehage, is one of the furthest sites. A school of giant barracuda are regulars along with jacks and tuna. This 60m (200ft) long German merchant ship, the Manado Wreck sank near Molas Beach in 1942. It sits upright with the bow at 23m (78ft). The ship is split near amidships back to the stern, exposing the wheelhouse and cargo holds. Dives finish up on a nearby shallow reef. Expect 10-15m (30-50ft) visibility.
North Sulawesi Dive Site Map
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About the Authors
Larry and Denise Tackett are the authors of all of our Indonesian dive site and regional descriptions. They are professional photographers specializing in underwater and terrestrial natural history and travel subjects. They are represented by stock photo agencies in the US and United Kingdom and their photographs have been widely published in books and magazines worldwide. Their work has appeared in magazines such as National Wildlife, Islands, BBC Wildlife, Ocean Realm, Asian Diver, Unterwasser, Tauchen, Canadian Wildlife, Popular Science, Sport Diver, National Geographic Kids, Geo, and many others.
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