With up to 2000 species of fish and 390 species of coral, the Bunaken area is known to have some of the highest biodiversity on the world.
Whether you want to snorkel to simply watch the turtles swim by or find small critters to photography, Bunaken always delivers.
Average boat travel: 20 minutes
Wetsuit: 3 or 5 mm
What to see: turtles, damselfish, batfish, angel fish, reef sharks, lobsters, giant clams, dolphins, pilot whales.
Comprised of a group of islands and the coastline near Manado, the Bunaken Marine Park is known for its sheer drops covered with sponges and all kinds of corals, dropping down 60-200 meters into the deep blue, The amount of turtles on these reefs is staggering. With the walls flanked by huge schools of colorful fish, a variety of camouflaged creatures await to be discovered in every nook and cranny of the northern Bunaken reefs.
The southern part however, is a completely different story — its sandy slopes are covered in sea grass, where you can spot grazing sea cows, and a macro environment of seahorses, scorpionfish, nudibranchs, sea slugs, octopi and a lot more. On the mainland, a varied topography of sandy slopes and rocky outcrops make every dive different. Closer to the resort, the site of Black Rock is where we do many of our night dives.
The Lekuan sites are some of the most popular ones in front of Bunaken. Coral walls and a lot of turtles are to be seen.
Celah-Celah, meaning "gaps" or "cracks", is great for wide-angle photography, especially with the sun shining.
"East" is best visited during one of the earlier dives. The site will be bathing in light and you are surrounded by schools upons schools of fish.
A coral wall intersecting a gentle slope makes Fukui a hit with divers, especially for the chance to spot humphead parrotfish and dogtooth tuna.
Curious about accommodation, rates or diving? Do send us a message with your travel ideas, and we’ll help you arrange your custom-tailored diving trip.
Send us an email — we’d love to hear your vacation plans.
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