Bunaken Diving Review

Scuba diving around the Bunaken islands is terrific. The waters around the park are as deep as 1600 meters which gives you the opportunity to experience some of the best wall diving experiences in the world!

Moreover there are a lot of fishes. You can find some rare macro species and maybe spot a manta ray gliding gracefully into the blue. School of eagle rays is also quite common as well as whitetip, blacktip reef sharks and turtles. You can also spot larger sharks like Silvertip shark on some dives sites like Mike's Point.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattkieffer/5287993734/

For the macro lovers, you will find many nudibranchs along the walls, as well as rare species of crabs and plenty of shrimps, perfect for underwater macro photography.

There are more than 30 dive sites so you will not get bored here even if you dive there for two weeks!

In this page you will find more detailed information about scuba diving in Bunaken.

Dive Summary

Bunaken is a destination suitable for all level of divers but the steep wall going down to the abyss offers a great opportunity to dive deeper and it is better to be an advanced diver to fully enjoy the dive sites.

On the shallow part of the reef you will always find a superb and colourful coral garden around 4 meters deep and it is a great way to make your safety stop and get last underwater shots. These coral gardens are regarded as the best in the world making it a great playground for snorkelers too.

All of the diving centres are affiliated with a resort so choose carefully your accommodation.

The best dive sites are:

• Likuan I
• Likuan II
• Sachiko's Point
• Mandolin

Best time to Dive in Bunaken

It is possible to enjoy the Komodo marine reserve all year round.

• Dry season runs from May to October, average temperature of 30°C. The water visibility is at its maximum and just fantastic up to 50 meters!
• Rainy season from November to April, but the monsoon is much less pronounced here than in other parts of Southeast Asia. The temperature is very nice (not too hot) but the water visibility can be affected by the heavy rains.

The best season would be from May to October during the dry season but good diving all year round is possible.

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Scuba Diving conditions

Conditions are most of the time excellent with just a gentle current (but always be careful as it can rapidly change) and an astonishing visibility; It can go to 50 meters and it really something to see! Water temperature ranges all year round from 27 to 29 °C so no need to dive with a full wet suit.

Snorkelling in Bunaken

Bunaken offers excellent Snorkelling! There are huge Shallow Coral Garden perfect to to observe the teeming reef life. Your resort can arrange for you Snorkelling Day tours to explore the best spots around the Islands. Snorkelling is also most of the time possible directly from the beach but watch out for the current. You can also ask to diving centers if they can take you with them.

Fishes and Coral

Fishes

The Bunaken waters are incredibly rich in terms of small and big fishes.

Pelagic fishes: Dogtooth Tuna, Giant trevally, Barracuda, Manta rays

Sharks: Blacktip, Whitetip, Grey, silvertip

Macro: All kinds and rare nudibranchs, crabs and shrimps

The very rare and newly discovered species of coelacanth can also be found in the Bunaken National Park but are way too deep for conventional diving!

Coral

The hard and soft coral inside the Bunaken marine reserve is some of the best in the world. The diversity is huge and the reef is very healthy. This place is regarded as the centre of the coral triangle.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jipii/2231303624/

Travel Guide

Now that you know all about the underwater world, you might want to start planning your scuba holiday! Check out our Bunaken, Manado Travel Review for information about how to get there, activities and excursions, where to stay, and more.

Dive spots in Bunaken