Indonesia is a country that possesses thousands of islands. Because of the large number of islands, Indonesia is a country that has the most diversity of coral reef species in the world. With the addition of its beautiful coral reefs, it’s really a shame to miss it.
Several areas in Indonesia are famous for their underwater paradises such as Bali, Raja Ampat, Bangka Belitung, and Bunaken. This tourist destination is located in Manado, North Sulawesi. Bunaken Marine Park is well known to foreign countries, especially for scuba divers.
Amazingly, Bunaken became a world heritage site in 2005 after the government registered it with UNESCO. There are several diving spots that you can choose from while in Bunaken Marine Park. Some of them are:
Pangalangan
This spot is located on Manado Tua Island, about 10 minutes of sailing by fishing boat from Bunaken. The vertical walls that are rich in colorful coral reefs are an exciting experience offered by him. In addition to whitefin sharks and barracudas, in Pangalingan, you can often find dogtooth tuna, eagle rays, and even lobsters. With an average depth of 20 meters, the visibility at this spot is quite good, and that is also what causes Pangalingan to have many fans.
Fukui Point
One of the diving spots in Bunaken Marine Park that is a favorite for scuba divers is Fukui Point. The Japanese first discovered this place. It is not like most other Bunaken dive sites because there are no coral walls but slopes with low or steep descents.
The marine life you can find at this diving spot is white-spotted moray eels, sailfin tangs, red-tooth triggerfish, napoleon wrasse, or garden eels. Divers can also find five giant clams at a depth of 15 meters.
Likuan 1, 2, and 3
Bunaken Marine Park diving spots, which are the next favorite, are Likuan 1, 2, and 3. For those of you who just want to snorkel, beginner divers and experienced divers alike will enjoy the spot with calm waves and clear water there. This Bunaken Marine Park diving spot has a variety of different types of fish. Some of the marine life you will see when diving in Likuan 1 and 2 are turtles, bannerfish, napoleon wrasse, and pyramid butterflyfish. Then the vertical wall of Likuan 2 is overgrown with hard and soft coral reefs.
Likuan 3 is one of the best dive spots in Bunaken. You who snorkel can enjoy a variety of colors and types of coral reefs and fish species. The adventure will start from a gentle sandy slope with a small underwater peak for those of you who will dive. After that, you will find a sea wall almost as deep as 200 meters, sea fan corals (gorgonians) and large sponges adorn the walls, and colorful fish swimming around the spot.
Celah-Celah
Another favorite diving spot in Bunaken Marine Park is the Gap. Its southern part of Bunaken Island is a favorite location for residents to relax for a while. Because it is located near Liang Bay, the curve of the island at this point protects the Rift area from wind and big waves. On the surface, the waves are usually calm. However, below sea level, the currents are sometimes quite large.
“Celah” means crevice. As the name suggests, this point has a deep sea wall with large crevice on its surface. To divers, these dive sites look their best when sunlight penetrates the seawater, illuminating the cracks and making the water appear bluer. If you are lucky, you will see reef sharks or eagle rays occasionally appearing at this diving spot.
Some of the Bunaken Marine Park Diving Spots you can use as a reference while you are there. Some of them offer the beauty of extraordinary marine life, and it would be a shame to miss it. Don’t forget to visit these diving spots while you are in Bunaken.
Tips:
If you want ‘safe’ conditions, come in March to October, where the sunny weather will launch your diving activities in Bunaken.
Are you planning to visit Bunaken soon? Find out more about Bunaken and Indonesia by visiting Wonderful Indonesia.
