Bunaken
Wall Diving
BUNAKEN ISLAND : One of
the worlds most beautiful coral environments, with an almost
unbelievable variety of teeming sea life, superb visibility
and spectacular scenery. Bunaken is the chief attraction of
North Sulawesi specially for diver, with much of the best coral
and so many different kind of fish, small and bigger.
The drift diving is easy - jump in and go with the current.
Dive boat pick up divers wherever the 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, barracudas, Napoleon wrasses
and sharks.
The water temperature is warm, about 27 to 30 degrees. 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 20 - 30 m or more.
The park's best feature is its steep walls and coral gardens.
Snorkellers too can enjoy the shallow reefs filled with clouds
of colourful fishes. Schooling pyramid butterfly fish are common
along the reef crest. Deeper walls are filled with black corals,
sea fans and fantastic sponges. Nudibranchs are plentiful.
Some of the dive destinations that we go
diving in Bunaken Marine Park :
| Likuan
1 :
|
Drop off dive site,
many canyons, sometimes strong current. You are able to
see whitetip sharks, groupers, turtles, sea snake, jack
fish, fusiliers, butterflyfishes, Bannerfishes and also
black corals, gorgonians and giant barrel sponges. |
| Mandolin
Point :
|
This drop off comes
down by large steps, with the small cave in the deep part.
Sometimes strong current. You are able to see eagle rays,
barracudas, dogtooth tunas, Napoleon Wrasses, sea snakes,
Blacktip reef sharks and also large gorgonians, nlack corals,
ascidiants. |
| Panggulingan
Manado tua :
|
Slope with large
rock and corals formations. Often strong current. The fishes
you are able to see groups of barracudas and jackfishes,
dogtooth tunas and whitetip reef sharks. If you are lucky
you can see hammerhead and grey sharks |
| Sachiko
Point :
|
Drop off with caves
in the deep part. The top of the reef looks very nice, with
large hard corals. The common fishes here are barracudas,
whitetip sharks, blacktip sharks, large emperors and jacks,
butterflyfishes, bannerfishes, parrotfishes, and large angelfishes. |
| Fukui
Point :
|
This one is sloppy
dive site with hard corals, and barrel sponges. One of the
common things to see here is the 5 Giant Clam. Mostly all
the fishes you can big barracudas, bumphead parrotfishes,
napoleon wrasse, and eagle rays, also big groups of black
snappers and sweetlips. |
|