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- GREAT DIVES. GREAT VIBES.
- GREAT DIVES. GREAT VIBES.
Sulawesi
The Critter Diving Capital of the World
Love macro photography? Rare, exotic creatures? Best-in-class dive resorts? Here’s a destination for divers who truly want to experience the biodiversity of the Coral Triangle.
The big animals get all the credit, but it’s the smaller creatures that won the biodiversity title for the region. They’re easily overlooked, yet totally unforgettable once you focus your eyes (or your lens).
Best Time to Travel: July – Oct. Diving: Boat and Shore Diving. Unique Marine Life: Mimic Octopuses, Multiple Species of Shrimp, Dugongs, Linckia Starfish, Waspfishes, Sea Snakes, Crocodile Snake Eels, Whip Gobies. Sea Temps: Average 84°F. Air Temps: Average 82°F. Accommodations: Land-Based Resort. Other Adventures: Hiking, Hot Springs, Rice Fields, Markets, Shopping.
Sulawesi Island is home to several unique dive destinations. In the northeast: Bunaken, Bangka, and Lembeh. In the southeast: Wakatobi.
Bunaken is the hub, but you’ll also be diving at the neighboring islands of Manadotua and Siladen. There are steep — and sometimes vertical — walls that run very deep. Jacks, barracudas, and reef sharks cruise along the walls, and there’s tons of sea turtles.
Bangka is the hub, but there’s 5 other islands in the neighborhood with large boulder formations and deep pinnacles. This area receives the strongest currents, and most of the dive sites are drift dives with lots of schooling fish.
Lembeh has black-sand bottoms and small patch reefs, and this is where the best-of-the-best critter diving is done. But it’s not all critter diving; there’s also 2 spectacular World War II wrecks.
The Wakatobi Islands have a nice variety of coral formations, which include ledges, bowls, overhangs, and walls. The Wakatobi House Reef is one of the world’s best house reefs and shore dives. Roma, an underwater pinnacle, is swirling with schooling fusiliers and banded sea snakes.
You will enjoy Sulawesi…
If You Enjoy Biodiversity
There’s too many unique animals to list, but at Sulawesi you can spot commensal shrimp, harlequin shrimp, whip gobies, pygmy seahorses, Linckia starfish, waspfishes, sea snakes, crocodile snake eels, scorpionfish, jellyfish, mimic octopuses, and tons of nudibranchs. But there’s bigger animals, too, like dugongs, sharks, and schooling barracuda. Some of the dive resorts do black water dives, if you’re interested in seeing neon-gleaming aliens of the open ocean.
If You Don’t Mind Hopping Around
You can knock out Bunaken, Bangka, and Lembeh in a single dive trip, and that’s often the best way to do it because you get the most variety by visiting all three. The dive resorts here are pretty spectacular; some of them offer special facilities for underwater photographers.
If You Enjoy Variety
Each destination in Sulawesi has different reef formations and diving styles. Although it has a reputation for critter diving, there’s actually so much variety here.
The interior of North Sulawesi has a multitude of ecological adventures. In some ways, it’s similar to Bali but there’s not nearly as many tourists. It’s a great opportunity to deep dive into the local culture.
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