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ОглавлениеDiving in Indonesia
A Vast and Incredible Archipelago for Divers
An archipelago of over 17,000 islands, stretching more than 5,000 km from west to east, with a coastline of more than 80,000 km washed by tropical waters, Indonesia has some phenomenal dive sites. Indeed, the world’s fourth largest country contains 10–20 percent of the world’s coral reefs.
Over the course of the last 20 years, Indonesia has become firmly established on the map as home to some of the world’s best dive sites with new sites and new areas still being explored and discovered to this day. Major tourist areas such as Bali offer a range of dive sites as well as accommodation, dive courses and dive safaris, whilst traveling further east in Indonesia reveals remote islands and promises of discovery.
Diving in Indonesia has some great advantages as well as some challenges. The advantages of diving the clear rich waters of an uncrowded site, or better still, the virgin waters of an unexplored corner of the archipelago, need hardly be mentioned. Ask anyone who has dived in Indonesia. But these advantageous are also the country’s drawback. Distances and remoteness can make trips to certain areas financially demanding, but for those with deep enough pockets and a taste for adventure there are definite opportunities to sample some of the most exciting diving in the world.
Bali is Indonesia’s most popular tourist destination, catering for millions of tourists each year. The diving here is still superb, offering a splendid wreck, critter diving, some phenomenal drift dives, manta rays and the oceanic sunfish or mola mola. There is a vast range of operators catering for all abilities (and pockets), prices are competitive and logistics can be easily managed. Many operators offer diving in a number of regions, giving divers the chance to experience a taste of everything on offer.
Snorkeling in Indonesia’s remote eastern waters is a special treat.
TO THE BACK OF BEYOND
As more and more diver operations have opened their doors, levels of professionalism have increased. However, some logistical stumbling blocks still need to be overcome. Aside from a few international airports being located in diving areas, such as Denpasar in Bali and Manado in North Sulawesi, most trips will require an international flight from your home country into Indonesia and then onward domestic flights to transfer you to your chosen destination. The majority of international flights arrive in either Bali or Jakarta but Makassar is also serviced internationally, as are Manado and Lombok. Whilst there are numerous domestic carriers such as Lion Air, Sri Wijaya Air, Wings, Merpati Nusantara, Xpress, Trans Nusa and, of course, Garuda, the country’s national carrier, efficiency and reliability levels are not always on par with international airline and airport services. That being said, prices are considerably lower, with domestic flights costing very little. The further you travel from major cities or from tourist areas (and in general the further you head east), the greater the problems can be. The biggest problems are delayed or cancelled flights. Also, the aircrafts servicing some of the smaller islands and more remote areas are often much smaller crafts and divers can find themselves limited to as little as 15 kg of baggage allowance. Fortunately, excess baggage fees tend to be more reasonably priced than those for international travelers.
That is not to say that everything falls foul. But travelers should be aware that business does not always run as smoothly as one would like, and some margin of time should be allowed for travel to and from the more remote parts of the archipelago. Patience, tolerance and a strong sense of humor are indispensable for travel in this country, even when you are opting for high end operators who organize transfers and travel for you. They also suffer from localized logistical problems often outside of their control.
Once at the dive destination, there can be a range of ways to travel to and from dive sites. Divers can still find themselves aboard anything from a well maintained, spacious and swift speedboat to a local fishing outrigger boat just about wide enough for one!
Colorful soft coral on the walls around Bunaken in northern Sulawesi.
A huge manta ray near Nusa Penida, Bali.
DIVE OPERATORS
The caliber of dive guides in Indonesia has certainly improved over the last 20 years and many of the local guides employed in tourist areas and in remote western-owned resorts have excellent English and vast knowledge about the marine life of Indonesia. Plus, they have excellent eyes for spotting some of the most bizarre, miniscule and rare creatures and fish. The best local guides are able to locate the most popular and sought after species with an accuracy and speed that is truly startling.
The dive training industry in Indonesia is now booming, particularly in the main tourist areas such as Bali, the Gili Islands, Labuan Bajo and North Sulawesi. The majority of dive centers are accredited with PADI, and the PADI open water course is the entry level course that is most commonly available. Other entry level courses include SSI open water and CMAS certifications. New divers should opt for an accredited dive operator that employs qualified instructors. You can ask to see an instructor’s card if you have any doubt about their credentials and they should be able to produce it. Continuing education courses are also widely available. When taking any dive course, you should make sure that the instructor’s name on the paperwork matches that of the instructor who conducted your training.
Komodo National Park is a paradise for diving and exploring and home to the Komodo dragon, the world’s largest species of monitor lizard.
Most dive guides in tourist areas are fully certified divemasters. In other areas the level of training can vary. Do not be afraid to ask your operator what experience the guides at their operation have.
Again, in the tourist areas, such as those listed above, equipment hire is readily available and if you are diving with a reputable operator (advised) the equipment is usually in good (serviced) condition. However, as you travel increasingly east across the archipelago, the availability of equipment hire decreases. Some operators in South Sulawesi and Raja Ampat, for example, will expect you to have your own gear, and on liveaboards it is generally required that you bring your own gear. If you are considering any of these options, check with your chosen operator at the time of booking what is and what is not required for you to bring. Equipment can be purchased and serviced in Bali and Jakarta but it is best to buy in advance of travel to avoid any disappointment.
Indonesia is a not a place, either, to push the dive tables or argue with dive computers. There are recompression chambers in Bali and Manado that meet international standards. There are other chambers in several other locations but they are not internationally approved. If you become symptomatic of decompression sickness in a more remote part of Indonesia, you cannot count on immediate emergency assistance or evacuation. It is simply not always possible given the distances and logistics involved. Liveaboards and operators in remote locations have emergency procedures in place, but an extraction from an island in Komodo or Raja Ampat, for example, can still be expensive and rely on crucial timing. For these reasons, divers are advised to have fully comprehensive dive insurance and to be familiar with any limitations of their policy, such as depth limits. Insurance coverage aside, it is better to simply err on the side of caution.
Generally, the best practise is to dive conservatively, even to the point of extreme caution, and safely, always making safety stops at the end of each dive, even shallow dives, and ascend slowly to the surface. The reefs are rich enough that you will never be bored spending a few extra minutes at the end of a dive exploring the shallows.
Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) are most commonly seen at dusk, Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi.
WHEN AND WHERE TO VISIT
Because of the size of Indonesia, diving is possible all year round if you plan your trip according to seasonal and regional optimal times. Some areas are only dived from September to June, such as parts of West Papua. Others are best dived from June to October, and in some areas diving is available for 12 months of the year. In general, the busiest time for tourists is from July to September and over the Christmas and New Year Holidays.
The areas included in this dive guide all have compressors, equipment and other professional facilities for diving. Some areas offer the visitor a great place to holiday and have the added bonus of well-organized diving as a diversion. Others have great diving but only modest accommodation. As mentioned earlier, there are numerous liveaboard boats in Indonesia. These can range from high end and luxury vessels to more backpacker oriented boats, but generally a reputable liveaboard will be at least fairly well equipped.
Indonesia is home to some of the world’s most stunning coral reefs and divers of all levels should remember that these reefs are fragile ecosystems. Always dive carefully and maintain good buoyancy control, keep fins and hands away from the corals, minimize contact with the reef and marine life and wherever possible opt for operators who have marine conservation initiatives and procedures in place.
—Fiona Nichols/Sarah Ann Wormald
East Kalimantan
Mantas, Turtles and a Mysterious Lake
Access 10 minutes–1.5 hours by boat, depending on location
Current 5–25 meters
Reef type Variable, 0–2 knots
Highlights Good
Visibility Walls and coral slopes
Coral Good variety
Fish Mantas; diving in marine lake
Because of their proximity to both Indonesia and Malaysia, the islands of Derawan and Sangalaki in eastern Borneo have long been the subject of a heated territorial dispute. But divers can all agree on one thing: the diving here is world-class and features turtles on virtually every dive, cruising manta rays and a wealth of macro life. There are only limited operators in the area, but both Sangalaki Island and Derawan Island are home to land-based resorts.
The dive sites around Derawan offer some drift diving and muck diving, with a good range of critters, which makes it a popular choice for photographers. There are also good shore dives to be made. Due to the proximity of the islands, boat dives also operate daily to sites around the neighboring islands.
SANGALAKI
For divers, the major attraction around Sangalaki is the resident population of manta rays, of which there are reliable sightings year round. During the rainy season (November through March), the visibility is poor (5–8 meters), but there is plenty to see. As mantas tend to feed near the surface and in light currents, divers need only descend a few meters underwater to enjoy the show. The rays are even accustomed to human presence.
The other dives at Sangalaki are worthwhile, as the corals are healthy, the currents are mild and the visibility is stellar. There are huge groupers and bountiful reef fish at a bommie near Coral Gardens, and Stingray Patch is famous for regular sightings of blue spotted rays, eagle rays and, what else, mantas.
Green turtles live, breed and lay eggs on several of the small islands off the northeast coast of Kalimantan. Derawan and Sangalaki are the islands of choice.
Remote Derawan Island in the Sangalaki Archipelago in East Kalimantan, offers the chance to see manta rays, groupers and even the odd beach wreck.
KAKABAN ISLAND
Kakaban offers an excellent wall, which drops to 50 meters, pocked by caves and crevices and covered in an array of hard corals. The wall is thronged by surgeon-fish and snappers but sharks are often encountered. There is typically a mild to strong current here, but experienced divers should have no troubles. The Blue Light Cave is another excellent site. At low tide, guests swim over the top of the reef to a small hole that opens inside into a large cathedral. Blue Light Cave is for experienced divers only.
But Kakaban lays claim to a much more unusual fame. A lake fills much of the central part of the island, slightly above sea level, and with a salt concentration about two-thirds that of the ocean. The lake holds a variety of marine life, including thousands of stingless jellyfish.
Other marine life observed includes tunicates, small colonial bivalves, nudibranchs, pure white anemone-like animals, a variety of species of holothurian sea cucumbers, sponges of two distinct growth forms and various crabs.
The lake is ringed by thickly encrusted mangrove roots, and the slopes at the lake edge are covered in lush vegetation.
The non-stinging species of Kakaban jellyfish is endemic to an inland lake on Kakaban Island.
MARATUA
The horseshoe-shaped island of Maratua lays further to the east of Sangalaki and Derawan but boat diving options are available.
The best place to dive at Maratua is at The Channel, also known as Big Fish Country, on the eastern rim where, as the name suggests, divers hope to see pelagic fish in abundance. The channel’s mouth is where the best action occurs. On an incoming or slack tide, it is swarmed by separate schools of chevron and yellow tail barracuda, gigantic bus-sized groupers, schools of surgeons, trevally and tuna. Visibility is nearly always gin-clear.
Below the lip, a vertical wall drops to 60 plus meters, where eagle rays, grey, white tip and black tip sharks are frequent visitors. If the current is running, it’s best to sit at the edge to watch the show, then drift into the shallow lagoon.
—David Espinosa/Kal Muller/Sarah Ann Wormald
Manta rays can be viewed close up in Sangalaki.
Even though this magnificent sea anemone is closing up, the clownfish that inhabit it stay within the tentacles for protection.
Sulawesi
World-class Walls and Outstanding Fish Life
Access 5 minutes–1.5 hours by boat
Current Fair to very good, 12–25 meters
Reef type Usually gentle; at some sites to 2 knots or more
Highlights Excellent condition and variety, particularly soft corals
Visibility Steep coral walls
Coral Good numbers and excellent variety
Fish Excellent walls and muck diving; Selayar and Wakatobi—exceptional house reefs
NORTH SULAWESI
Divers have nothing but praise for the reefs surrounding the small islands in Manado Bay. These are sheer walls covered with an incredible amount and variety of hard corals and invertebrate life. Visibility is usually very good—in the 20–30 meter range, sometimes even better—though periodic plankton-rich upwellings can reduce the visibility to 10–15 meters.
In 1989, thanks to the collective efforts of Dr Hanny and Ineke Batuna, Loky Herlambang and Ricky Lasut, 75,265 hectares of area underwater around Bunaken, Manado Tua, Siladen, Montehage and Nain islands became a national marine reserve, Bunaken National Park, and the corals and reefs have remained in admirable condition.
North Sulawesi and the islands in the Bunaken group face the Sulawesi Sea, which plummets down to more than 6,000 meters. Nutrient-rich water from these depths sweeps across the reefs.
This green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) has a sucker fish attached to its carapace. The two species live in symbiosis, with the turtle being cleaned and the sucker fish being fed!
The variety of marine life here is excellent. The surfaces of the walls are crowded with hard and soft corals, whip corals, sponges and clinging filter feeders like crinoids and basket stars.
Huge schools of pyramid butterflyfish, black triggerfish and clouds of anthias swarm around the reef edge and the upper part of the wall. Scorpionfish, a vast array of nudibranchs, moray eels and sea snakes—particularly the black and grey banded colubrine sea snake—are common here and larger pelagics such as sharks and rays are well known to pass through.
The Bunaken–Manado Tua reserve features easily over 20 dives sites without counting those situated off Manado on the mainland. Most are concentrated off the south and west coasts of Bunaken, a low, crescent-shaped coral island surrounded by a steep fringing reef. Adjacent to Manado Tua (Old Manado) is a volcano, a well-shaped cone reaching 822 meters. Three other islands complete the group: tiny Siladen, a stone’s throw northeast of Bunaken; Montehage, the largest of the islands, north of Bunaken; and Nain, a tiny island north of Montehage surrounded by a large barrier reef.
A successful turtle sanctuary on Siladen Island has helped turtle numbers in the Bunaken marine reserve and now green turtles are seen on almost every dive.
The reef tops of the majority of Bunaken’s walls are mainly made up of staghorn corals that host schools of damselfish, such as those pictured here.
BUNAKEN ISLAND
Bunaken is the centerpiece of the reserve with the majority of the dive sites being situated around its southern coastline.
Most of the sites offer similar topographies in that they feature steep walls of coral with small caves buzzing with reef fish. Good coral growth usually extends down to 40–50 meters, and on a good day, in the deeper parts of the wall, it is possible to see sharks, eagle rays and Napoleon wrasse.
The most popular sites in the park are along this spectacular three-pronged coral wall that can keep any diver enthralled for dive after dive after dive. Check out the turtles (some of which are of exceptional proportions), occasional Napoleon wrasse and a wealth of macro and critter life adorning the walls. Bunaken Timur offers shelter from the occasional storms that come out of the west, so the coral gardens remain some of the best in the park, though the fish density is much less than the other popular sites. Sachiko’s Point offers good soft coral growth and, like any of the current-swept points around the island, possible shark and pelagic action. The entire west side of Bunaken is a fine 2-km stretch of wall that can see troublesome down currents on a falling tide. But on a rising tide it’s a superb drift running in a northerly direction with plenty to behold: excellent coral growth along Mandolin as schools of fusiliers wash past you in waves, forests of whip corals along Tengah and extending into Raymond’s Point, which also boasts lovely soft corals. Common inhabitants include turtles, colubrine sea snakes, the occasional passing eagle ray, Napoleon wrasse, dog tooth tuna or reef sharks, and when the current is light enough to allow closer inspection along the wall, numerous scorpionfish, soft coral candy crabs and other macro riches. Fukui is the exception to the walls of Bunaken: a gentle slope offering fish life ranging from ghost pipefish to Napoleon wrasse, an impressive bed of garden eels, a collection of giant Tridacna clams that’s a popular photo stop and a nearby sea mount that comes to within 10 meters of the surface, which is frequented by schools of batfish, midnight snappers, big eyed jacks, giant trevally, barracuda and occasionally reef sharks.
Green sea turtles around Bunaken are not bothered by divers and close-up encounters are not uncommon.
MANADO TUA
“Old Manado” is a dormant volcano jutting up just west of Bunaken. The two best sites are wall dives on the west coast: Muka Gereja and Negeri offer good coral growth and macro life with plenty of caves and cracks to peer into, but don’t expect any pelagic action. Tanjung Kopi is where to go if you are hoping for bigger fish, but the currents dictate that this site is not for beginners and can only be dived properly at slack tide. The reef profile is a steep wall to about 40 meters.
SILADEN, MONTEHAGE AND NAIN
These three islands see fewer divers than the main two islands but they do offer some fine dives. The west side of Siladen has an exquisite reef that starts right off the best beach in the park and has fine macro attractions. Montehage is a large, flat, mangrove-dominated island with a wide fringing reef flat that has sustained some damage. For big fish, Barracuda Point is the best bet, though a bit of a gamble. Divers here usually see almost nothing or have their best dives, with possible sightings including schools of chevron barracuda, eagle rays, schools of jacks, trevally, bumphead parrotfish and a variety of reef sharks. The furthest island in the park from Manado is Nain, located in a large lagoon surrounded by a barrier reef offering good hard coral growth in places. Batu Kapal is an interesting dive, but it’s for the very experienced only.
Manado’s house reefs are a treasure trove for the bizarre and colorful, like this free-swimming male ribbon eel.
MANADO BAY
Though the coral growth can’t compete with the splendor of Bunaken-Manado Tua, and the visibility is usually in the 8–15 meter range, Manado Bay has plenty to offer. The area has some excellent muck diving sites which make a super break from wall diving. The most popular site is the Molas Wreck (or Manado Wreck), an intact, steel-hulled, 60-meter merchant ship that sits upright on a sandy slope at 25–40 meters, with the bow and roof reaching up to 17 meters to greet divers descending the mooring line. After a tour of the ship, divers follow the slope up into the shallows, which, like the entire Molas coastline, offers critter hunting equal or even better than Bunaken, with ribbon eels, cuttlefish, ghost pipefish and more. Following the bay, some resorts have interesting house reefs, with the reef off Tasik Ria hosting seasonal pygmy seahorses.
LEMBEH STRAIT
Over the course of the last 20 years, no one area has truly come to exemplify the ocean’s strange and bizarre outcasts quite like the Lembeh Strait. When the first resort opened its doors in the mid-1990s on this sheltered stretch of water east of Manado, it was designed and marketed as a relaxing upscale retreat that also offered diving.
Under the auspices of the late renowned divemaster Larry Smith, the Kungkungan Bay Resort quickly became the Mecca for macro photographers and marine biologists. As Larry and his team of highly trained guides developed more and more sites, featuring frogfish in all sizes and colors, a veritable rainbow of countless nudibranch species, innumerable eels, an astonishing variety of venomous fish species, octopus and cuttlefish species galore, mandarinfish by the dozens as well as myriad others, the frenzy to dive there reached astonishing heights. Some of the more notable species seen here include both the wunderpus and the mimic octopus, blue ring octopus, hairy frogfish, warty frogfish, flamboyant cuttlefish and the rhinopias and Ambon scorpionfishes. The resort nearly cornered the market on macro diving, and though Papua New Guinea’s Bob Halstead coined the term “muck” diving, the impossibly rich and diverse Lembeh Strait catapulted muck into the international limelight.
Tiny critters like the diminutive pygmy seahorse (Hippo-campus bargibanti) abound in Sulawesi’s waters. The trick is finding them!
Many of Lembeh’s resorts have excellent facilities, including pools with views over the strait.
In recent years, operators from nearby Manado have descended upon Lembeh—it takes only 1.5 hrs from Manado by car—servicing the boom of divers searching for muck. Though black sand sites like Hairball have brought most of Lembeh’s fame, with over 60 dive sites covering a wide spectrum of topographies, from black sand slopes, verdant hard coral and soft coral gardens, bommies, walls, pinnacles, rubble, wrecks and mixtures of all of the above, boredom is never a problem. Indeed, when even the most seasoned of divers return from dives having spotted something they have never seen before, one begins to realize how unique this famed stretch of water truly is. It is no wonder that the Lembeh Strait has been dubbed the “critter diving capital of the world”.
Lembeh is home now to over 15 dive resorts, which offer dive and full board packages ranging from budget to luxury, and the logistics of getting to the area are relatively simple, with most operators providing airport pickups from Manado.
Emperor shrimps (Periclimenes Imperator) live in symbiosis with sea cucumbers.
TO THE NORTH
Atop Sulawesi sits an island group offering a sort of diving in complete contrast to Bunaken to the west and Lembeh to the east. The best dives are a number of pinnacles that rise off the east coast of Bangka Island and in the Pulisan area. The prime attractions here are the unbelievably kaleidoscopic soft coral gardens. With the clouds of antheis and other reef fish varieties schooling about, huge moray eels, occasional sharks and rays passing through, as well as great macro attractions, the area is a visual feast. Compared to Bunaken, the currents are stronger, the visibility usually reduced and the water a bit cooler, but the diving around Bangka is excellent.
Further north, a string of islands form stepping stones all the way to the Philippines. For liveaboard aficionados, the Sangihe-Talaud chain offers some spectacular scenery in clear waters. Diving on volcanic flows, pinnacles and pristine coral reefs, and with no crowds, the Sangihe area also harbors one of the very few sperm whale calving grounds on earth. With deep trenches to both sides of the island chain, the currents can be wicked, but for experienced divers the region offers extraordinary adventures.
Traditional fishing boats with outriggers are excellent dive vessels because they offer stability in the water.
TOGEAN ISLANDS
Situated in gin-clear, millpond-calm Tomini Bay, the idyllic and alluring Togean Islands are distinguished by the simple fact that they feature all three major coral reef formations—fringing, barrier and atoll—within a small area and in a sheltered environment. This means that divers can marvel at exquisitely delicate coral growth, but only in areas where the rampant bomb fishing that has effectively destroyed much of these reefs can be avoided.
There are only a few dive operators in the area, mainly operating out of Kadidiri. Other than an intact World War II plane wreck, the inner central region of the islands doesn’t offer much, but with a good guide the outer areas do. Fine dives can be had around Kadidiri and its smaller neighboring islands and also on the volcanic cone of Una-Una to the northwest. Diving is also offered by the Walea Dive Resort located near the southeastern tip of Walea Bahi. In that area, there are some decent reefs off the beach, which owe their continued healthy existence to the protective actions of the resort. There are also a number of nearby seamounts rising from the depths that offer superlative dives in astounding visibility, featuring possible encounters with a range of shark species as well as numerous reef fishes.
SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST SULAWESI: SELAYAR ISLAND AND WAKATOBI
Traveling further south in Sulawesi undoubtedly offers some of Indonesia’s finest diving and world-class dive sites. Bira on the tip of South Sulawesi features some strong currents, occasional cooler temperatures but occasional passing pelagics and is now home to a handful of operators.
More notably, however, is the marine park created by the Selayar Dive Resort on the east coast of Selayar Island (South Sulawesi) and Wakatobi Dive Resort situated in the Wakatobi National Marine Park (Southeast Sulawesi). Both of these resorts are blessed with exceptional house reefs that feature plunging walls pocked with caverns and crevices and covered in a profusion of healthy, untouched hard and soft corals.
Selayar Dive Resort is situated in the heart of the marine protected area, which it created in 2002. The boutique resort, which is open from October to May, has only nine bungalows that are located along a 1-km stretch of white sand beach. Diving in the marine park here is truly a delight, with no other dive boats in the region, stunning walls (such as Steps, Caves and Overhangs and Opera) adorned with a diverse mix of soft and hard coral species and huge gorgonian fans, which are awash with macro and critter life, including candy soft coral crabs, ghost pipefish, pygmy seahorses, innumerable species of nudibranchs and shrimps, eels, leaffish and scorpionfish, to name but a few. The deeper sites in the park, such as Shark Point and Karl’s Corner, offer the possibility of numerous shark sightings in one dive, including grey reef sharks and black and white tips. Mobula rays, eagle rays, huge tuna, giant trevallies, Napoleon wrasse, schooling jacks and a number of barracuda species are also amongst the residents here. Green turtles also thrive within the park and a handful of sightings on each dive are not unusual. In short, diving within the Selayar Dive Resort marine protected area offers something for everyone and should not be overlooked if you are seeking some of the best diving that Sulawesi has to offer.
Christmas tree worms are found in a range of colors. These were photographed in Wakatobi.
Wakatobi Dive Resort (Wakatobi being an acronym for the four main islands of the Tukangbesi Archipelago— WA-ngi- Wangi, KAledupa, TOmia and BInongko) is located in the vast Tukangbesi National Marine Park. This high-end eco resort boasts two types of accommodation across over 20 bungalows in addition to a handful of luxury villas, all complete with impeccable service and transfers from Bali by private plane.
Diving in the Wakatobi National Park gives divers the opportunity to dive world-class pristine reefs, stunning wall dives and abundant marine life, particularly in the Tomia area. Turtles, rays, sharks and a whole host of critters are common, and when coupled with quiet dive sites and good visibility, it makes for some phenomenal diving.
A pink sea fan in Wakatobi is home to a school of anthias.
The islands of Wakatobi are stereotypical picture perfect, with white sand, palm-fringed beaches, tropical clear water and beautifully diverse flora and fauna. There are a number of operators in the area now offering dive packages for a range of budgets, but if you are looking for tropical luxury and top-class service combined with some of the best sites within minutes of your resort, then Wakatobi Dive Resort remains the resort of choice. More than six species of seahorse have been found on their stretch of house reef alone and they are also at the forefront of marine conservation and reef protection projects in the area.
For those seeking the ultimate luxury liveaboard experience, Wakatobi Dive Resort also operate the Pelagian Liveaboard, a 35-meter yacht that offers an exclusive experience to the 10 guests for which it caters.
For those who have deep enough pockets, Wakatobi Dive Resort is the ultimate in luxury high-end comfort and the diving is undeniably world-class.
—Bruce Moore/David Espinosa/Sarah Ann Wormald
Tulamben
The Legendary USS Liberty Wreck and Other Sites
Access Beach; the ship is 30 meters offshore. Avoid midday—often crowds
Current Fair to good, 15 meters
Reef type Mild
Highlights Good growth on ship, fine growth on wall
Visibility Liberty shipwreck; wall; muck diving
Coral Excellent variety, prolific
Fish Full moon night dive
At first sight, the little village of Tulamben is rather uninviting. Its beach is a rough spread of black sand, with small boulders and rubble cast here by nearby Gunung Agung’s eruption in 1963. But people travel in great numbers to Tulamben to dive the predominantly black sand sloping sites, beginning, for most, with the wreck of the Liberty.
The wreck is Bali’s most popular dive site and it does become crowded, as daytrippers from the south brave the three-hour drive just to make 2–3 dives. If you are hoping for a more exclusive experience, it is best to base yourself directly in Tulamben and make early morning or sunrise dives on the Liberty before the crowds arrive. The volcanic rock is a bit hard on the feet, and the waves can be rough, but all inconveniences are soon forgotten on Bali’s most famous site.
There are now numerous operators in Tulamben offering both resort facilities and diving only. Prices range from backpacker deals to more high-end dive and stay packages. Tauch Terminal Tulamben offers upmarket accommodation and diving in their ideally positioned resort on the beach front next to the entry point for the wreck. A little to the south, the reputable Markisa Resort also offers Seraya Secret as their house reef and dive and stay packages in their boutique resort.
The Liberty wreck at Tulamben, Bali, is completely encrusted with coral.
USS LIBERTY WRECK
Just 30 meters from the beach, the wreck lies on its starboard side, almost parallel to the shore. Parts of the superstructure are broken up and it is largely only the main frame of the ship that remains, but the wreck is still large and impressive, stretching more than 100 meters along the steeply sloping black sand. On 11 January 1942, this ship was hit by torpedoes from a Japanese submarine and was beached in Tulamben. She remained there for more than 20 years until the eruption of Agung pushed the ship off the beach to its current location.
A mixed school of butterflyfish and oriental sweetlips hang in mild current above Tulamben’s Coral Garden.
Dancing shrimp in Seraya Secret. Their distinctive green eyes are quite spectacular.
The hull, which is encrusted in hard corals and covered in soft corals of purple, red and yellow, has broken down over time and now offers divers the opportunity to swim through the ribs of the ship without the need for any penetration, as most of the wreck is open and offers direct access to the surface. The wreck is simply a wonderful place to dive, as there are hundreds of species of fish. Schooling fish are not uncommon here at quiet times and occasional reef sharks and stingrays also come to rest in the shadows cast by the vessel. Most of the medium sized fish have become semi-tame, and will literally swarm a diver in the shallows. Smaller treasures, like nudibranchs and tiny cuttlefish can be found on the wreck itself and on the black sand that surrounds it. The Liberty remains a wonderful place to dive, and it has recovered nicely from the El Niño bleaching, but with more divers visiting it, more than ever it is essential to be cautious.
BEYOND THE WRECK
Should you want to take a break from the wreck, the coral Tulamben Wall/Drop-off begins on the opposite end of the beach. Divers enter the wall from a somewhat protected nook, swim down a small sand embankment and over to the wall, which drops from 5 meters to 60 plus.
The wall does not host huge numbers of fish but has a decent variety. The wall ends in a ridge 100 meters from the starting point, and becomes a steep slope.
Further south from the Drop-off, Seraya Secret, which features numerous shrimps, nudibranchs and all manner of critters, is a muck diving fanatics must see site. Seraya Secret is a black sand slope around a 20-minute boat ride south from Pantai Drop-off and the entry point is just in front of the Markisa Resort (also their house reef). The slope hosts only sporadic rocks, hard corals and anemones but do not let this put you off as critters of all types can be found here, from harlequin shrimps, different species of lionfish, leaf scorpionfish, ghost pipefish and an abundance of different nudibranch species. For macro lovers and photographers with a keen eye, this can be one of Tulamben’s most rewarding dives.
—David Espinosa/Kal Muller/Sarah Ann Wormald
This small spotfin frogfish is one of several frogfish species encountered around Bali.
Nusa Penida
Abundant Pelagics and Fierce Currents
Access 5–30 minutes from Lembongan, up to 1.5 hours from Bali
Current Good to great; 20+ meters
Reef type Moderate to very strong. Currents are unpredictable, often fierce. Seasonally cold water
Highlights Very good variety of hard corals; excellent stand of Dendronephthya
Visibility Drop-offs, steep slopes
Coral Excellent variety; many pelagics
Fish Large schools of all kinds of fish; very large hawksbill turtles. Site also hosts sharks, mantas and even oceanic sunfish
Nusa Penida, across the Badung Strait from Bali’s southern tip, offers some of the best diving to be found anywhere. But conditions around Penida and its two smaller sister islands—Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan—can sometimes be difficult, with cold water and unpredictable currents reaching four or more knots.
CORAL WALLS AND PELAGICS
Most of the dive spots are along the north coast of Nusa Penida and around the channel between Nusa Penida and Nusa Ceningan, the exceptions being the two manta ray sites on the south coast of Nusa Penida. The standard reef profile here has a terrace at 8–12 meters, then a steep slope to 30–40 meters. From there the bottom slopes gently to the seabed at 600 meters plus. Pinnacles, ledges and large bommie formations are often encountered. At 35–40 meters, long anti-patharian wire corals are common, spiraling outward more than 2–3 meters. Pelagics are the main attraction, and you have a good chance to see jackfish, mackerel and tuna. Reef sharks were once common, but are now likely to be found deeper. Mantas are frequently seen feeding at Manta Bay and cleaning at Manta Point. The most unusual pelagic visitor is undeniably the bizarre, 2-meter-long mola mola or ocean sunfish. During the late summer months, this mysterious large flattened fish with elongated dorsal and ventral fins is spotted at several sites along Nusa Penida’s north coast and at Crystal Bay.
Along Nusa Penida’s north coast the currents sometimes flow quickly but divers will marvel at the variety and numbers of fish and the magnificent colors of the healthy hard and soft corals, colors that are accentuated by the stunning gin-clear visibility. Guests typically enter the water over the drop-off and descend directly down the slope. Large schools of blue triggerfish and unicorn-fish crowd the various bommies scattered across the slope. The topography does not vary hugely from site to site, so if the current is running—and it can often top 3 knots—divers can duck behind the large bommies to wait for stray buddies or divemasters! Divers won’t be the only ones to seek shelter, as often sweetlips, fusiliers and turtles can be seen resting in the lee of these bommies.
Large manta rays gather at Manta Point off Nusa Penida for cleaning.
TOYAPAKEH
One of the most commonly dived and most popular dives in Nusa Penida when conditions are right is around the corner from Sekolah Dasar, near the platform where the big Quick Silver daytripper boat ties up. While there are not enough superlatives to describe Toyapakeh, it can also be one of the most tricky sites to dive for the currents that rip through the strait here are sometimes fast and furious. (Warning: If dived at the wrong time, the currents can carry unwary divers out into the surrounding ocean.)
If judged correctly, these currents bring with them big schools of fish, sea turtles, occasionally mola molas and dozens of fusiliers and sweetlips that swarm the healthy colorful pillars in various places. At rare periods of slack current, guests can make their way under the platform where large jacks feed, or sit back in 5 meters of water and watch as thousands of smaller anthias and basslets play. If making only one dive on Nusa Penida, Toyapakeh is an excellent choice and get ready for the ride of your life!
—Kal Muller/David Espinosa/Sarah Ann Wormald
Sunfish are seen seasonally (July–October) around Nusa Penida.
Koran angelfish (Pomacanthus Semicirculatus) aka semi-circle angelfish are found at all Nusa Penida dive sites.
Hard corals such as these branching corals attract schools of Klein’s butterflyfish on the reef tops around Nusa Penida.
Amed
Wall and Muck Diving in Northeast Bali
Access Beach; 5 minutes by small boat
Current Fair to good, 15–25 meters
Reef type Mild, up to 2 knots
Highlights Hard corals good deep
Visibility Coastal reef; flats, slope and wall
Coral Excellent numbers, superb variety
Fish Density of fish on the deep wall
Jemeluk Bay, also known as Cemeluk Bay, offers gentle and calm conditions for all levels of divers. There are operators based in Amed itself and the area is also visited by dive centers traveling from both up and down the east coast of Bali. The reef features a variety of sea fans, soft corals and sponges with scattered hard formations. Whilst most of the reef is relatively shallow, upwards of 20 meters, to the right of the bay there is a wall which drops to 50 meters.
The wall is characterized by small schools of fish which gather in the gentle current out in the blue. Most commonly seen are triggerfish, butterflyfish, fusiliers and occasionally larger fish such as snapper and blue fin trevally.
If the current does pick up steam, it carries divers to a reef flat around the point. If the current gets too strong, divers can take shelter behind the small patches of reef, large sea fans and big barrel sponges that are interspersed throughout this sandy slope.
The current typically dies out a little beyond the slope and drops divers on a second, shallower wall. The corals here have sustained some damage, but this is a popular spot for sighting parrotfish and occasionally squid.
Amed has spectacular scenery featuring incredible views of Mt Agung, Bali’s highest volcano.
Leaf scorpionfish are common at Bali’s east coast dive sites.
Whip corals are often home to whip coral shrimps but you have to look hard to spot them!
TO THE WEST
For those who are seeking something different to a wall or reef dive, further to the west there is a black sand slope, perfect for spotting muck critters and invertebrates. The gentle slope is littered with fish aggregation devices, typically wooden slats piled high or bundles of old tires, that attract white eyed moray eels, crabs, lobsters and all types of colorful shrimps. With keen eyes and patience, if you comb the shallows you might be able to find Ambon scorpionfish, bizarre octopus, blue spotted rays and other sand-dwelling critters, and on lucky days even bobtail squid in the tiny patches of grass.
—David Espinosa/David Pickell/Sarah Ann Wormald
Menjangan
Clear Water and Walls off Bali’s Northwestern Coast
Access 10 minutes from Pemuteran
Current Very good to superb, 25–50 meters
Reef type Very slight
Highlights Very good numbers and variety; abundant soft corals
Visibility Walls, particularly rugged; wreck
Coral Reasonable number, only average variety
Fish Fields of garden eels; steep walls
Menjangan Island lies just offshore from Bali’s mountainous northwest tip. Because the island is in a protected position, currents and wind-generated waves are rarely a bother and the reefs here offer fine, easy diving.
The reefs around Menjangan Island offer a mix of walls and slopes with some interesting caverns and formations. The reef wall is rich with life, particularly with soft corals and impressive gorgonians which play host to a range of critters. Seasonally sharks are seen here as are numerous turtles.
Diving in Pemuteran also offers some interesting sites, including some muck diving options and an interesting artificial reef (Bio-Rock) project, which is located just off the beach in front of the Werner Lau and Bali Diving Academy dive centers (also good for snorkeling).
The island is part of Bali Barat National Park, a protected reserve area that encompasses much of Bali’s sparsely populated western end. Check with your operator if they will also provide transport as part of their packages.
Menjangan has excellent wall dives and soft corals.
CRAGGY VERTICAL WALLS
The coral walls around Menjangan are vertical and drop 30–60 meters to a sandy slope. The reef surface is rugged, and walls are cut by caves, grottoes, crevices and funnel-like chimneys. Gorgonian fans reach large sizes here, and huge barrel sponges are very common.
The variety of fish here is somewhat inferior to Bali’s other dive sites, but small schools of fish can be seen out in the blue. Large batfish accompany divers, and barracuda, trevally and the occasional reef shark can be seen skimming the bottom of the wall.
Divers usually stay in Pemuteran where there is a range of accommodation, from backpacker homestays to upmarket hotels along the beach front. The boat rides from Pemuteran are short and dive sites are easy to access. The area around Pemuteran and Menjangan Island also offer good snorkeling opportunities for non-divers.
It is not possible to stay on Menjangan Island but it is only a 15 minute boat ride from Pemuteran village on the mainland, which is home to the majority of dive operators in the area.
THE NORTHWEST
Two of the most popular dives are on the island’s northwest tip. The Anchor Wreck lies just off the reef edge in 40–50 meters. The wreck is coated with hard corals and gorgonian fans and swarmed by snappers, sweetlips and wrasse. Because it lies on a deep sand slope, few guides would take recreational divers there. Instead, most stop at the beautifully encrusted anchor before heading off along the reef.
The point itself is a magnificent dive, popular with photographers for the vast fields of garden eels. Divers enter further eastward along the wall, gently finning because there is rarely a current stronger than mild towards the point. The reef is healthy here, with very little damage to the table corals and hard corals. Near the point, the wall becomes enveloped in large purple gorgonian fans. Most divers choose to stay in the shallows here, where deserts of sand and extraordinarily healthy patch reefs extend southward.
—Kal Muller/David Espinosa/Sarah Ann Wormald
Padang Bai and Candidasa
Spectacular Dives on East Bali’s Offshore Reefs
Access 20–30 minutes by small outboard
Current Variable; poor to very good; 6–22 meters
Reef type Can be extremely strong—more than 5 knots and very tricky. Cold water
Highlights Excellent coverage and variety
Visibility Steep coral walls; underwater canyon
Coral Abundant and varied
Fish Tepekong’s Canyon, good chance to see pelagics; Biaha’s complex wall
Amuk Bay is 6 km across and located south of Bali’s easternmost point. North of Padang Bai is the Blue Lagoon, a trove of marine life. Two sites—Mimpang and Tepekong—outside the bay, Biaha to the north and Gili Selang on Bali’s northeast tip also offer breathtaking diving.
The small islands of Mimpang, Tepekong and Biaha are surrounded by healthy low-lying reefs and are swept at times by torrential currents that bring in nutrients, accounting for the diversity. The upwelling of very cold water from the deep basin south of Bali brings with it some stunning marine life.
The currents from the Lombok Strait require care and respect as they create unpredictable water movements. But at these unprotected sites you’ll find a decent number and great diversity of fish, sharks and frequent pelagic visitors set against a backdrop of craggy black walls with beautiful healthy corals and often superb visibility.
You must have a guide who has a great deal of experience in the area. While the sites may be diveable, they are small, and if the current is too fast your dive may be finished in only five minutes.
Padang Bai features white sand beaches and, of course, the famous Blue Lagoon.
BLUE LAGOON
Accessed usually by small jukung from nearby Candidasa or Padang Bai, sites here are worth the ride. While the topography is not spectacular, the variety of fish and critter life can be amazing. On any one dive, expect stonefish, moray and blue ribbon eels, nudibranchs, rays, squid and octopus and leaf scorpionfish in every hue. On lucky days, Napoleon wrasse and reef sharks are also possible.
This is a site used for courses and snorkelers because visibility in the protected bay is typically 15–20 meters. When timed correctly, conditions can be undemanding.
MIMPANG
Also known as Batu Tiga (Three Rocks), the site is part of a north–south ridge, with the richer south end (Shark Point) dropping into deeper water. Shark Point offers one of the best chances in Bali to see white tip sharks and, from August through October, the oceanic sunfish (mola mola).
The topography of Mimpang is diverse, with sloping reefs, craggy rocks and walls, all covered in hard and soft corals and gorgonians. Big schools of unicorn-fish and snappers, many blue spotted rays, Napoleon wrasse, moray eels, trumpetfish, bannerfish, butterflyfish and triggerfish swarm here.
Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricate) are an endangered species but are still the most commonly encountered turtle species around Bali.
TEPEKONG AND THE CANYON
This island offers some of Bali’s most spectacular diving: steep walls, The Canyon, cold water and strong currents make this a site for experienced divers. The visibility is very good.
Maximum depth at The Canyon is 40 meters, and if there is no current you can see the dramatic beauty of these stunning walls. However, in the usually swirling current, your view is somewhat obstructed by the schools of sweetlips, snapper and big eyed trevally, bumphead parrotfish, unicornfish, batfish, groupers and possible sharks and other pelagics.
EAST TEPEKONG
Enter on the right and there is an excellent wall, which plunges to depths of 40 plus meters. To the left there is a small coral reef (max. depth 24 meters) with hard, soft and table corals. The marine life is outstanding, with the occasional turtle, tuna, parrotfish, barracuda, angel-fish, scorpionfish and several species of triggerfish. Conditions are generally less difficult here than at the Canyon.
BIAHA
This crescent-shaped rocky island is 4 km from Mimpang and Tepekong and is usually a site for experienced divers. The diving is superb although both the surge and up/down currents can be very strong. Most of the awkward currents are on the northern slope.
There is a beautiful reef around the island, a rocky slope in the north, and a wall in the south, which has waves breaking from above. The inner area of the crescent, on the east side, has a cave where white tip sharks sometimes sleep.
GILI SELANG
To the northeast, the island of Gili Selang features, like all of the exposed sites on the east coast, ripping currents, suitable only for expert divers. However, take the plunge here and be rewarded with a healthy reef slope.
—Annabel Thomas/Sarah Ann Wormald
Secret Bay, Gilimanuk
Much Ado about Something
Access 1 minute shore entry
Current 3–5 meters
Reef type Non-existent to light
Highlights None
Visibility Chocolate-colored sand; lots of garbage
Coral Excellent, for muck divers. Exotic and bizarre
Fish Bobbitt worms, seahorses, frogfish and so much more!
Gilimanuk is one of Bali’s quieter dive spots, but despite its relatively remote location it offers some of Bali’s most interesting diving. Secret Bay in Gilimanuk in northwest Bali is about 2 km across and very shallow, much of it less than 5 meters deep. A reef north of the bay’s mouth makes the opening even narrower than it appears on a land map, and creates a channel that sweeps in and hooks around two islands in the bay’s center. This strong flow, with reported speeds of up to 7 knots, through the strait is what makes the diving in Gilimanuk so interesting. The bay becomes a kind of refugium, a catch tank for larval fish and plankton.
This bay harbors a number of rare jewels for the macro photographer, including odd gobies and dragonets, and such rarities as the juvenile Batavia batfish, a beauty with zebra stripes and ragged fins that seems to want to make itself look like a crinoid.
MACRO HEAVEN IS MIGHTY MUCK
Gilimanuk is not a dive for everyone. Nowhere will you find a sounding of 15 meters or rich stands of coral and abundant reef fish. Secret Bay is a specialty site for photographers and for divers who are looking for something a little different. Secret Bay is best dived during a stay in Pemuteran as most Pemuteran-based dive centers offer day trips here. This caters to divers in both Gilimanuk and around Pemuteran and Menjangan. Trips are also available through the major operators in Sanur and the south of Bali but they usually require a minimum number of divers and an overnight stopover.
Secret Bay is home to many critters, including the hispid frogfish. This one is showing its pompom lure.
When diving north Bali, check every anemone for anemone shrimps and porcelain crabs.
Bali is home to numerous species of lionfish, including Pterois kodipungi, pictured here at Secret Bay.
“I [David Espinosa] wasn’t quite sure what to expect of my first dive at Secret Bay. The wall of fame in the dive center was eye opening, with pictures of multi-colored frogfish, juvenile batfish, seahorses and the bizarre Bobbitt worm, but reports I’d heard from diving friends were mixed.
The first thing that struck me was the water’s temperature. I had been warned by friends that the waters in Secret Bay could be as cold as 22° C. Though the divemaster mentioned that the temperatures are in a constant state of flux, I was overdressed in a 5mm wetsuit.
I also wasn’t prepared for the nondescript landscape. The sand in Tulamben or Amed is broken by strands of coral here and there, but in Secret Bay it is colorless and featureless, and no deeper than 9 meters. The mud-colored sand wasn’t broken by so much as a coral head, though there were various bits and pieces of trash—empty cans and bottles, chip wrappers, strands of rope, entire trees, old anchors and chains and barrels.
It was on one of these rusted barrels that we uncovered our first significant find, for hiding on the inner lip of this rusted hulk the divemaster Made found a family of six red ornate ghost pipefish! After the obligatory cries of surprise, we shot our pictures and moved on.
A few feet away, hiding in a tin can, was a curious little goby being cleaned by a small orange shrimp. Inches to the left a dwarf lionfish took refuge in an empty pipe. When I looked up, Made was missing, off somewhere in the murk—visibility rarely tops 5 meters—hooting up a storm to indicate that he’d found yet another critter.
The rest of the dive was a blur of frantic activity as my buddy and I bounced from place to place as if in some large pinball machine, taking turns shooting the exotic fish Made turned up. After nearly two hours at an average depth of 7 meters I emerged, having seen Jan’s pipefish, banded pipefish, mating cuttlefish, more ornate ghosties, bearded frog-fish hiding amongst the branches of a dead tree and a spiny seahorse.”
5-METER WORMS AND MOSSY SNAKES
“If the day dive was special, I was in for a real treat that night. For when light turns to dark, the really bizarre critters come out. With video in hand, I followed as Made swam furiously towards a predetermined site off in the distance. He halted and pointed with a knowing look in his eye at a yellow disposable Gillette razor stuck head up in the sand.
Just as rumors of a secret site in Bali had spread like wildfire, so too did the tall tales of one of its residents. According to some reports, the Bobbitt worm grew up to 3.7 meters long and lived in crevices deep in the ocean. Armed with vicious fangs, with lightning speed it lashes out from its lair to devour unwary passersby…. If that isn’t the recipe for a great dive! For the entire day we pestered Made, begging him to show us this creature.
The Bobbitt worm wasn’t a disappointment, though if he does grow up to 3.7 meters long the individual we saw had a long way to go. The razor was put in the sand not only to mark his burrow but also to provide a means of comparison. This little guy sported jaws a half inch wide, and he could have only been a foot long. He was playful, though, making quick feints as I switched the strobes on and off, exposing a shiny, spiny underbelly that glowed in brilliant colors of yellow, green, blue and red.
The remainder of the dive was icing on the cake. We saw different frogfish, a mossy sea snake, two more Bobbitt worms and a finger dragonet. Two hours later we emerged from the water spent, but entirely satisfied. We never once ventured deeper than 6 meters, but expended all the air in our tanks and a 60-minute videotape.”
—David Espinosa/David Pickell
The finger dragonet (Dactylopus dactylopus) is a great find. Look out for them when diving Secret Bay.
Nusa Tenggara
Island Hopping in Style
Access 5–15 minutes by speedboat from liveaboard
Current 15–50+ meters
Reef type Light, but swifter further east
Highlights Excellent variety and numbers
Visibility Walls, black sand slopes, pinnacles, submerged reefs
Coral Excellent. Large variety of reef fish and muck critters
Fish Secluded dive spots; good pelagic action
Often passed over because divers are more anxious to arrive in Komodo, the islands east of Bali are blessed with some world-class dives. Variety is the spice of life here, and liveaboards can now offer anything from black sand dives to vertiginous walls covered in hard and soft corals.
The Gili Islands off Lombok’s west coast are a favorite destination for young sun-seeking and party-going backpackers because of the picturesque white sand beaches and non-demanding diving. The main island of Gili Trawangan offers numerous dive schools that coexist amongst the islands many bars and late night hangouts. Although coral rings the three islands, the diving isn’t outstanding as the ravages of fish bombing and El Niño have taken their toll. Still, there is some worthwhile diving on the deeper reefs and quite an assortment of fish life that is ideal for less experienced divers and for those who want pleasant, easy dives. The gentle slopes, which are swept by mild currents, feature an assortment of reef fish, occasionally including trevally, sharks, turtles and the more common angelfish and triggerfish.
The green sea turtle is the second largest species of sea turtle. It survives mainly on a diet of sea grasses, sea weed and algae.
Moyo Island gives divers their first taste of what can be expected in Komodo. Two submerged reefs off the island’s west coast are swarmed by schools of fish, sharks and other pelagics. Though bombs have previously damaged the reef tops in some areas, the steep slopes of both reefs, which plummet to depths in excess of 80 meters, have survived and support a healthy variety of angelfish, baitfish and groupers. The smaller reef to the north is rich in nudibranchs and exotic critterss. Hairy ornate ghost pipefish have been spotted in the mossy shallows. Satonda, a smaller island to the east, provides another delightful half day of diving. Painter’s Pleasure, a healthy shallow reef slope, is decorated in gorgonian fans of all sizes and coral whips, and is home to twin spot gobies, gaudy nudibranchs and dozens of mushroom corals, with the attendant pearly white pipefish. The sand patch, also in front of the main beach, has stargazers, pipefish, leaf scorpionfish and bobtail squid for a very enjoyable night dive.
The Komodo National Park in Nusa Tenggara was established in 1980 and was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986.
The Amanwana-operated Moyo Island Resort offers luxury accommodation and diving on Moyo Island. For those wanting to explore further afield, then a live-aboard trip may be the best solution.
For a day diversion, bring some sturdy sandals and hike the short trail that leads to the crater’s marine lake. And for a truly memorable show, sit back at dusk and watch as thousands of bats emerge from the island’s southern trees and fly to the mainland in search of food.
If Komodo is Indonesia’s tastiest dive spot, then Sangeang Island is the flavor of the day. Because guests clamored to reachKomodo, liveaboards would push on, ignoring this lush volcanic island for the adrenaline diving at Banta, two hours to the east. In 1999, on one of his famous hunches, guide Larry Smith directed his boat to the island’s southernmost point and jumped in.
At the western edge of a small beach that serves as an itinerant fishing village lies an excellent muck diving site. The currents at Mentjeng Wall can be tricky due to its exposed position, but there are spots to take shelter and visibility can be good.
Healthy sponges and soft corals around Moyo Island.
The wall, which bottoms out at 15–20 meters, is covered in crinoids, sponges and sea whips, some of which host colonial anemone, and while there are ghost pipefish, frogfish and saron shrimp tucked away in the crevices, the real action is at the base of the wall, where anything from boxer crabs to robust ghost pipefish make their home amongst an array of nudibranchs.
Around the corner two more rich invertebrate sites round out the diving in the south. Tikno’s Reef and Black Magic are so good, some operators with the right group might avoid Banta in order to spend a full day at Sangeang.
At the mouth of the long bay that leads into Bima in Sumbawa, lie two sites that, although worlds apart, continue to excite ardent divers. Diversity on the east side has two separate walls, one that drops to 20 meters and the other to 30 meters. Though it is unprotected during the months of December to March, visibility is quite good year round, and the ribbon eels, frogfish and good reef fish make it a splendid checkout dive for trips departing from Bima. Copycat Copycat on the other side of the channel is the quintessential muck dive, with visibility hovering at 5–7 meters. The small patch reef at 5 meters is covered in toon shells and spiny seahorses. The vast featureless sand below the reef is punctuated by sporadic debris that provides homes to frogfish, pipefish and marble eyed morays. The real highlight and the main reason to dive here is the promise of the elusive mimic octopus in the surrounding desert.
Diving off southern Sumba is primarily by liveaboard but it is worth the trip. With nothing but water between Sumba and Australia’s northern shores, this place has become a haven for surfers. However, several sites, including Magic Mountain and Marlin Rock on the offshore reefs, hold the promise of pelagic action. If the opportunity should arise, the local villages, throwbacks to a feudal time, merit a visit.
—David Espinosa/Sarah Ann Wormald
Feather stars vary in color according to species.
Komodo
Acclaimed as Some of the World’s Best Dives
Access 5–10 minutes by tender from liveaboard; 1 hour from Labuanbajo
Current Variable, from 2–50 meters
Reef type Can be extremely strong, up to 5 knots
Highlights Superb, with a good mix of hard and soft corals
Visibility Sloping reef and some walls
Coral Excellent
Fish Rugged terrain, komodo dragons, encounters with a variety of large pelagics
Diving Komodo is like stepping on a Jurassic gyroscope, tilting and spinning at uncontrollable speeds. There are times when guests have been perched in a 2-knot current, holding on for dear life, mouthpieces vibrating, watching a halimeda ghost pipefish while their buddy gesticulates wildly, trying to gain their attention to point out a hovering manta ray. Dives like this are common. It is hard to know where to look and what to focus on. Welcome to Komodo!
Komodo, as well as the other islands between Sumbawa and Flores, belongs to another time and place. Rugged, dry, covered in scrub and borassus palms, it is just a few degrees south of the equator and represents an arid anomaly in the lushness of the monsoon-fed islands of the Indonesian archipelago. But it is the perfect habitat for one of the world’s most awesome animals, the Komodo dragon.
Komodo is famous for its huge manta rays.
BIOLOGICAL RICHES
The wild Komodo area offers just about every imaginable type of diving, from current-swept sea mounds patrolled by groups of sharks, tuna and other big fish to plunging walls covered in impressive corals, to calm reefs alive with invertebrates and hundreds of colorful reef fishes. The water temperature varies from a chilly 22° C to 30° C bath water. Visibility ranges from a clear 25–30 meters to a dismal 3 meters when clouds of tiny fish and plankton allow only macro photography.
The variety of marine life in the Komodo area rivals the world’s best. There are deep seas both north and south of the narrow straits running between the little islands. Strong currents and upwellings bring nutrients and plankton, keeping all the marine creatures well fed.
While the Komodo area is well explored and a popular liveaboard destination, because of its vastness it rarely feels crowded aside from at one or two of the most popular of its numerous dive sites. In general, there are two habitats and two seasons for diving Komodo—the winter for the cooler, temperate water southern sites, and the summer for the warmer, tropical north. The main factor in enjoying diving Komodo is visibility, and the north is the more predictable in this regard.
Komodo is a unique region because it offers divers the choice of both tropical and temperate diving within the scant space of 10 kilometers. The volcanic thrusts and limestone uplifts combined with a half meter differential between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean have created a topography conducive to wild and unpredictable currents. Upwellings from the southern seas add to the unique mélange of planktonic life found here, hence the unimaginable, prolific and dense marine life that characterizes Komodo! If you can find shelter from the tempestuous currents, you’ll discover an astounding array of rare and unusual critters to photograph and to marvel at. That’s what Komodo is all about—the rare, the unique, the special, and the colors are out of this world!
DIVING THE SOUTH
South Komodo is undoubtedly a diver’s dream come true and from late October through early May is when it has the most to offer. Then the sky is blue, seas are calm and there is enough of a breeze to cool sunburned bodies. Between November and January visibility (10–15 meters) is as good as it gets in such plankton-rich seas, and the soft coral, invertebrate life and fish are nothing short of spectacular. South Komodo is difficult to dive from May through September due to the southeast trade winds, which generate huge swells and howling winds. The south used to be accessed by liveaboards only, but since more land-based operators with powerful boats have opened up in Labuan Bajo, such as Blue Marlin Komodo, three dive day trips covering all areas of the park are now possible.
Some of the best dive sites in the south are found in the horseshoe-shaped bay between Rinca and Nusa Kode, such as Yellow Wall and Cannibal Rock.
Yellow Wall is actually two walls, one atop another, the second of which is an overhang that plunges 50 meters to the floor. The site is covered in yellow soft corals and is rich in invertebrate life—yellow pygmy seahorses, colonial blue tunicates, myriads of nudibranchs and blue ringed octopus. Yellow Wall faces west and the light is best from midday onwards.
Cannibal Rock is a more versatile site and can be dived from sunrise on through the night. The site, which is at the doorstep of a small promontory, is sloping and features mini-walls, huge boulders with valleys and giant terraces at 30 plus meters. There are 2-meter red gorgonian fans that periodically host red pygmy seahorses and ghost pipefish, typically during cold water upwellings. The rare lacy scorpionfish has been sighted nearby. Cannibal Rock is covered in sea apples, a rare and brightly colored temperate sea cucumber in hues of purple, green, blue, red and yellow, and a truly fascinating sight when its feeding tentacles are extended. There are also three species of venomous urchins found on the rock, one of which hosts up to five different species of commensals. When the current runs, the fish school, and there have been sightings of mantas, large sharks and minke whales.
Komodo is not just about big fish. There is immense diversity of all marine species, including invertebrates such as these cuttlefish.
Other sites in Horseshoe Bay are Crinoid Canyon, Boulders, Pipe-dream and Torpedo Point, renowned for its torpedo rays and frogfish.
South Komodo has other distinctive dive sites off the islands of Padar and Tala. Pillarsteen is off south Padar and is a topographer’s dream, with huge chunks of rock buckled into channels and canyons, caves, swim-throughs and chimneys. This dive is totally different from other diving in Komodo. It is fun and action-filled when the currents are running. W Reef, a few hundred meters to the north of Pillarsteen, is a series of four underwater pinnacles extending perpendicularly from the island to a depth of 30 meters. This structure is covered in pristine coral and regularly buzzed by mantas and schools of bumphead parrotfish. Off northwest Tala is The Alley, which features large lazing schools of manta rays November through March. Langkoi Rock is fully exposed and so buffeted by strong current, which explains the regular presence of large pelagics. It is reputedly a mating site for grey sharks in April. Lehoksera is a high-voltage dive on the southeast tip. The dive begins mildly enough, with a gentle current that allows divers to get ready with reef hooks, gloves and other accouterments. The current picks up faster and faster until divers reach a slot created by the main reef and a smaller pinnacle offshore. In the middle of this slot, there is a small bommie at 30 meters, which is buzzed by large groupers, turtles, sharks and schools of every fish imaginable. The current spits divers out onto another gently sloping reef, which is very rich in soft corals and hard coral formations.
Exploring Komodo by liveaboard opens up many hard-to-reach spots that have the best diving.
DIVING THE NORTH
Australians Ron and Valerie Taylor pioneered diving in Komodo and the site they first discovered was Pantai Merah, at the entrance to Slawi Bay. Pantai Merah (or Val’s Rock) extends from the surface down to 20 plus meters and is richly adorned in all manner of colorful sea life. Pantai Merah represents a transition between tropical and temperate water habitats, north and south, and with its fabulous fish and corals is a good introduction to Komodo.
Considered by some as the best dive in the north, GPS Point is a submerged rock to the northwest of Banta Island’s largest bay. This is one of the sites where sharks can be regularly found, and different species can be identified in a single dive. Invariably, divers encounter strong currents here, which is why GPS Point is swarming with jackfish, tuna and schools of barracuda and surgeonfish. In addition to sharks, be prepared to scan the gorgonian fans for pygmy seahorses and the deep blue for eagle rays and even passing mantas.
If the currents are running too strong on GPS Point, operators have other options only minutes away. Star Wars is a gentle slope that bottoms out in a sandy floor at 30 meters. The currents, which can range from calm to raging, typically flow eastward, away from the shallow point. There are several gorgonian fans, which have been known to host the ubiquitous pygmy seahorse, invertebrates and sharks. The myriad smaller schooling fish like anthias, basslets and fusiliers that swim amongst each other look like they are playing out an outer space battle of epic proportions, hence the name. Highway to Heaven on the opposite point is a wild ride that must only be done on slack tide or during gentle currents. A vertiginous wall extends around the point and is covered in soft corals, fans and sea whips, home to countless juvenile angelfish. But the highlight of the dive is the 40 meter plus deep bommies, around which schools of snappers, two different species of barracuda, sharks and rays are known to swarm. Continuing on to the backside, mantas and eagle rays play off in the blue. For end of the day muck dives with no current, It’s a Small World, a sand slope fringed by a healthy reef, has resident stargazers, frogfish, leaf scorpionfish and a host of invertebrate life. It is no small wonder that Banta is a must stop for live-aboards visiting Komodo.
A pair of Coleman shrimp (Periclimenes colemani) living in their host fire urchin.
Sabolan Kecil, north of Labuanbajo, is a site regularly visited by land-based operators. To the east of the island are two sea mounds at 20 meters, a site called Shark Bank. The hard coral cover is minimal but the soft corals and large gorgonians are excellent. The fish life, particularly sharks, makes this site well worth visiting. Work your way down the valley between the two mounds as you pause to view the pelagics.
Tatawa Kecil and Batu Bolong are two bare rocks in close proximity that are exposed to the full force of the currents that rage through the Linta Strait. On a high slack tide, when currents abate and the diving is less stressful, these are two more popular sites for land-based operators. Giant trevally, mantas and dugongs have been encountered here.
Diving around Komodo offers seasonal exceptional visibility and an abundance of Moorish idols at all sites.
Nusa Tenggara dive sites are famous for their diversity of both hard and soft corals and sheer biomass of fish.
There are three great dives to the north of the island of Gili Lawa Laut: Crystal Bommie, Castle Rock and Lighthouse. All sites have good hard and soft coral cover and swarms of schooling fish. Lighthouse has a “honey hole” on the point, which is home to schools of sweetlips and batfish, while Crystal Bommie and Castle Rock are excellent deep dives in which divers hang on with reef hooks and watch for the white tip sharks patrolling in the blue.
—David Espinosa/Cody Shwaiko/Sarah Ann Wormald
Alor
The East’s Dream Destination
Access 5 minutes by speedboat from liveaboard; 1–2 hours from Kupang
Current 5–50 meters
Reef type Varies up to 5 knots
Highlights Excellent
Visibility Walls, sloping reefs, pinnacles
Coral Excellent
Fish Pertamina Pier and Kal’s Dream, as different as two sites can be
Alor is a small island lying at the end of the Nusa Tenggara chain, north of West Timor. The numerous dive sites center mainly around the three islands framed by Alor and Pantar: Buaya, Ternate and Pura. The diving here, with much of the topography dominated by steep walls, ledges and caves, is world-class and its relative remoteness guarantees the type of diving that most only dream of. Alor is a popular liveaboard destination but there are a number of shore-based operators in the area now who offer dive and stay packages.
Graeme and Donovan Whitford, a father and son team, pioneered this magnificent group of islands in the early 1990s. Today they operate both Kupang-based DiveAlorDive and DiveKupang-Dive and have developed many of the more than 40 sites that are dived today. This list begins, and for many divers ends, with Kal’s Dream.
Large schools of barracuda are not uncommon in Alor when the currents are running.
A DREAM COME TRUE
“I [David Espinosa] first experienced Kal’s Dream in 1995, at the tender age of 18. At that time I was still a rank amateur with only a handful of dives under my belt. Graeme’s son Donovan took me under his wing, and for the first two days we experienced superlative dives at The Arch, where we were buzzed by eagle rays and sharks, the Fish Bowl, the Boardroom and Cave Point, where the steep walls covered in a profusion of colors dizzied me. These, however, were only a prelude to the real show.
On the morning of the third day, Donovan felt I was ready for Kal’s Dream, a small pinnacle that rises from the deep and sits in the middle of the strait. I can still remember that dive as if it was yesterday. The Dream is marked by a vertiginous wall on the south side and a rather gentle slope on the north. We perched ourselves on a small outcropping on the north side at 30 meters and watched the show unfold.
Numbers of grey sharks swam up from the abyssal depths and began circling our roost. One particularly frisky shark passed a few times, getting nearer with each pass. Down in the depths, bus-sized groupers slowly swam about, while schools of enormous tuna patrolled the reef top. The visibility was gin-clear, and we could see as barracuda swarmed a tip opposite our ledge.
Suddenly, a large, indistinguishable figure loomed from the dark. The ever-nearer and increasingly worrying grey shark quickly scattered, and before it disappeared back into the shadows I caught a brief glimpse of my patron saint and protector—a giant 3.5-meter hammerhead.
To this day, not one dive on the Dream has equaled that first experience, but they come close. It is without a doubt a dive to dream about.…”
IN AND AROUND ALOR
Because Kal’s Dream must be dived at slack tide—any other time would be insanity—operators there have looked to the many other walls and reefs in the area as alternatives.
On Pulau Pura’s southwest tip lies a marine anomaly that few divers have ever been able to comprehend. Clownfish Alley is an unremarkable slope, but what it lacks in topography it makes up for in marine life. From 2 meters down to 30 meters, and for 1 km, every boulder and rock and pebble is covered in anemones, a remarkable sight.
Mandarin House is situated in front of the north village on Pura. It is a rather unprepossessing though healthy reef slope on which mandarinfish can be seen cavorting—during the day! If currents are minimal, divers can also gather there at dusk to witness the mating of these magnificent dragonets.
To the east of Mandarin House is one of Pura’s healthiest reef walls, The Boardroom, a “hidden” point near the local village. The wall, where several caves and overhangs give shelter to thousands of glassfish, begins just below the waterline and drops to a sand slope at 50 plus meters. At these depths, schooling jackfish, snappers and fusiliers swim in the currents, which can gust up to 2 knots. If the current is running, divers can drift to either side of the point to finish the dive in peace. The wall is even topped by a large rock, home to nudibranchs, leaf scorpionfish and even the blue ringed octopus.
Pertamina Pier is in the harbor, only minutes away from the town of Kalabahi. This black sand slope sits at the base of the old Pertamina Pier and is home to a fantastic range of muck critters—anything from seahorses to ghost pipefish, the wonderpuss, juvenile batfish in the seagrass to the east and harlequin shrimp at various depths. Though the visibility is typically poor, this is still an awesome dive! At night it only gets better because stargazers, Pegasus sea moths and bizarre moray eels come out to play.
