The Bunaken Island National Marine Park, located in Manado Bay, North Sulawesi, is made up of five islands; Bunaken, Siladen, Manado Tua, Montehage and Nain. It's one of Indonesia's most popular dive destinations and offers world class wall diving on amazingly diverse reef walls in clear blue water. 
Manado city is easily reached with a 3.5 hour flight from Singapore, the islands are a further 30-60 minutes boat ride away. Divers can either stay in a Manado resort or on one of several dive resorts on the islands. Many divers choose to combine a trip to Bunaken with a trip to the nearby Lembeh Strait.
Bunaken can be dived year round but the best season is April to November. The Christmas and New Year periods are popular with holiday making Asian divers but the sea can be choppy at that time. Currents on Bunaken walls can be strong but are usually manageable for all levels of diver. Visibility is excellent, from 20 metres to over 40 metres. Water temperature is a warm 27-30°C year round. All in all excellent diving conditions.
Most of the diving around Bunaken is on coral and seafan covered walls. Underwater photographers love the clear waters and colourful reefs which are great for wide angle seascapes. The marine life is prolific, from tiny nudibranchs to turtles, eagle rays and reef sharks. The area is a marine biologists dream with one of the highest biodiversity levels anywhere in the world. New species of fish are still being discovered. Sperm whales are sometimes seen migrating through the park and Orca's have been reported by divers. Continued >> |
