Sangalaki Divesites
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Asian divers have been making the trek to Sangalaki Island since 1993 when it was first opened to divers. Despite the effort required to get there and the poorly run dive resort on the island, divers still found the trip worthwhile because the diving was so breathtaking. After a short closure and change of ownership in 2007 the island's dive resort is now open again and being run by a respected figure in Asian diving so the future looks bright for Sangalaki and the divers that visit.
Sangalaki is most famous for the large amounts of manta rays that come to feed on the plankton and visit cleaning stations here.
The dive site names highlight the manta ray proliferation with names like manta avenue, manta parade and manta run. It is not uncommon to see 15-20 manta rays at one time, particularly around the full moon.
The manta rays are usually seen filter feeding near the surface, their wings often breaking the water, so snorkellers can enjoy the spectacle as much as divers. Manta rays can also be seen foraging on the sanding bottom for food, a sight rarely seen in other places.
Although the mantas take centre stage, after a few dives you may start to look around for something else of interest underwater. The reef life around Sangalaki is very healthy, partly due to it's protection under Indonesian Marine Park status.
Colourful hard and soft corals abound along with sponges, seafans and crinoids. Schools of reef fish are large and varied and macro diving is also excellent at Sangalaki. Frog fish, leaf scorpionfish, cardinal fish, fire gobies, ornate ghost pipefish and numerous nudibranchs are just some of the critters that eagle eyed dive guides will be able to point to.
The other reason that Sangalaki is famous is for the green turtles that nest on the beach, coming ashore at night to lay their eggs. On the west side of the island are a couple of dive sites, Turtle Town and Coral Gardens, where turtles can be seen in abundance.
On the eastern side of Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) are a number of islands with dive resorts. The resorts can take time to reach with several boat and plane transfers but divers who make the effort are rewarded with exceptional diving.
The area is renowned for high concentrations of manta rays and turtles as well as a jellyfish lake. As you would expect in Indonesia, the macro diving is also superb.
The best time to dive the area is the April to October dry season. All the islands are close together so it makes sense to dive them all while you're in the area.