Manado and Bunaken Island 

At Sulawesi’s northern end, Bunaken Marine Park has long been considered one of Indonesia’s richest dive regions. Best explored from the city of Manado, or directly from its namesake island of Bunaken, the pristine soft coral reefs found throughout this 75,000 hectare (290 square miles) park remain impressively unspoiled and lush with aquatic life. Marine studies conducted here have demonstrated that many of the park’s dozens of dive sites regularly boast sightings of 200-300 fish species in a single dive and the green sea turtles.  

Bangka Island 

About 10 km (6 miles) off Sulawesi’s northernmost tip, more advanced divers can explore the idyllic island of Bangka, where dramatic pinnacles, reef slopes, colossal sea fans and nudibranchs are scattered dramatically across several dozen sites. While water temperatures hover in the 27-30oC (80-86oF) range, the island’s exposed position means that currents can be quite strong here. This provides ideal feeding conditions for turtles, large schools of fish, including midnight snappers, pipefish and surgeonfish, and the occasional white tip reef shark or grazing dugong.  

Lembeh Strait 

Off the east-facing side of North Sulawesi, magical Lembeh Strait is a comfortable day trip from Bangka Island or a two-hour drive from the airport at Manado. This macro treasure trove is home to a number of rare and unique marine creatures, many of which are found nowhere else. Top critters on every diver and photographers’ wish list include the mimic octopus, Wonderpus, Rhinopias, flamboyant cuttlefish, Ambon scorpionfish, harlequin shrimp, and the very entertaining hairy frogfish. If lucky, you might also come across the delicate Lembeh Sea Dragon. Because of its calm, sheltered waters and the many unusual critters that inhabit its ocean floor, unparalleled muck diving is the order of the day at Lembeh Strait.  

Wakatobi Diving 

At Sulawesi’s south-eastern tip, scuba divers of all levels can take advantage of the incredible opportunities that lie in wait among the remote and exotic islands of Wakatobi (an acronym made up of the islands of Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko). This area encompasses over 800 sq kilometres.  Wakatobi National Park, established in 1996, is a testimony to the conservation efforts in this region. It’s world-class macro life, 400 species of coral, and 700 species of fish make it well worth a visit.  

Getting Here & Other Information 

Local Indonesian flights service both the northern and southern ends of Sulawesi, and Manado can be reached directly from Singapore as well. Divers should expect water temperatures ranging from 19-30oC (66-86oF), and visibility as high as 80 meters (260 feet), depending on the site and the season. In planning your scuba diving vacation in Sulawesi, be sure to leave time to discover the island’s unique range of land-based wildlife, its many volcanoes and jungle waterfalls, and fascinating sites like the cave tombs of Tan Toraja.