North Sulawesi Diving
Denise Nielsen Tackett & Larry Tackett
North Sulawesi is one of Indonesia's best kept secrets. Manado, the capital, is easy to get to with direct connections from Singapore, Malaysia and major Indonesian cities. Land-based accommodation ranges from backpacker's hostels to sprawling beach resorts and everything in between. Manado is the jumping off point for some of the world's best diving at Bunaken Manado Tua National Marine Park , Lembeh Strait, Bangka Strait , and the Sangihe-Talaud Islands.
Liveaboards Operating in Sulawesi
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Bangka Islands
Bangka is the largest of the five islands surrounded by water that's part of the through flow from the western Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean.
The Bangka Islands are on the northern tip of Sulawesi. They look like chunks of the mainland broke off and fell into the sea. The islands are rugged and sparsely populated. Japanese pearl farms dot the water between some of the islands. A large bay with lots of sea grasses is near Likupang on the mainland. Bangka is the largest of the five islands surrounded by water that's part of the through flow from the western Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. The water moves through the Sulawesi Sea to the Makassar Strait, bringing with it enough nutrients to support a large fish and marine mammal population. Day trips between Bangka and Bunaken Manado Tua National Marine Park or Lembeh Strait are easily arranged. Certain liveaboards also ply this route and cover many areas from a safe and comfortable base.
In March/April and August/September whales migrate to and from breeding/nursing and feeding grounds. The area around the Bangka Islands is one of the migratory paths of these giant mammals. This migration has only recently been studied but already the research is turning up some fascinating information. At least nine species of whales have been sighted in the surrounding waters: sperm, dwarf sperm, pygmy sperm, melon-headed, pilot, Bryde's, false killer, pygmy killer, and orcas. The best-studied whales in the area are the sperm whales. Over 100 individuals have been photographed and identified. A resident group of mature females and young males and females inhabit an area near the Bangka Islands. Seasonal bulls, or mature males, migrate to and from this mating and nursing ground occupied by the females. The bulls grow to about 10m (33ft) in length and can weigh up to 16 tons. Sperm whales dive deep, 300-600m (1000-2000ft), and may go as deep as 3000m (10000ft). The deep oceanic trenches and large exchanges of water in the area seem to be ideal for them. One thing is certain: if you're lucky enough to encounter a whale diving, you'll never forget it.
Best Features & Dive Sites
The best feature of diving in the Bangka Islands is the pinnacle diving and its close proximity to Bunaken and Lembeh. The pinnacles attract lots of fishes and are covered with soft corals, sea fans, and feather stars. Currents can be strong but you can get out of it by staying on the lee side of the pinnacle. Away from the pinnacles there are good coral gardens with nudibranches, leaf fishes, ribbon eels and pygmy seahorses.
Some Bangka Island pinnacles break the surface, while others are submerged. Batfish, jacks, barracuda and tuna frequent these sites. Crevices and overhangs harbor moray eels and macro life. When the current is running the soft corals bloom. Lyre gorgonians inhabit the hard sand bottoms. Bangka Strait is a migratory route for whales, dolphins and manta rays and there's a good chance of seeing them March/April or August/September. You can dive in the Strait when the current isn't too strong. Lihaga Island has good hard corals and anemones with lots of basslets and clownfishes. Leaf fish and ribbon eels hang out among the corals. Talisei Island is known for its beautiful soft corals and gorgonians. There are resident sea snakes, unusual nudibranches, Napoleon wrasse and a large cavern to explore.
The macro diving capital of the world is across the North Sulawesi peninsula, an hour's drive from Manado. Lembeh Strait, formed by North Sulawesi and Lembeh Island, passes nutrient-rich water between the Maluku and Sulawesi Seas.
North Sulawesi Dive Site Map
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Click the map for a bigger image.
View Bangka Islands North Sulawesi in a larger map
About the Authors
Larry and Denise Tackett are the authors of all of our Indonesian dive site and regional descriptions. They are professional photographers specializing in underwater and terrestrial natural history and travel subjects. They are represented by stock photo agencies in the US and United Kingdom and their photographs have been widely published in books and magazines worldwide. Their work has appeared in magazines such as National Wildlife, Islands, BBC Wildlife, Ocean Realm, Asian Diver, Unterwasser, Tauchen, Canadian Wildlife, Popular Science, Sport Diver, National Geographic Kids, Geo, and many others.
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