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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Sangihe Islands
Calderas rise up from sandy beaches and at night, red-hot lava spews from Siau volcano. You can even dive on an underwater volcano or on a lava flow. Cool.
The volcanic Sangihe Island chain separates Indonesia from Philippines and the Sulawesi and Maluku Seas. Deep, clear water attracts massive schools of fishes at times of the new and full moons when the currents are strongest. Liveaboards from Manado or Lembeh Strait make the overnight sail to these islands. The water here is some of the clearest anywhere often in excess of 50m (160ft). Water temperatures run 27-28ºC (84-86ºF).
Best Features & Dive Sites
Sangihe's best feature is its natural seclusion and untamed nature. Calderas rise up from sandy beaches and at night, red-hot lava spews from Siau volcano. You can even dive on an underwater volcano or on a lava flow. Cool. Ruang Lava Flow is a massive swath of black lava flows down the mountain into the sea where it becomes a beautiful coral reef. At Makalehi Island Napoleon wrasses, fusiliers, pyramid butterflyfishes and tuna are common. At 30m (100ft) or so, hammerheads hang out. A small chimney leads from the wall to the reef flat. Mahengetang Volcano is a site not to be missed. It may be your only chance to dive on a real underwater volcano. The vent, just below the surface, is desolate and strewn with huge boulders. Hundreds of tiny bubbles race to the surface as gasses escape from deep inside the volcano. Everything is covered with yellow "dust" (sulfurous deposits). Look closely though and you'll see tiny sea stars, algae, small worms and sprouting corals–a new coral reef in the making. The other side of the volcano has already been successfully colonized with the once barren seascape now a lovely coral reef. The exposed pinnacles called Needle Point attract jacks, fusiliers and bannerfish. Hammerheads and orcas have been spotted here. Clouds of damsels and purple queens inhabit the shallows. Strong currents can prevent diving here. Para Island is a twin-peaked pinnacle and a real high voltage site. Swirling currents around the pinnacle attract big fish action with hundreds of surgeonfish, fusiliers and barracuda. Gray reef sharks hang out below 28m (95ft). Lipang Island is the northernmost point in the Sangihe group. The horseshoe-shaped reef is awash in surgeonfish, fusiliers and pyramid butterflyfish. The southernmost island in the group is a plateau with patch reefs, pinnacles and lots of soft coral cover called Biaro Island. Groups of sweetlips, snappers and bumphead parrotfish complete the scene.
North Sulawesi Dive Site Map
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View The Sangihe 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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