Indonesia Overview and Introduction
Indonesia is a land of contrast and one of the most diverse places
on earth both geographically and biologically . It bridges the
gap between the continents of Asia and Australia and is the world's
largest archipelago with over 17,500 islands that stretch over
5000 km (~3,000 miles) from east to west. The amount of coral reef
the archipelago contains is far more than neighbor Australia's
Great Barrier Reef. The island count varies from 13,500 to over
18,000 depending on the time of year and the tide. 17,500 is the
generally accepted figure today. But no matter what the correct
figure is, Indonesia has a lot of islands and a lot of ocean to
explore. The diving possibilities are thus virtually unlimited
and the variety enormous. The islands straddle the equator, stretching
over 1700 km (~1100 miles) from north to south. It's a huge area,
and would take a lifetime to explore. This vast and diverse archipelago
is like nowhere else on earth.
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Bananas at Roadside Market |
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Indonesian School Children |
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Nusa Penida |
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Rice Fields of Indonesia |
©Denise Nielsen
Tackett & Larry Tackett |
A few centuries ago, many explorers did indeed dedicate their
lives to exploring the archipelago-for completely different reasons
than we do today. This land is rich with oil, timber, minerals
and spices like cloves, pepper, vanilla, and nutmeg. Rice, coconuts
and rubber are plentiful. Empires rose and fell due to European
and Asian powers trading in these commodities. Serious political
games and power struggles were played in Indonesia.
Indonesia offers dramatic vistas with topography that varies from
rice paddies, mangroves and volcanoes to rain forests and yes,
even glaciers. Underwater, the color and diversity of Indonesia's
coral reefs is astonishing and unparalleled.
The Ring of Fire
Indonesia sits on the western edge of the Pacific Rim, a seismically
active area known as the "Ring of Fire." Seventy-six volcanoes
have erupted here over time, including the world's largest volcanic
eruption ever recorded at Tambora
on Sumbawa east of Bali . Several of the earth's tectonic plates
converge deep under the surface. Their movements contribute to
the volcanic and earthquake activity that makes Indonesia the world's
second most seismically active country after Japan. Evidence of
the area's volatile nature is everywhere, from impressive swaths
of lava that flow across the land down into the sea to strings
of volcanic cones on the horizon.
This volatility makes Indonesia a hotbed of biodiversity. Biodiversity
is an indicator of environmental health: The higher the number
of species living together, the healthier the community because
it is better able to withstand and rebound from the forces of nature
such as El Niño, earthquakes, floods, man's interventions,
etc. The Indonesian landmass represents only 1.3% of the earth's
land, yet it is home to over 10% of the plant species, over 25%
of the fish species and 17% of the bird species found on earth.
Many of these species are endemic, found only in Indonesia.
The Wallace Line, an invisible line that divides Asian and Australian
flora and fauna, runs between the islands of Bali and Lombok up
through the Makassar Strait between Borneo and Sulawesi.
Alfred Russel Wallace, the great 19th century naturalist, was
the first to notice and document a marked difference in the flora
and fauna of these regions during his travels through the Malay
Peninsula. Deepwater channels between the islands prevented the
formation of ancient land bridges, effectively isolating Asia and
Australia from each other. Many scientists now place the line between
Borneo and Sulawesi to the east side of Sulawesi.
The area between Sulawesi and Irian Jaya is called Wallacea and
is a transition zone between the two continents. Flora and fauna
from both regions overlap, while some evolved to form new species
unique to Wallacea. West of the line the land is more tropical
with jungles inhabited by monkeys, apes, tigers and elephants.
East of the line the land becomes arid with scrub vegetation, lizards,
fantastic birds, and marsupials.
Underwater
Underwater, the depths of the Indian and Pacific Oceans meet and
mingle, forming a series of distinct seas that separate the two
giants. In the center of the archipelago, where Asia and Australia
meet, is a geographic triangle with more marine species than anywhere
else in the world. We'll say that again: There are more marine
species here than anywhere else in the world. The points of the
triangle are roughly from the southern Philippines, southwest to
Bali and southeast to West Papua. This rich volcanic area combines
miles of coastline, warm equatorial currents, nutrient-rich upwellings
and a tropical climate that come together to create a biological
wonderland.
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Flores - Kupang |
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Kalimantan |
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Pygmy Seahorse |
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Lembeh Strait |
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Schooling Fish at Tulamben,
Bali |
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Komodo National Park |
©Denise
Nielsen Tackett & Larry Tackett |
The Diving
One of the first things you'll notice underwater is that something
is growing everywhere. The reefs teem with life. As stated above,
nowhere will you find such an array of marine plants and animals
as here.
The diving in Indonesia is as varied as its surface features.
Remember, it's a huge country. Areas such as Bunaken Marine Park
off north Sulawesi in eastern Indonesia, a three-hour plane ride
from Singapore, are known for wall diving and clear waters. Lembeh
Strait-also accessed from north Sulawesi-is famous for unsurpassed
muck diving.
[The term "muck diving" was created by divers who
found that diving in areas not considered "pretty" by most divers
exposed them to hundreds of types of marine life they normally
wouldn't see. Once only popular with underwater photographers and
other specialists ("weirdo" is the scientific term for these
types of people), it is an increasingly popular activity and
has arrived into the mainstream. Even non-weirdos are now enjoying
this activity-ed.] Wakatobi, on southeast Sulawesi is endowed with magnificent coral
gardens. The Sangihe Islands, north of Sulawesi towards the Philippine
Islands have clear, deep waters with strong currents that bring
in large schools of fishes.
["Fishes" is
the proper term here as "schools
of fish" would be a school of one species, while "schools of fishes" would
denote several species schooling-ed.] Komodo Marine Park, east of Bali and Lombok in the central part
of the country, supports a variety of marine life that thrives
on upwellings. Bali has some of Indonesia's best beach diving,
especially at Tulamben on eastern Bali which is famous for the
Liberty Wreck. One of the best combinations of fish and coral is found in the
Banda Sea and the Raja Empat Islands of West Papua-formerly known
as Irian Jaya. Manta rays and a jellyfish lake are hallmarks of
diving at Sangalaki on the southern part of Borneo.
Most of Indonesia is water and much of the best diving is accessible
only from liveaboards although there are areas like Lembeh Strait,
Tulamben, Wakatobi and West Papua, where the land-based diving
is superb. It's nice to do both in one holiday-a liveaboard then
a few days on land at one of the wonderful diving resorts.
Much has been published about fish bombing, cyanide fishing and
over fishing in Indonesia. There's no denying it. However, the
authorities and international conservation organizations are working
together to educate the population and to put an end to destructive
fishing practices. Local communities are becoming involved in the
tourism industry so they don't have to rely on this type of fishing
to make a living and feed their families. It's an ongoing problem
but progress is being made and some areas are starting to recover-while
others have recovered fully. As tourism continues to grow and local
people begin to benefit from it, the reefs will also benefit. At
the major diving areas, people are trying to preserve the reefs
and you'll find the areas covered here in these descriptions offer
some of the world's finest diving. Don't worry, there are still
wonderful places to dive, and the fact that people-both local and
foreign-are becoming more aware of the environment just makes the
diving better and better.
The People
Culturally, the Indonesian archipelago links the peoples of Asia
with the Melanesians of the Pacific Islands. Indonesia is one of
the world's most populous nations. Much of the population resides
on the island of Java, and thousands of islands remain uninhabited.
With more than 300 ethnic groups speaking over 250 distinct languages,
its national language, Bahasa Indonesia-which was developed from
a Malay dialect spoken on the island of Sumatra-unites Indonesia.
Indonesia has the world's largest Islamic population. About 90%
of the people are liberal to moderate Muslims. Most Balinese practice
a form of Hindu. There are pockets of Christianity in Indonesia
and Buddhism is practiced in many areas. No matter what their religion,
it seems Indonesians have managed to assimilate their ancient beliefs
into their modern-day beliefs. Belief in spirits and magic, especially
charms, is widespread.
Indonesia was a Dutch colony for several hundred years and gained
independence just after World War II but each area has maintained
its local customs and folklore. For all their differences, Indonesians
have much in common. They proudly celebrate their independence
on National Day, 17 August. They're naturally friendly, they smile
easily, they love children and love having their picture taken.
They also love music and you'll hear the soft sounds of the gamelan ,
an orchestra of gongs and wooden instruments, and the kolintang ,
a wooden xylophone, everywhere. It's wonderful, relaxing music,
so be sure to pick up a few CDs during your visit.
You won't find a more appreciative audience anywhere than when
you attempt to speak a few words of the local language. A simple ' terima
kasih' (thank you) will light up the faces of your acquaintances
and endear you to them for the duration of your stay, no matter
how badly you pronounce it.
Indonesia is a special place to visit and offers a complete holiday
no matter what your interests. For you divers, one trip just wont
cut it: To experience all of Indonesia's diving diversity, you'll
need several trips. One trip may be to the Bali area, with a liveaboard
to Komodo and a few diving days on shore (not to mention all the
land based activities Bali, as a major tourist destination has
to offer). Another trip may be a liveaboard to Sulawesi, with a
week or more on shore diving the Lembeh Straight or staying at
Wakatobi. One more trip may be to Papua, or to Kalimantan depending
on who is operating there at the present time. Indonesia, for divers,
offers some of the finest liveaboards and resorts in the world.
We're happy you're using our website as a source of free information.
Please check back often for updates and new information as it becomes
available. And, use the links on the left side of this page for
more details on the above areas, including details on weather patterns,
diving operations currently available, and the marine life you'll
encounter there.
Enjoy our extensive website, and email
us with any questions you may have.
By Denise Nielsen Tackett & Larry Tackett
Boats visiting these areas:
| Mermaid 1 | Pelagian | Ocean
Rover |
