Page 68 - Diving Indonesia 21 November 2019

East Kalimantan

Dive Site and Marine Life Highlights in East Surrounding Kakaban island are some phenomenal fringing
Kalimantan reefs which offer some exciting big fish opportunities.

Manta rays are found in huge numbers at critters which can be found, highlights Kakaban Island is a 25 minute boat ride jawfish, ribbon eels and groupers lurking
the dive sites off Sangalaki island’s east include ghost pipefish, flying gurnards, from Sangalaki, and this rugged island furtively under the wreck.
coast, namely Manta Avenue, Manta frogfish, blue-ringed octopus, pygmy certainly does not disappoint. Kakaban’s
Parade and Manta Run. Usually, you’ll find seahorses, nudibranchs, harlequin shrimp deep walls, adrenaline pumping currents Among the gorgonian fans look out for
these graceful creatures near the surface and tiger shrimp. When you are not and plankton-rich waters attract the pygmy seahorses while on the sandy
with their gills wide open as they feed in hunting for macro life Derawan also offers big fish, such as manta and eagle bottom watch out for tridacna giant clams.
the plankton rich waters. During mating some great drift dives, Derawan is also rays, hammerhead sharks, barracudas,
periods “mating trains” can be observed known for its turtle beaches where turtles blue finned tuna, jacks or trevallies, as Manta Parade also deserves a mention
which is when several males will “chase” come to nest and lay their eggs. well as big reef residents like leopard here as it delivers exactly as its name
a female, copying her every move, until sharks, white tip and grey reef sharks. suggests – a parade of manta rays! The
one male successfully latches on to her In the middle of Kakaban Island you’ll mantas which are seen here tend to be
pectoral fin and mating takes place. They find the Jellyfish Lake and while this may Lighthouse Reef on the eastern part feeding just beneath the surface so you
may not be huge oceanic manta rays but be somewhere to visit only once, it’s of Sangalaki Island is a favourite of can expect to see them with their huge
reef manta rays still reach up to 4 meters definitely worth the visit. This lake hosts many divers. Within this site there cavernous mouths open and their cephalic
from pectoral fin tip to pectoral fin tip. a huge colony of four different species of are 2 small wrecks. The older one is fins unfurled.
jelly fish. Due to the lake being separate identified by the proliferation of more
Sangalaki’s Coral Garden dive site to the sea, the jellyfish have no natural soft corals of the dendronephthya species Maratua is the strange C-shaped island of
is a sloping reef, made up of several predators and have evolved without and magnificent sea anemones, this archipelago and like its neighbouring
shelves or steps which are bursting with stingers. Swimming in the lake surrounded where you’ll find sweetlips, gobies, isles it certainly delivers world-class dive
vibrant, colourful corals. Corals here are by jellyfish is quite a surreal experience! scorpionfish, anemonefish and clownfish, sites. The majority of fringing reef sites
a healthy mix of hard and soft species here are characterized by steep slopes,
and the kaleidoscope of colours which drop offs and phenomenal drifts. Some
is on display makes this a wide angle of the big fish that school here include
photography hotspot. barracuda, rainbow runners, snapper,
trevally and surgeonfish, as well as
You’ll find acropora corals and mosaic dogtooth tuna, Spanish mackerel and
corals, among which are a rich variety giant groupers. Sharks such as grey reef,
of reef life such as anthias, damsels, leopard and white tip reef, are commonly
snappers, triggerfish, cuttlefish, flat sighted. Lucky divers may also encounter
worms, sea stars, cushion stars, sea whale sharks and thresher sharks.
cucumbers, feather stars, frogfish and
lizard fish – the list goes on and that’s The slopes of Maratua, which are covered
before we mention the manta rays which in sea fans, black coral bushes and
are often spotted overhead and the barrel sponges, are a favourite place for
green sea turtles that nest on Sangalaki’s Napoleon wrasse, bumphead parrotfish
beaches. and turtles. Eagle rays and giant sting rays
also frequent the region.
There are numerous dive sites around
the small island of Derawan and one of
the draw cards here is the array of macro