Page 74 - Diving Indonesia 21 November 2019

Bunaken Marine Park

The Bunaken Marine Park Conditions
covers a total area of
890.65 km², 97% of which Dive sites in the Bunaken Marine Park
is marine habitat. The are mostly found around Bunaken
remaining 3% of the park is Island with a handful off the islands
terrestrial, including the five of Manado Tua and Siladen. Dive
islands of Bunaken, Manado sites around Bunaken offers excellent
Tua, Mantehage, Nain and visibility and year round diving. Currents are generally
Siladen. The southern part minimal but do pick up around the time of the full
of the Park also covers part moon.
of the Tanjung Kelapa coast
on mainland North Sulawesi. Water temperatures remain consistent throughout the
Note: All scuba divers year, between 28 and 29 degrees.
and snorkelers entering
the Bunaken Marine Park Diving in Bunaken is relatively unaffected by weather
are required to purchase a conditions. There are no rivers on Bunaken or Siladen
marine park tag. The tagging Island so run-off into the ocean is minimal. Bunaken
system ensures that marine Island acts as a natural wind break and regardless
park regulations are adhered of wind direction, one side of the island will remain
to through a patrolling sheltered.
system and that the marine
park continues to flourish. Shallow reef tops make Bunaken an ideal place to learn
to dive, whereas more experienced divers will enjoy the
deeper waters and walls – in short, Bunaken is suitable
for all levels.

Dive Site and Marine Life Highlights of Bunaken
Marine Park
BUNAKEN Stunning walls and hard corals are the enormous sponges, soft and hard corals
and offer both macro and wide-angle
order of the day at Bunaken’s dive sites.
MARINE PARK Lose count of the number of turtles in opportunities. The walls extend vertically
down to about 40m before sloping out.
a single dive. Look out for reef sharks,
schooling fish, sea snakes, passing eagle Swarms of pyramid butterfly fish and an
he Bunaken Marine Park was one of the first marine Protected rays, sting rays, abundant critters and occasional eagle ray are often spotted
passing by out in the blue and reef sharks
macro life, resident dolphin and pilot
Areas in Indonesia, gaining protected status in the early 1990’s. whale pods alongside dive boats, are frequently sightings. Macro life
TThe park is located near the centre of the Coral Triangle and occasional dugongs, and even found here includes pygmy seahorses,
provides habitat for 390 species of reef building coral as well as seasonal sperm whale sightings. orangutan crabs, nudibranch, frogfish
many fish, mollusc, reptile and marine mammal species. The park is and an array of shrimps and crustaceans.
representative of Indonesian tropical water ecosystems, consisting of Lekuan dive sites are the most famous Other highlights include a colorful hard
sea grass beds, coral reefs and coastal ecosystems – although it is the dive sites in Bunaken Marine Park. coral reef top with an array of reef fish.
staggering coral walls for which Bunaken is most famous. In some areas, These huge walls are covered with
these incredible drop offs plummet to over 1.5 kilometers.

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