Bunaken — World-Class Wall Diving

Bunaken is a small island off the northern tip of Sulawesi, near the port city of Manado, and one of Southeast Asia's legendary diving areas. The Bunaken National Park protects a marine area of 890 km² with some of the steepest and most species-rich coral walls in the world.

The special feature of Bunaken is the vertical walls (drop-offs) that drop from the beach to over 200 meters deep — covered with a carpet of hard and soft corals, sponges, and gorgonians. You float along a living wall and gaze into the blue depths, while around you:

• Napoleon wrasses majestically pass by
• Turtles (Green Sea Turtle and Hawksbill Turtle) nibble on the corals
• Schools of barracudas swirl in silver tornadoes
• Nudibranchs glow in psychedelic colors
• Occasionally Whitetip reef sharks emerge from the depths

The visibility ranges from 20–30 meters, and the water temperature is 27–29 °C year-round. There are over 30 marked dive sites, most reachable by boat in 5–15 minutes. The most famous: Lekuan 1–3 (the classic walls), Fukui Point (turtle guarantee), and Mandolin (macro paradise).

Bunaken is also excellent for snorkelers: The reef drops steeply right from the beach, and in just 2–3 meters of depth, you already see an abundance of corals and fish.