Sulawesi, the 'Spice Island' is an oddly shaped island in the east of Indonesia and is home to world-famous dive destinations such as Lembeh Strait, Bunaken and Bangka - all near Manado - and Togian islands, Wakatobi Islands, places high on the wishlist of divers everywhere.

 

You always know the diving is good where there are lots of underwater photographers, and most make it here. With the amazing array of macro-life and sheer numbers and variety of fish to be found in this most colourful underwater world, it is little wonder that so many come back here for diving vacations year after year. For them, and many other divers, there is nowhere quite like Sulawesi.

 

The sprawling fingers of Sulawesi give this island over 6,000 km of coastline against which laps pristine warm waters rich in marine life. The dramatic topography continues offshore, with abyssal trenches and sheer drop-offs right up against the coastline.

 

Explore the waters around this celebrated island via one of our select Sulawesi liveaboards or stay in a Sulawesi dive resort. When you've been scuba diving in Sulawesi once you will understand the enthusiasm of frequent visitors, many of who claim that there is nowhere else on earth that offers such diverse and exciting underwater experiences.

 

In many areas strong currents bring nutrient-rich water from the ocean depths close to shore, creating one of the most beautiful coral environments in the world. Diving Sulawesi - in terms of sheer diversity and variety of diving, it's quite possibly one of the best dive destinations in the world. Just take a closer look at what it has to offer and you'll soon see why ...

 

The highlights of diving in Sulawesi all depend on what you are interested in. Just to the east of Manado is the magical muck dive wonderland of Lembeh Strait, with its seemingly endless promises of discovery of rare and unusual critters. If you've ever watched a National Geographic documentary on some strange underwater creature and wondered where it was filmed, well the chances are high that it was probably filmed here!

 

The world-famous Bunaken National Park, off the north east tip of Sulawesi, is often quoted among the world's top 10 dive destinations and is a mecca for divers of all levels. Very few places in the world offer such biodiversity and that means there is something for everyone; it is the stuff of photographers' dreams.

 

The remote Wakatobi archipelago in south-east Sulawesi is one of the most exciting destinations in Indonesia, pure diving pleasure in a far-flung tropical paradise island setting. These pristine reefs have won extraordinary praise for their abundant fish life and healthy corals.

 

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With 3 quite distinct world-class scuba destinations sitting on its doorstep, diving in North Sulawesi alone will keep most ardent divers happy. Bunaken National Marine Park offers schools of fish and healthy coral walls. There are a number of Manado dive resorts to choose from here.

 

The Lembeh Strait is the world's capital for muck diving par excellence. There is literally nowhere better for bizarre critters. It is such a small area that the dive sites are likely to be no more than 10 minutes boat ride from your chosen resort.

 

Then there's Bangka and the Sangihe Islands to the north, the third marvel of this magnificent Manado scuba diving trio, that offers colourful soft corals pinnacles, sloping reefs and a Drowned Village to compliment the steep walls of Bunaken. All 3 of these areas are visited by some of the North Sulawesi liveaboards that tour the area. There are a number of different itineraries so let us find one that suits your needs best so you can fully enjoy the wonder of this excellent diving region.

 

Wakatobi's clear teeming waters in a remote scattering of islands, far from any population centres, are best explored on a Wakatobi liveaboard.

 

You can dive Sulawesi all year round. Overall, conditions are best during between August and June. The best conditions for visibility in the Manado area are recorded from November until the end of January.

 

In Wakatobi, from March to December the diving is consistently very good. In the European summer months the surface tends to be a little choppier due to coral spawning.

 

Manado dive liveaboards run all year round.

 

Good for: Small animals, wall dives, underwater photography, reef life and health, dive value-for-money and advanced divers

Not so good for: Non-diving activities

Depth: 5 - >40m

Visibility: 15 - 80m

Currents: Usually gentle in the north, occasionally strong in the south and outer islands

Surface conditions: Often calm but can be choppy

Water temperature: 26 - 30°C

Experience level: Beginner - advanced

Number of dive sites: ~250

Access: Sulawesi dive resorts and liveaboard safaris

Recommended length of stay: 2 - 4 weeks

 

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