:: Bunaken Islands Diving Information ::
The Bunaken National Marine
Park was formally established in 1991 and is among the
first of Indonesia's growing system of marine parks. The
park covers a total surface area of 89,065 hectares, 97%
of which is overlain by sparkling clear, warm tropical
water. The remaining 3% of the park is terrestrial,
including the five islands of Bunaken, Manado Tua,
Mantehage, Nain and Siladen. Although each of these
islands has a special character, it is the aquatic
ecosystem that attracts most naturalists.
The waters 
of
Bunaken National Marine Park are extremely deep (1566 m
in Manado Bay), clear (up to 35-40 m visibility),
refreshing in temperature (27-29 C) and harbor some of
the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. Pick
any of group of interest - corals, fish, echinoderms or
sponges - and the number of families, genera or species
is bound to be astonishingly high. For example, 7 of the
8 species of giant clams that occur in the world, occur
in Bunaken. The park has around 70 genera of corals;
compare this to a mere 10 in Hawaii. Although the exact
number of fish species is unknown, it may be slightly
higher than in the Philippines, where 2,500 species, or
nearly 70% of all fish species known to the Indo-western
Pacific, are found.
Oceanic currents may explain, in part, why Bunaken
National Marine Park is such a treasure trove of
biodiversity. Northeasternly currents generally sweep
through the park but abundant counter currents and gyros
related to lunar cycles are believed to be a trap for
free swimming larvae. This is particularly true on the
south side of the crescent-shaped Bunaken Island, lying
in the heart of the park. A snorkler or diver in the
vicinity of Lekuan or Fukui may spot over 33 species of
butterfly fish and numerous types of groupers, damsels,
wrasses and gobies. The gobies, smallish fish with
bulging eyes and modified fins that allow them to attach
to hard surfaces, are the most diverse but least known
group of fish in the park.
Biologist
s
believe that the abundance of hard corals is crucial in
maintaining the high levels of diversity in the park.
Hard corals are the architects of the reefs, without
them, numerous marine organisms would be homeless and
hungry. Many species of fish are closely associated with
particular types of corals (folious, branching, massives,
etc.) for shelter and egg-laying. Others, like the
enormous Bumphead Parrotfish, Balbometopon muricatum,
are "coralivores" and depend on hard corals for their
sustenance. Bony mouth parts fused into an impressive
"beak" allow these gregarious fish to crunch corals like
roasted peanuts.
Some
20,000
people live on the natural resources of Bunaken National
Marine Park. Although there are inevitable conflicts
between resource protection and use by people, the
Indonesian government is taking a fairly unusual and
pragmatic approach to park management. The idea is to
promote wise resource use while preventing
overexploitation. Local communities, government
officials, dive resort operators, local nature groups,
tourists and scientists have played an active role in
developing exclusive zones for diving, wood collection,
fishing and other forms of utilization. Bunaken Marine
Park has become an important example of how Sulawesi,
and the rest of Indonesia, can work to protect its
natural resources.
Bunaken 
Island
offers a plethora of wall experiences for visiting
divers. Everyone has their favorite site and mine is
Lekuan 2. Judging from the number of divers who frequent
the site, many agree with me. The reasons are obvious
immediately upon entry. You can't help but notice the
high concentration of schooling fish from the drummers
and fusliliers that greet you as you begin your descent,
the blizzards of brightly-colored anthias you pass along
the edge of the reeftop, continuing to fall through the
clouds of pyramid butterflyfish and bannerfish
underneath. The variety of reef fish is astounding: you
could pick out over 20 species of butterflyfish alone if
you so desired.
The start
of the traditional dive offers small treasures as candy
crabs frequent the beautiful soft corals in the area,
often adorning themselves with a sprig of live soft
coral they've affixed atop their head. The faerie crab,
a fingernail-sized squat lobster that's pink and hairy
can be found by a discerning eye peering among the outer
folds of barrel sponges. But don't become engrossed with
the macro life so much that you miss any of the larger
residents: sharks that pass you by below your fins,
napoleons wrasse or bumphead parrotfish above you, or
turtles out in the blue off the wall.
Toward the end of the site,
the Lekuan point, the current predictably picks up just
as you notice the schools of redtooth triggerfish around
you. Sharks enjoy the current as well, often coming up
to only five meters in d
epth
to cut over the point to Lekuan 1. Resident napoleons,
giant trevally, jacks, batfish and solitary giant
barracuda are predictably seen along this stretch, but
smaller denizens such as leaf scorpionfish are common as
well, keeping your attention divided between the lush
wall and the blue ocean.
With the wall going from only 2-5 meters along the top
to 50-70 meters along the bottom, where a narrow shelf
exists before the wall continues to plunge into the
abyss, you can alter your depth to find an entire new
set of attractions dive after dive. Boredom is
definitely not an option.
The island of Bunaken in the
Bunaken National Park is rated in the top ten best
diving destinations on the planet. The Park and islands
are situated in Manado Bay and consist of five islands;
Bunaken, Siladen, Manado Tua, Montehage and Nain. The
deep, clear, warm waters around the islands contain
astoundingly high numbers of species of corals, sponges
and fish. Oceanic currents rich in food and nutrients
sweep past the area, these attract an abundance of
marine life ranging from big pelagics to tiny
critters.
Most of the diving around Bunaken is done on deep walls
which are carpeted in coral and pocked with caves and crevaces. There is something for everyone here from the
deep freaks and pelagic fans to marine biologists and
macro photographers, a dive destination to cater for all
tastes. Since most of the dive sites around 6km long
Bukanen island are very similar we have only included
the most popular. Other great dive sites include
Raymond's Point, Ron's Point, Pangalisan, Cela Cela and
Depan Kampung all of which offer impressive wall dives
and an abundance of marine life.
Bunaken can be dived year round but the best time is
between April and November, and the islands are around
30 to 60 minutes from Manado.
The
Bunaken
National Marine Park was formally established in 1991
and is among the first of Indonesia's growing system of
marine parks. The park covers a total surface area of
89,065 hectares, 97% of which is overlain by sparkling
clear, warm tropical water. The remaining 3% of the park
is terrestrial, including the five islands of Bunaken, Manado Tua, Mantehage, Nain and Siladen. Although each
of these islands has a special character, it is the
aquatic ecosystem that attracts most naturalists.
The waters of Bunaken National Marine Park are extremely
deep (1566 m in Manado Bay), clear (up to 35-40 m
visibility), refreshing in temperature (27-29 C) and
harbor some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the
world. Pick any of group of interest - corals, fish,
echinoderms or sponges - and the number of families,
genera or species is bound to be astonishingly high. For
example, 7 of the 8 species of giant clams that occur in
the world, occur in Bunaken. The park has around 70
genera of corals; compare this to a mere 10 in Hawaii.
Although the exact number of fish species is unknown, it
may be slightly higher than in the Philippines, where
2,500 species, or nearly 70% of all fish species known
to the Indo-western Pacific, are found.
BUNAKEN NATIONAL PARK ENTRANCE
FEE:
Bunaken
National
Park Entrance Fee Tag All visitors to the Bunaken
National Park (divers and non-divers) are required to
pay an entrance fee, in accordance with North Sulawesi
Provincial Government Provincial Law Number 9/2002. The
entrance fee for foreign visitors is Rp 50,000 per daily
ticket (approximately US$6), or Rp 150,000
(approximately US$17) for a waterproof plastic entrance
tag valid for the full calendar year.
Entrance tags and tickets can be purchased direct from
all NSWA members, or from ticket counters on Bunaken
Island and on Siladen Island. They must be carried at
all times that guests' are within the park boundaries,
and tags can easily be affixed to guests' diving or
snorkeling gear or on backpacks. Enforcement of the
entrance fee system is conducted via spot checks by park
rangers on land and at sea.
The entrance
fee system has been adapted from the well-known Bonaire
Marine Park system, and the proceeds from the sales of
the entrance tags are managed by the Bunaken National
Park Management Advisory
Board (BNPMAB), a
multi-stakeholder board that NSWA is a member of. The
system has been very successful in raising over $250,000
for conservation programs in the Bunaken Marine Park
since its inception in 2001.
Oceanic currents may
explain, in part, why Bunaken National Marine Park is
such a treasure trove of biodiversity. Northeasternly
currents generally sweep through the park but abundant
counter currents and gyros related to lunar cycles are
believed to be a trap for free swimming larvae. This is
particularly true on the south side of the
crescent-shaped Bunaken Island, lying in the heart of
the park. A snorkler or diver in the vicinity of Lekuan
or Fukui may spot over 33 species of butterfly fish and
numerous types of groupers, damsels, wrasses and gobies.
The gobies, smallish fish with bulging eyes and modified
fins that allow them to attach to hard surfaces, are the
most diverse but least known group of fish in the park.
Biologists
believe
that the abundance of hard corals is crucial in
maintaining the high levels of diversity in the park.
Hard corals are the architects of the reefs, without
them, numerous marine organisms would be homeless and
hungry. Many species of fish are closely associated with
particular types of corals (folious, branching, massives,
etc.) for shelter and egg-laying. Others, like the
enormous Bumphead Parrotfish, Balbometopon muricatum,
are "coralivores" and depend on hard corals for their
sustenance. Bony mouth parts fused into an impressive
"beak" allow these gregarious fish to crunch corals like
roasted peanuts.
BUNAKEN DIVING
A growing number of dive
centers is operating from the mainland around Manado and
directly from Bunaken
Island. Generally spoken you should rather pay a few
dollars more and go for safe and experienced operators
than just choose the cheapest option. Tank fillings can
be a problem, and headaches after each dive give you a
clear sign that your dive operator saves money on
filters; better go somewhere else if you experience
this.
In general diving standards
in North Sulawesi
are high, as is environmental
awareness among the dive operators, at least the ones
who have formed the North Sulawesi Watersports
Association, NSWA. The NSWA has made significant strides
in improving the management and conservation of Bunaken
National Park and surrounding marine ecosystems and in
conferring concrete benefits of tourism to the villagers
living within the park. Many of its members have
spent a lot of their money and time for various
ecological and social achievements within the park. This
has not gone unnoticed; recently the Bunaken National
Park has received the "Tourism for Tomorrow Award" and
the "UN Equator Prize".
Unfortunately some stupid backpackers still think that
they know everything better than these international
organisations and refuse to pay the entrance fee to the
National Park. If you are planning to do this, please
stay away. You are not welcome - the National Park needs
support, not ignorance!
Come and Discover Indonesia Islands with us!
