Bunaken Diving Guide

By the Celebes Eco Tours team · based 30 minutes from the Bunaken boats

Established in 1991, Bunaken National Park protects 890 km² of sea at the heart of the Coral Triangle — roughly 390 species of coral and close to 2,000 species of fish. Its signature feature: vertical coral walls that plunge from shallow gardens into the deep blue. Here is how to get the most from it.

The Signature Dive Sites

Lekuan I–III (Bunaken Island)

The classic Bunaken experience: a wall draped in gorgonians and sponges, with green turtles parked at cleaning stations, blacktip reef sharks cruising below, and schools of barracuda and jacks patrolling the blue. Drift gently and let the wall do the work.

Fukui Point

A sloping sandy reef famous for its giant clams, ribbon eels and garden eels — and one of the best sites in the park for spotting Napoleon wrasse. gentler profile makes it a favourite second dive.

Sachiko's Point

Current-swept corner where schools of trevally and chevron barracuda form bait balls. When the current runs, this is the park's most thrilling dive.

Muka Gereja & Siladen walls

Softer, colourful sites with turtle cleaning stations, ornate ghost pipefish and — in season — passing eagle rays. Perfect for snorkelers too, as the tops of the walls start at 3–5 metres.

Marine Life Calendar

• Year-round: turtles (green & hawksbill), reef sharks, bumphead parrotfish, napoleon wrasse.
• November–April: the plankton-rich season — manta and eagle ray sightings rise, and whales (including orcas and melon-headed whales) transit the park.
• Whale & dolphin passage: pods of spinner dolphins are common companions on the boat crossing most of the year.

When to Dive

The park is diveable all year. April to November brings the calmest seas and best visibility (20–40 m). January–March can be windier with occasional rain, but the walls remain protected and divers get the reef nearly to themselves.

Snorkeling in Bunaken

You do not need tanks to love Bunaken: much of the reef crest sits 3–5 metres below the surface, so snorkelers float over turtles and clouds of anthias on the same walls the divers enjoy. Our boats carry spotters who guide snorkelers along the wall's edge while divers are below.

Practical Notes

• Park entrance fee: around IDR 150,000/day for foreign visitors (subject to change), paid once and valid for the calendar year.
• Getting there: 30–45 minutes by boat from Manado; dive boats leave in the morning.
• Stay on the island for sunrise reefs and a relaxed rhythm — or day-trip from Manado if you prefer city hotels.
• Combine with Lembeh: walls one week, critters the next — see our Diving & Snorkeling Special.