Diving

Fact Sheet about diving in northern Sulawesi (FAQ)

The most important facts like a list of dive operators (dive centers) and liveaboard operators, dive safety (addresses of the hyperbaric chambers), dive conditions, climate, hotels and how to get to northern Sulawesi (Manado, Lembeh, Siau) on one page and ready to print.

On this page: diving facts about Manado - Bunaken - Bangka - Liveaboards (Siau and Sangihe islands) - Lembeh
Look at my website about dive sites in Manado, Bunaken and Bangka island, Lembeh, Siau and Sangihe islands
Die Nord-Sulawesi Tauchinformation in deutscher Sprache
Indonesian dive terms

How to get to northern Sulawesi, Indonesia

Maps of Indonesia: Collection of maps / Overview map Indonesia (keyword Indonesia)

Manado, Bunaken, Bangka

Dive operators in Manado

The Watersports Association have several projects going in Bunaken. They are making their own dive operations (list on the website) more reef-friendly. They have asked all their members not to use anchors any more, produced a reef-friendly booklet for tourists, and designed and constructed mooring bouys on some of the dive sites.

Barracuda Diving Resort lies on Molas beach, northeast of Manado / The Blue Banter Dive Resort is situated in the very center of Manado (Rizzy hotel) / Celebes Divers situated about 20 min. southwest of Manado / Eco Divers at the Tasik Ria Hotel, southwest of Manado / Kikisi Resort (inside Bunaken National Park but on the mainland north of Manado) / Lumbalumba diving / Manado-Dive - e-mail / Minahasa Lagoon / Murex Dive Center, situated about 20 min. southwest of Manado, also offers diving in Tanjung Pulisan, Lehaga Island and the Lembeh strait. Murex has 2 liveaboard boats that visit the Siau and Sangihe Talaud islands / Nusantara Diving Centre (NDC) lies on Molas beach, northeast of Manado / Thalassa Dive Centre northeast of Manado

Dive operators on Bunaken island

Cha Cha Dive Resort / Bastianos / Froggies divers / Indo-Pacific Divers (Liveaboard Sea Dancer) / Living colours diving resort / Sulawesi Dive Quest / Two Fish Divers / Bunaken Beach Resort / Raja Laut

Tauchbasen auf der Insel Siladen

Onong Resort

Dive operators around Bangka island, Gangga and Pulisan

Blue Bay Divers at Sahaung / Gangga island resort on Gangga island / Murex Dive from Manado has also bungalows on Bangka and Pulisan / Pulisan Jungle Beach Resort in Pulisan / Dive operator in Bunaken, Lembeh or Manado also organise day trips to Bangka

Liveaboards around Bunaken / Lembeh

M/V Paisabatu II / KLM Sunshine

Dive shop in Manado

Mares Sales Room at the Sahid Kawanua Hotel, Iantai dasar, Jalan Sam Ratulangi No. 1

Places to stay in Manado

• All dive operators mentioned above also offer accomodations.
• There are hotels in Manado and smaller resorts on Bunaken and Siladen island.^
• List with tips about accomodation on Bunaken (Klaus Schäfer)

Lembeh Strait

From Manado to Lembeh it is a 1 to 1.5 hour drive to the town of Bitung and a 15 minutes boat trip to the resorts

Dive operators in Lembeh

Please look at the map on the Lembeh-page

On the main land: Kasawari / Kungkungan Bay Dive Resort (KBR) / Black Sand Dive Retreat
On Lembeh island: Bakri Cono / Bastianos / Divers Lodge Lembeh / Lembeh Resort / Sulawesi Dive Quest / Two Fish Divers

Liveaboards around Bunaken / Lembeh

M/V Paisabatu II / KLM Sunshine

Places to stay in Lembeh

If you dive in Lembeh you usually stay at your chosen dive resort. In Bitung there is a small hotel with restaurant: Hotel Nalendra on Jl Samuel Languyu. Phone (0438) 31992. This is not a dive operator! Some liveaboards from Manado stop in the Lembeh Strait for a day or two for muckdiving / all dive operators (in Manado) mentioned above also offer accommodations. There are hotels in Manado and smaller resorts on Bunaken and Siladen island.

My recommendation

A great DVD with coverage of the rare animals living in the Lembeh strait by Shark Bay Films "The Critter Trilogy" (John Boyle). Filmed entirely in Indonesia's Lembeh Strait in open water. Great coverage of frogfishes feeding and much more! Sold by www.electricsky.com.

Siau and Sangihe-Talaud islands

From Manado to the Siau islands take a liveaboard if you want to do some diving. If you just want to visit the islands, there are ferries going there and on Talaud island there is an airport.

Liveaboards from Manado

• Murex Dive Center has 2 liveaboards (Serenade, Symphony) that visit the Siau and Sangihe islands. Trips vary from 6 to 11 days
• Indo-Pacific Divers (Liveaboard Sea Dancer) nach Talaud
• Scuba safaris (North Sulawesi Agressor) is also operating in Lembeh and the Siau and Sangihe islands
• Liburan (Lembeh, Bangka, Bunaken)
• Mimpi Cruises

General information about Sulawesi

A very good informative page from the North Sulawesi Tourism Promotion Board - list of dive operators / Look at maps and information on www.sulawesi-info.com and www.north-sulawesi.com and tourism northern Sulawesi (about Siau and Sangihe) / volcanoes in Indonesia - Volcanic activity Sulawesi - Siau and Sangihe islands (Karangetang and Ruang)

Dive conditions and climate in northern Sulawesi

• Diving all year around possible, best time is April and May with good diving until September
• Water normally 28° to 29°C with some cold upwellings (25 to 26°C). At some places like Lembeh Strait is is usually 1 to 2° colder
• Visibility is mostly very good (up to 30m)

In general Indonesia has two yearly seasons of monsoon winds: the southeast monsoon (dry) and the northwest monsoon (rain). The dry season usually runs from May through September and the rainy season from November through March. Exception are the Moluccas (Maluku) where seasons are reversed.

Weather averages in Manado - weather map Indonesia

weather now in Manado	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC
Best time to travel
Highest temperatures (°C)	28	28	28	29	30	30	30	30	30	30	29	28
Lowest temperatures (°C)	23	23	23	23	23	23	23	23	23	23	23	23
Daily hours of sunshine	3	3	4	6	6	6	7	7	7	6	6	6
Rainy days	25	24	25	25	23	19	16	10	16	23	26	26
Precipitation (mm)	433	367	310	235	194	188	143	119	121	161	252	355
Humidity (%)	89	88	87	86	84	81	76	70	76	81	85	86
Water temperatures(°C)	28	28	29	29	29	30	29	29	29	29	29	28

Dive safety

Phone DAN (Divers Alert Network) outside Australia +61-8-8212 9242

Hyperbaric chambers (or recompression chamber) in Manado:

Manado: At the Malalayang Hospital (chamber for 3 to 4 persons) Phone: 0812-4302970 / Dr Glen Hawkins HP +61 407700701 / Dr Sosiawati HP 0812 467 2923 / Dr Hanry Takasenseran HP 0813 4000 0840

Makassar: Rumah Sakit Umum Wahidin Sudirohusodo. Contact person: Pak Daniel Address: Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan Km. 11, Tamalanrea Kampus UNHAS Indonesia TEL:++ 62 - 0411 (584677) , 584675 . Said to be for 3 to 4 persons.

Singapore: The Singapore Naval Underwater Medicine Centre. Phone +65-6758 1733 (24-hours Emergency Hotline) / +65-6796 4197 (appointments)
Hyperbaric Medical Services, 1 Orchard Boulevard #08-05, Camden Medical, Centre, Singapore 248649, Phone: +65-6732 8552
Hyperbaric Medicine Centre, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Tan Tock Seng, Hospital, Basement 1, Singapore 308433, Phone: +65-6355 9021/2
www.hyperbaric-singapore.com / Medical Director: Dr Wong Ted Min

For more information about hyperbaric chambers look at the Indonesia page or the dive safety page.