Diving
DivingThe 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 South-Sulawesi on one page and ready to print.
On this page: diving facts about Makassar
- Bira and Selayar - Takabonerate
- Tukangbesi
Look at my website about dive sites in Selayar
and Bira, wrecks in Makassar, Takabonerate - Tukangbesi,
Wakatobi
Click here to look at underwater photos taken in Central-
and South Sulawesi
Indonesian dive terms
Maps of Indonesia: Collection
of maps / Overview map Indonesia
(keyword Indonesia)
Maps of Sulawesi: Sulawesi
overview map / map
of Sulawesi for zooming
Article about Sulawesi: www.indonesiaphoto.com
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Sulawesi (Indonesia) |
Sulawesi has two larger cities, Ujung Pandang (Makassar) and Manado with international airports. International Airlines Offices in Jakarta - Offices of Domestic Airlines in Indonesia
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Maps: Makassar farther dive sites / Makassar closer dive sites / Pulau Kapoposang (Pete Loud) / Spermonde archipelago (Michael Bode)
There are daily direct flights to Makassar from Singapore, Jakarta and Denpasar
There are no dive resorts in Makassar. You have to stay at a hotel in Makassar and the dive operators will come and fetch you for the diving: Marlin Dive Center / e-mail and Makassar Diving Center (with Nell Tours)
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| Highest temperatures (°C) | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 28 |
| Lowest temperatures (°C) | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
| Daily hours of sunshine | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
| Rainy days | 20 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 17 | 21 |
| Precipitation (mm) | 587 | 578 | 416 | 212 | 142 | 82 | 55 | 31 | 39 | 136 | 307 | 476 |
| Humidity (%) | 86 | 86 | 84 | 84 | 80 | 79 | 75 | 66 | 63 | 73 | 82 | 85 |
| Water temperatures (°C) | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 |
About 6 hours by car from Makassar to Bira. There is ferry that connects Bira harbor with the island Selayar.
Bira is a small town at the southern tip of western Sulawesi. There are several beach cottages where you can stay. Fresh water for showers etc. is not plentifully since it has to be brought to Bira by truck.
- Selayar Dive Resort is situated at the southern tip of Pulau Selayar and is the only dive operator on the island. Guests of the Selayar dive resort are transfered there by speed boat. (the resort can be booked through Caraka Travelindo in Makassar). Open only October unti May.
- The islands can also be visited by liveaboards: the SongLine Cruises and the Ciska or Dewi Sri (Marlin dive center).
- Bira: Anda Bungalows (phone 0062/413/82125 ), Bira Beach Hotel (for details see report of a German)
- S.M.Y Ondina to Takabonerate, Selayar, Tukangbesi and Nusa Tenggara (Komodo, Flores, Alor)
Maps: Takabonerate / larger map Takabonerate (Pete Loud)
Access to the Takabonerate group is from Bira, a small town at the far southern tip of Sulawesi. There is a ferry to Pamatate on Pulau Selayar.
- Tinabo Dive Resort on Tinabo island in Takabonerate archipelago (map)
- Selayar Dive Resort is situated at the south end of Pulau Selayar and is the only dive operator on the island (can be booked through Caraka Travelindo in Makassar) and offers dives to Takabonerate.
- The Takabonerate atoll can also be visited by liveaboards: the SongLine Cruises and the Ciska or Dewi Sri (Marlin dive center).
- Divestacic liveaboards offer trips on the Felidae to Selayar an Bira
- Bali Dive Cruise offer trips on the Duyun
Reached by charter flights from Bali ( 3 hours) or from Makassar (Ujung Pandang) to Tomia (also written Tomea). Also from Makassar to Kendari by plane and then by chartered boat to Tolondano then on to Tomia.
- Wakatobi Dive Resort on Tolandono: Tel: + 873 762 148 230 Fax: + 873 762 148 232 / e-mail. Closed January to middle of March
- On Hoga island there is a the base for Operation Wallacea.
- Tukangbesi can also be visited by liveaboard aboard the Ambasi, or Dewi Sri (Marlin dive center) or the SongLine
- In Bau-Bau (on Buton island, southeast of mainland Sulawesi or northwest of Tukangbesi) there is a dive operator who also offers dives to Tukangbesi: Wasage Dive Club
Best time of the year is late March to November with air temperatures around 30°C and water temperatures 25 - 29°C. Supposedly you can encounter pilot whales (November to April), dolphins, sharks and rays, a variety of big fish (tunas, barracudas) but also many small and rare animals.
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| Highest temperatures (°C) | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 31 |
| Lowest temperatures (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| Daily hours of sunshine | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 |
| Rainy days | 21 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 15 | 18 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 20 |
| Precipitation (mm) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Humidity (%) | 84 | 82 | 81 | 83 | 80 | 81 | 75 | 69 | 67 | 73 | 80 | 81 |
| Water temperatures (°C) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 30 |
Pasarwajo can be reached by ferry from Baubau or Kendari. I don't know how to get to Batuata except by liveaboard and probably by local fisherboats.
In Bau-Bau (on Buton island, southeast of mainland Sulawesi or northwest of Tukangbesi) there is a dive operator who also offers dives to Tukangbesi: Wasage Dive Club. There are no dive operators in Pasarwajo. Muna Tourism Services offer dive tours on Muna island
Although southern Sulawesi is relatively easily reached by air or boat, its dive sites are not very well known. There are only a few diveoperators and it is difficult to reach some of the remote areas such as Selayar and Takabonerate. Southeast Sulawesi is not very known to travellers, some places are hard to get to, others quite expensive or very remote. The only airport is Kendari, but there are several harbors (Baubau, Pasarwajo) which can be reached by boat.
Click here for a look at the Makassar Strait Forum or Sulawesi information with information about south Sulawesi.
Weather in Indonesia: 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. Map with weather in Indonesia
- Diving all year around possible, best time is May to September. Some islands are best visited in April.
- Water 26°C to 30°
- Visibility is mostly very good (up to 30m)
Phone DAN (Divers Alert Network) outside Australia +61-8-8212 9242
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.
Kalimantan: Rumah Sakit Pertamina Balikpapan, Jl Jendral Sudirman Nr 1, email: aspb@rspb.co.id, Tel:+62542 734020, 734020, 734024. Contact person: Dr Lukman Hatta, Sp.PD, Sp.KL (Internist).
The Borneo Divers have the only professional recompression chamber located on Sipadan island (Borneo - Malaysia)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 MinFor more information about hyperbaric chambers look at the Indonesia page or the dive safety page.
This page www.starfish.ch/dive/info/Sulawesi-info.html
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me).
I am not responsible for the contents of any sites linked to this website
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