As one of the best diving sites in the world, The Bunaken National Marine Park draws scuba divers & snorkelers from all over the world. With five main islands — Bunaken, Manado Tua, Mantehage, Nain and Siladen — The Bunaken National Marine Park lies just a few kilometers offshore, contains an estimated 2,000 species of fish and at least 60 different genera and sub genera of corals - this is almost three times that what you might find from the reefs of the Caribbean.
The park, located in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, was formally established in 1991 and is among the first of Indonesia’s growing system of marine parks. It covers a total surface area of 89,065 hectares, 97% of which is sparkling clear, warm tropical water with visibility up to 35-40 meters. The Bunaken Marine Park has 30 dive spots with varying depth up to 1560 meters and refreshing in temperatures (27 C-29 C). Of the 20 diving sites, 16 are located around Bunaken Island.
Marine Ecosystem in Bunaken Park
North Sulawesi is located within the ‘Coral Triangle’, a territory which spreads from western Thailand all the way through eastern Indonesia. This is where many scientists believe life began in the ocean and it is widely thought that it holds the most bio diverse marine habitats on earth. The fact that evolution here has been uninterrupted for millions of year means that the marine life in this particular part of the Coral Triangle is extremely diverse.
The Park is predominantly characterised by awesome vertical walls. The reef flat that surrounds the island plunges to hundreds of meters creating a dramatic wall covered in hard and soft corals. Along these walls, an array of cracks, caves and crevices made home to a wide range of marine life. The reef slopes range in depth from 50 meters to over 200 meters, the deepest of which are found between the islands of Mantehage and Manado Tua, at over 1,300 meters.
The most predominant type of reef in the Park is fringing reef. Fringing reefs grow along the edge of landmasses and islands. The coral reefs support an incredible diversity of marine organisms including thousands of different fishes, crabs, sea stars, sea cucumbers, snails, clams and worms. Coral reefs provide a solid habitat for these organisms to survive on, acting as a food source and for shelter.
Diving in Bunaken
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” (more on http://www.divenorthsulawesi.com/).
Entrance Fee
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 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.
Getting There
From Jakarta you may travel by air to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi. The public boats from Manado to Bunaken are leaving daily around 2 p.m (depending on tide), except Sundays, from Pasar Jengki near Manado harbour. Boats back from Bunaken to Manado available early in the morning, around 7-8 a.m. Even on Sundays there might be boats, just go to the harbour and ask people there.
To charter a boat is about Rp 150,000 – 200,000 OW. If you want to go to Siladen it is better to inquire first at the harbour, but usually there are several boats as well. The fare to Siladen is also Rp 150,000.
To charter a boat is about Rp 150,000 – 200,000 OW. If you want to go to Siladen it is better to inquire first at the harbour, but usually there are several boats as well. The fare to Siladen is also Rp 150,000.
Accommodation
On the Bunaken island you have the choice amongst a number of homestays, with rates starting at around Rp 50 000 per day and person including fullboard. If you only go for the cheapest option don’t complain afterwards if the water in your bathroom doesn’t run regularly, or food isn’t quite as nice as you had hoped for.
On the Bunaken island you have the choice amongst a number of homestays, with rates starting at around Rp 50 000 per day and person including fullboard. If you only go for the cheapest option don’t complain afterwards if the water in your bathroom doesn’t run regularly, or food isn’t quite as nice as you had hoped for.
Some guesthouses/homestays in Bunaken: Lorenso’s Homestay, Liang Beach, Panorama, Nelson’s, Papa Boa, etc. Some of the dive operations on Bunaken are offering more upmarket accommodation, even hot showers in Living Colours and Cha Cha Nature Resort. If you are also looking for tranquility, you may stay in a resort like in Minahasa Lagoon - Dive & Tours Club where you may enjoy your own private beach, and many hotels and resorts in Manado.
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| Cha Cha Nature Resort |
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| Minahasa Lagoon - Dive & Tours Club |
Bunaken’s much smaller neighbour, Siladen, only offers few accommodations. Most popular among budget travelers seems to be Martha’s Homestay. The most upmarket resort is Siladen Resort & Spa (www.siladen.com) which started operations in 2003.
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| Siladen Resort & Spa |
The Best Dive Time
Diving is possible in North Sulawesi throughout the year, although the best conditions are to be found from late March through to November. From January through to March, heavy rains and strong winds can be found throughout the region, leaving the conditions unfavourable for diving.
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