Diving Bangka
The Ultimate Guide
WATER TEMPERATURE
Consistently 28 – 29 degrees all year round
VISIBILITY
On average 15-25 meters, often up to 30 meters
TOPOGRAPHY
Sea pinnacles and stunning soft coral reefs
CONDITIONS
Generally easy conditions with little to mild currents
TRAVEL TIME
Dive sites just minutes from the resort
CONSERVATION
Bunaken Marine Park is a Marine Protected Area
DIVE GUIDE RATIO
Small groups for a more personal experience
KNOWLEDGABLE TEAM
Marine biology and underwater photography trained guides
Introducing Bangka, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
An explosion of color and kaleidoscopic soft corals. Bangka dive sites are a sensory overload where the pristine reefs are teeming with life. Pelagics and critters, Bangka has it all!
Bangka Diving Highlights
Bangka is famously known for its spectacular soft corals that adorn every available surface. You’ll have the chance to dive on stunning sloping reefs, pinnacles, and sea mounts. Bangkas underwater topographies will leave you spellbound!
Unique species include resident dugongs, dolphins and pilot whales, several species of pygmy seahorse, harlequin and tiger shrimps, blue-ring, mimic, reef and wonderpus octopus, ghost pipefish, Ambon scorpionfish, frogfishes, turtles, reef sharks, eagle rays, tuna, great barracuda, schooling fish including snappers, fusiliers, cardinals, and mackerel.
Bangka Dive Sites
MUREX BANGKA HOUSE REEF
Access: Shore | Dive Type: Sloping Reef | Depth: 25 meters | Current: Dependent on Tides | Visibility: 10-25 meters
Our beautiful House Reef is just a step off the beach and you’ll immediately be amazed by the bright colors, wealth of coral and abundant marine life. The House Reef is a sloping reef descending down to a white sand bottom. Along the slope there are diverse corals and beautiful bommies which are shrouded in schools of glass fish and hiding frogfish. The House Reef is home to numerous unique critters including pygmy seahorses, blue ribbon eels, mantis shrimps, cuttlefish, reef octopus, a variety of nudibranch species and look out for passing eagle rays.
BATU GOSO
Access: Boat | Dive Type: Pinnacles | Depth: 35 meters | Current: Mild to Medium | Visibility: 10-25 meters
Batu Goso consists of a series of steep pinnacles rising up from the ocean floor just off Bangka Island. There are two dives in this area starting at opposite ends of the coral encrusted pinnacles. The dive ranges from 5-35m with stunning topography at all depths. On dives when there is current there are several “sheltered” places where we can stop and watch the abundant marine life out in the blue. Highlights include: White tip & black tip reef sharks, turtles & groupers, vibrant yellow, green and red soft corals.
SAHAUNG
Access: Boat | Dive Type: Pinnacles | Depth: 25 meters | Current: Mild to Medium | Visibility: 10-25 meters
Sahaung is an iconic Bangka dive site and a firm favorite of many divers – and staff. The site consists of a series of underwater boulders and pinnacles that barely break the surface of the ocean. There are two dives in this area on separate pinnacles. These pinnacles consist of a continuously sloping bottom with several shelves as you descend. The dives range from 5 – 35 m. Highlights include: huge table corals, white tip reef sharks, stunning soft corals, diverse reef life, passing pelagics and schooling fish.
PETER’S SPONGE
Access: Boat | Dive Type: White Sand Muck | Depth: 20 meters | Current: Mild to Medium | Visibility: 10-25 meters
This is our favorite spot for dugong sightings as they tend to rest in the shallows. Peter’s Sponge is a white sand slope decorated with small coral bommies which are home to schools of glassfish and frogfish laying in wait. This is primarily a muck diving, critter site and other common sighting here include blue-ring octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, Ambon scorpionfish and ghost pipefish. This is an incredible spot for macro underwater photographers.
BATU MANDI
Access: Boat | Dive Type: Pinnacle | Depth: 30 meters | Current: Mild to Medium | Visibility: 10-25 meters
This dive is located just opposite of Bangka Island off the northern tip of Sulawesi, off the shore of Pulisan. This dive is a series of underwater pinnacles rising from a sandy bottom. This is a shallower dive ranging from 5 to 25m. Besides the abundance of hard and soft corals and numerous reef fish, some of the highlights are pygmy seahorses, cuttlefish and giant and warty frogfish.
Passport to Paradise
With the Passport to Paradise program, you have the opportunity to discover the stunning underwater world of Manado Bay, the Bunaken Marine Park, Bangka Island, and the Lembeh Strait. Convenient boat transfers between resorts are included to maximize your dive time.
A Note for Non-Divers
North Sulawesi does not only provide excellent diving opportunities; for divers (or non-diving friends and family) who want to take land tours, nature tours, or soak up some culture during their stay there are a number of fantastic options available too.