Diverse Marine Life and Diving Bunaken Marine Park
Indonesia is, by many, regarded as being the best country in the world when it comes to dive sites and the diving Bunaken Marine Park does everything to uphold Indonesia’s prestigious reputation.
Bunaken Marine Park
Bunaken is a small island in North Sulawesi and it is one of 5 islands which make up the Bunaken Marine Park and was one of the first marine protected areas declared in Indonesia. The move by the Indonesian government to protect the area in 1991 was made due to the extreme marine bio-diversity which the area supports. The islands of Bunaken, Manado Tua, Siladen, Mantehage and Nain are home to numerous rare and endangered marine creatures which include dugongs, whales, a large resident population of green sea turtles and dolphins but it’s not just these “special” species that make diving Bunaken Marine Park a phenomenal destination.
Bunaken is home to a large resident population of green sea turtles – you can lose count of how many you see in a single dive.
Diving at Bunaken Marine Park
Diving Bunaken Marine Park is everything that you can imagine and more. The water is the bluest of blues, the walls are adorned with corals, the shallows are occupied by clouds of reef fish, huge turtles laze on ledges and upon closer inspection, the corals harbor all manner of macro critters. Diversity is the word of the day. In Bunaken you won’t just find giant clams, you’ll find 7 out of the 8 species of giant clams that exist worldwide. Butterflyfish are found at every dive site and there are over 33 species. The walls are encrusted with over 70 genera and sub-genera of coral and over 70% of all fish species that exist in the Indo-Western Pacific Ocean can be found in the park. Needless to say, you will always have something to look at.
Butterflyfish are often spotted schooling on the shallow reef and in the blue
The unique bathymetry of the marine park is an attraction in itself. The absence of a continental shelf in the northern part of North Sulawesi means that the walls around Bunaken and its neighboring islands literally drop down to the seafloor. When you hear divers talking about the “giant walls” at Bunaken, it’s not an exaggeration, in places the walls extend down to over 1,840 meters. The geology of the area is a major contributing factor to the diversity of marine life which is found here. The deep waters and lunar driven currents combined with the shape and positioning of the islands create plankton rich upwellings which are then essentially trapped between the land masses.
Bunaken also boasts seagrass beds which are favored by dugongs, mangroves, sloping reefs, and stunning shallow reef tops which are awash with color and bursting with life.
Bunaken is famous for its stunning coral walls – and turtles
The extreme underwater geology of the Bunaken Marine Park is mirrored on land due to its explosive volcanic origins which date back to between 1.5 and 5 million years ago. Manado Tua (see title image above) is an inactive volcano with a classic cone-like shape which peaks at 600 meters; despite being low-lying Bunaken was also formed in the volcanic period from significant amounts of uplifted fossil coral. It’s interesting knowing this history before you are diving Bunaken Marine Park because you can see the evidence of it all around you – both underwater when studying the walls and on land where the watery horizon is dominated by the peak of Manado Tua. In fact, when you stay at Murex Manado, all of our views from the front of the resort, and from the outdoor dining area, gazebo and swimming pool are across the ocean looking directly at the three islands of Manado Tua, Bunaken and Siladen.
Manado Bay offers phenomenal muck diving and underwater photography opportunities
Passport To Paradise
Are you a muck diving aficionado? When diving from Murex Manado we make a morning two dive trip to the Bunaken Marine Park, return to the resort for lunch and then muck dive Manado Bay in the afternoons – meaning that you get the best of reefs and muck during your stay! For those who want to venture further afield, we also offer day trips to Bangka Island.
Join us for a Passport to Paradise and dive 3 distinct locations in North Sulawesi
Enhance your diving adventure with our Passport to Paradise package!
This unique trip will take you through three of North Sulawesi’s great diving paradises: Bunaken, Bangka, and Lembeh. Immerse yourself in the stunning walls of Bunaken Marine Park, explore the vibrant soft coral tapestry of Bangka Island, and dive into the famous “Living Capital of the World” in Lembeh Strait.
With seamless boat transfers between resorts and dive sites along the way, you won’t have to worry about drying and packing your gear or losing precious time on the way. Imagine a trip that includes stunning walls, breathtaking reefs and some of the best muck diving in the world – an incredible journey with over 150 different dive sites and more than 1,500 species of fish. It promises to be the dive vacation of a lifetime.
Explore Murex Resort Rates and Reserve Your Spot. To book your Bunaken diving holiday or your Passport to Paradise, contact us at: reservations@murexresorts.com. We look forward to diving Bunaken Marine Park with you soon!
