Scuba Diving Murex Manado House Reef
There is nothing more leisurely when it comes to diving then making a shore dive, especially when the shore is literally on your doorstep. At Murex Manado (and Murex Bangka) it’s simply a case of strolling down the beach and entering the water. It really is that easy.
For divers who are staying with us at Murex Manado we offer a free Dive Guide for your first dive on the House Reef to help you to get your bearings and after that, you’ll be able to make free, unguided dives every day. It’s a wonderful reef and knowing that it’s there to explore at any time is just one of the many bonuses of staying with us.
Look out for magnificent anemones on the sandy patch close to the mooring line
Our Head of Public Relations, Sarah Wormald, is an avid House Reef diver and says;
“There’s something about diving House Reefs that you don’t get on other dives. Diving House Reefs is one of my favorite types of diving – you can answer those questions that you can’t usually ask, like, “Does that moray eel live in that hole or is he just there for today? I love to see how marine life moves around day to day and from season to season. It’s like taking a stroll through the park – plus it helps that Murex Manado House Reef is packed with critters, offers a combination of sand and coral reef and when dived on a rising tide the conditions and visibility out there can be like diving in the swimming pool!”
Murex Manado House Reef is home to a diverse range of critters and fish life which will keep any diving enthusiast entertained dive after dive. After entering from the beach, the reef begins almost immediately with a healthy mix of both hard and soft corals.
Sarasvati anemone shrimps can be found on many of the House Reef anemones
Some of our favorite spots include the big bommie which the boat mooring line is attached to. As well as the corals and anemone that adorn this bommie you’ll find several smaller bommies, magnificent anemones (with anemone fish and sarasvati anemone shrimp) nearby and look out for flounders and stingrays on the sand. At the deeper mooring there are often barracuda, orbicular batfish and occasional banded sea snakes swimming through.
The Manado House Reef is home to an array of nudibranch species
The House Reef also has a variety of artificial structures which each attract their own unique marine species. Look out for nudibranch and moray eels at the fish balls, lionfish at the upturned boat and bigfin reef squid hovering around the mooring lines. In some of the deeper sandy sections there are small coral formations where ribbon eels, macro shrimps and scorpionfish can all be found clustered in small hotspots.
Both black and blue ribbon eels are commonly spotted on the House Reef
There are several impressive table corals on the Murex Manado House Reef and mantis shrimp love to use these as cover; dense schools of damselfish dive and weave in and out of the branches; and reef octopus make frequent appearances.
If you venture deeper on the House Reef you’ll find where the sandy slope drops off and this is an excellent spot for looking out to the blue for schooling fusiliers which often stream by, as well as occasional larger species – we’ve even seen dolphin pods from the surface here so be prepared to expect the unexpected!
Coral marble shrimps are a sought after species by underwater photographers
For macro underwater photographers, the House Reef also offers some of Indonesia’s most unusual marine species including coral marble shrimps, commensal shrimps, hairy squat lobsters, frogfish and soft coral crabs (see title image).
Night Diving Murex Manado House Reef
Once you have explored the House Reef during daylight hours you’ll immediately see the potential for incredible night dives here too. Common sightings during night dives include Spanish Dancers, long-arm octopus, broadclub cuttlefish, hunting moray eels and watch out for the batfish which love to follow divers’ night lights around the reef!
Spanish dancers are a highlight of night diving on the Manado House Reef
Are you planning your next scuba dives in Sulawesi? Why limit yourself to one diving area in North Sulawesi when you can dive three in one phenomenal trip? Bunaken -> Bangka -> Lembeh: Dive the staggering coral walls of the Bunaken Marine Park, explore Bangka island’s kaleidoscopic reefs and discover the World’s best muck diving in the Lembeh Strait. Boat diving transfers from resort to resort mean no wasted travel days – just dive your way around some of Indonesia’s richest dive sites.
Join us for a Passport to Paradise and dive or snorkel 3 distinct locations in North Sulawesi
To make a booking or for more information contact us on reservations@MurexDive.com
We look forward to diving North Sulawesi with you soon!
