Snorkeling Bunaken & Manado Bay
Bunaken Marine Park is within easy reach of Murex Manado Resort and Manado Bay is just minutes away
WATER TEMPERATURE
Consistently 28 – 29 degrees all year round
VISIBILITY
On average 15-25 meters, often up to 30 meters
TOPOGRAPHY
Coral gardens & walls in Bunaken. Sloping reefs in Manado
CONDITIONS
Generally easy conditions with little to mild currents
TRAVEL TIME
30 minutes to the Bunaken Marine Park by purpose-built boat
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
Highlights of Snorkeling Bunaken Marine Park & Manado Bay
Snorkel Bunaken
Snorkel over beautiful shallow-water coral gardens and walls descending into the blue. Lose count of the number of turtles that you meet along the way! Look out for schooling butterflyfish, moray eels, clownfish and anemones, lionfish, and stingrays on the sandy patches. Resident dolphins and pilot whale pods often swim alongside the boat, and there are occasional dugong and seasonal sperm whale sightings.
Snorkel Manado Bay
A mixture of healthy coral reefs and both black and white sand slopes which are home to some of Indonesia’s most unique marine species including octopus, cuttlefish, ribbon eels, numerous crustaceans, colorful nudibranch and look out for schools of batfish. Manado Bay offers relaxing snorkeling conditions close to the resort and you never know what you are going to see next!
Snorkel Schedule
Choose your boat trips, relax or check out the House ReefStart your day with a boat trip to snorkel Bunaken Marine Park which is just 35 minutes away. You’ll visit two different, stunning locations to snorkel. In between locations, we’ll serve light refreshments while you enjoy the breathtaking scenery. Look out for the resident spinner dolphin pods that swim and breach alongside the boat.
We return to the resort for lunch, followed by an afternoon boat trip to explore Manado Bay OR opt for a full day safari trip with lunch served on the boat.
Manado Bay is an amazing place to try snorkeling at night! You’ll see a very different selection of marine species that become active after the sun has set.
House Reef
Just a step off the beachThe Murex House Reef is available for you to snorkel at any time. It’s just a step off the beach in front of the resort and it’s packed with beautiful corals and a variety of marine life.
The shallow reef offers huge table corals, anemones, brain coral and a selection of bommies – all of which attract a lot of fish.
The House Reef offers generally easy conditions and it is suitable for all levels including kids – who will love the brightly colored clownfish!
Night snorkeling is especially interesting on the House Reef and common sightings include Spanish dancers, octopus, and a host of crustaceans.
Our Boats
Purpose built for adventuresMurex boats are purpose-built for your comfort, safety and to deliver a smooth ride. With 7 boats in our fleet, which range in size, we are able to offer flexible schedules and cater for private boat options as well as for larger groups of families and friends.
Facilities onboard include
- Shaded areas and sundeck
- Toilet onboard
- Long ladder and non-slip steps
- Individual spaces for gear
- Freshwater box for cameras
- Hot & cold refreshments
- Personal towels for guests
- First aid kit & oxygen
- Spare snorkeling equipment
- Communication devices
- Life jackets
Bunaken & Manado Bay Snorkeling Sites
Murex House Reef
Access: Beach | Level: all level | Depth: 12 meters | Current: Mild | Visibility: 10-15m
The Murex House Reef is just a step off our beach in front of the resort. The shallow reef offers huge table corals, anemones, brain coral and a selection of bommies – all of which attract a lot of fish.
The House Reef offers generally easy conditions and it is suitable for all levels including kids – who will love the brightly colored clownfish!
Night snorkeling is especially interesting on the House Reef and common sightings include Spanish dancers, octopus, and a host of crustaceans.
Lekuan 1, 2 and 3
Access: boat | Level: all levels | Depth: 25 meters | Current: variable | Visibility: Up to 30m
Lekuan dive sites are the most famous dive sites in Bunaken Marine Park. These huge walls are topped by shallow-water coral gardens which are bursting with color and teeming with fish. You will find swarms of pyramid butterfly fish and huge turtles swim past in the blue. Other highlights include a colorful hard corals, barrel sponges and soft corals.
Sachiko’s – Bunaken Island
Access: boat | Level: all levels | Depth: 25 meters | Current: mild to medium | Visibility: 10-30m
Sachiko’s Point is a beautiful area on the north side of Bunaken Island. It is covered with gorgonian sea fans and we often spot barracudas, jacks and Napoleon wrasses in the blue water. The reef shallows are perfect for snorkellers and a group of bumphead parrotfish is often seen feeding on the hard corals.