Sulawesi Tsunami News and Latest Update
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has messaged us over the last week to enquire about our status following the earthquake and tsunami in Palu and Donggala in Central Sulawesi.
In North Sulawesi we didn’t feel any tremors from the earthquake and our seas have been continuously flat and calm. The news came to us via phone messages from friends and we were as shocked as the rest of the world to learn what had happened in the Central Sulawesi region.
Palu is a 24 hour car drive from North Sulawesi which has been unaffected by recent events
Sulawesi is one of the largest islands in the world (equivalent to the size of Missouri). Palu in Central Sulawesi is around 1,000km away from where we are located in the North. There has been no disruption to our services or supplies and we have been enjoying phenomenal dives every day.
Our thoughts and prayers are with those in the affected regions and we have been working closely with the North Sulawesi Water Sports Association and other members to send much needed supplies to the regions in need.
The waters around Bunaken, Manado, Bangka and Lembeh have remained flat and calm
On the 3rd of October Soputan volcano in our region erupted and emitted volcanic ash. Whilst this may appear to be very dramatic it is not unusual. Soputan is relatively small volcano with an elevation of just 1,784m. Soputan is active and has erupted several times in the last 20 years. There is an exclusion zone 4 kilometers from the crater – an area which is uninhabited due to regular eruptions. Soputan eruptions have never been reported in the media before as they are not uncommon and have little affect on the local people. Due to the timing of this recent eruption it has been suggested, in some media channels, that the activity is linked to the Palu tsunami – it has been confirmed that this is not the case and there is a vast distance between the two areas. Soputan’s ash cleared within 48 hours and the volcano is now quiet. We only heard of the eruption through news channels and not through experiencing any affects.
This is a tragic time for Central Sulawesi and we will continue to collect aid and funding which is being flown to the area from Manado Airport.
Our diving, snorkeling and land tours are as exceptional as ever
We hope that this goes some way to explaining the geography of Sulawesi and reassures you that North Sulawesi (Bunaken, Manado, Bangka and Lembeh) remain unaffected by these events and continue to offer stunning diving, snorkeling and land tours.
For more information and updates about Sulawesi and our world class diving please contact us on [email protected]
