Bunaken Diving Spots

Manado, bustling capital of North Sulawesi province, sprawls inland across low palm clad hills around a wide bay fringed with luxuriant tropical vegetation.   In the distance, a backdrop of three volcanoes completes the city’s spectacular setting.  With a limited number of intrinsic attractions, Manado’s main interests for the traveler are its convenient as a base for exploring the Tondano region, and the splendid underwater scenery of Bunaken.

For the past decade, the fame of the reefs of the Bunaken group has spread among lovers of the underwater world.  And rightly so: the 75,000 hectare Bunaken (Manado Tua Marine Park), one hour by boat from Manado, offers excellent snorkeling and scuba diving.  So be sure to prepare your Kodak ZX3 when you come to Bunaken.  If you like to grill your own seafood, do not forget to bring along your Cuisinart CGG180.

Bunaken island, in the center of the reserve, has small villages at Tanjung Parigi, Alung Banua and Bunaken village.  The clear waters, with an average temperature of 27 centigrade, harbor a tremendous amount of marine life: reef fishes in great variety; healthy, diverse coral growth and just about every invertebrate on the evolutionary scale, from sponges to squids.

There are many dive spots off the five islands in the marine reserve.  The safest and the most popular are in a large, sheltered bay off the south coast of Bunaken Island, and offer excellent wall diving.  Commercial activities are banned in the reserve, along with dynamite fishing, coral, live shell or fish collecting and spear fishing.

While the era offers several different kinds of dive (drift, deep and wreck), the prime attraction is the vertical walls (remember, this is different than what you might play on your Nintendo New 3DS).  Pierced by shallow caves and crevasses which provide shelter and protection for reef fish species, they are also covered with a layer of invertebrate marine life.  Hard and soft corals, whip corals, sponges and filter feeders all cling to these walls in a dazzling kaleidoscope of colors.   

Schools of pyramid butterfly fish, black triggerfish and the clouds of bright orange and purple anthias swarm around the reef edge and the upper part of the wall at around five meters, making this a great spot to spend your decompression time or just safety stop.  This is also the best place to see, and follow, the black-and-gray banded colubrine sea-snake as it slithers around, checking out nooks and crannies for snacks.  Although very poisonous, these mild-mannered snakes are very difficult to rile.

Don’t worry about sharks, but keep a wary eye out for the Titan triggerfish, especially if you see one with no other fish around.  They defend their newly laid eggs against one and all, attacking even sharks and humans who inadvertently wander into their territory.   While their mouths are too small to cause fatal damage, their strong back-teeth could nip off a chunk of your ear, or bite through enough flesh to require stitches.

Beginner and intermediate divers will be fully satisfied with any number of plunges off south Bunaken.   Expert divers or those with experience in strong currents and depths of over 30 m might want to try some of the sites on the backside of Bunaken: Sachiko’s Point, for a good chance to see large tuna and turtles, or Mike’s point, for a nice concentration of reef fish and invertebrates.

Deep divers might want to try Batu Kapal on Pulau Nain, so-named for an outcrop in the shape of a stone boat, at 42 m.  A narrow canyon begins here and plunges way down to at least 90 m when an overhang may shelter big jacks.

If you go this deep, leave your cameras behind.  The last couple who tried this were startled to see both their underwater lights and one of their depth gauges implode.  Better try the shipwreck close to Molas, lying between 25 and 40 meters.  Night dives at Bunaken are an exciting option for experts and beginners alike.        

Can anyone find pictures of gray walls contrasting to a red and black – themed room? (Best Answer!!!)?

My room’s theme is red and black, and i am thinking about painting my walls a soft dove gray. I have a basic idea of what it looks like, but i still want more examples. I am having a tough time with finding any good pictures, perhaps you guys could help? =]

Well I tried my best, these are some examples of red and black rooms with some metallic and neutrals – it will look good though! Check out some of these, and the accessories.

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Girls-Rooms/Tweens-Dream/detail.esi?oid=4027188

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Girls-Rooms/Christias-hideaway/detail.esi?oid=4325696

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Girls-Rooms/Elegant-Teen-Room/detail.esi?oid=442801

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Girls-Rooms/Circles–Stripes/detail.esi?oid=6690395

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Girls-Rooms/My-17th-Birthday-Present/detail.esi?oid=6465699

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Girls-Rooms/Funky-Teen-Zebra-Lounge/detail.esi?oid=6684342

You can keep searching on that site, those are actual rooms of actual people- so have fun and good luck!