Indonesia Island Tour Journal: November 2006

Diving in Siladen Island

Siladen has a beautiful wall of soft corals that bloom when the current is running. The shallows are nice with lots of fishes and schooling snappers. Siladen Island is very nice spot for both snorkeling and diving. This site is located off Siladen Island about a 45 minute trip by boat. There is a variety of exquisite soft corals at the reef top. Turtles, Napoleon Wrasses, and other small creatures are common sights here. Groupers, Butterflyfish, Sting Rays, and Spotted Eagle Rays are possible to encounter. The currents are moderate to strong. Rated : Advanced diver; vertical wall diving; depth 5-30m; av vis 25m; strong currents

Siladen Island Utara.
This dive site is located right behind Siladen Island. The current is moderate to strong – making it a site for experienced divers. This is a good place to see Turtles. Snappers, Emperor Angelfish, and reef white tip sharks are also found here. A lot of macro life at the stepped sandy bottom. Rated: Advanced diver; depth 15-25m;av vis 25m; strong currents

to reach Siladen island you can go from Bunaken Island or Manado city.

Scubapro diving and snorkelling equipment is available for rent. You can select among a full range of diving packages, including unlimited diving. If you do not have a diving certificate or if you want to improve your diving skills, a full range of PADI diving courses is offered in English, French, Italian, German and Indonesian.

The guides will take you diving at over 30 sites in the Bunaken Marine Park, one of the world's premium diving areas, and to our very own recently discovered sites. Here you will discover a full range of marine life, of all sizes, shapes and... colours! Night diving on our house reef will add a memorable experience to your stay.

At the diving center you will also be able to book other activities such as trekking, rafting, fishing and canyoning.

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Togian Island

Togian Island set on an approximate land area of 59, 773.27 hectares with a 108,669.99 km2 sea area reaching depths over 200 meters, the cluster is situated in the center of the Tomini Bay (Teluk Tomini) and consists of 56 islands.

The marine environment of Togian Island include sea grass beds, mangroves, and a large beauty diversity of coral reef habitats in relatively close proximity. This environment is extremely productive in term of fisheries and other marine harvest. The area also protect several endangered species, including the coconut crab and endemic primate.

The reefs and coastal areas provide habitat and breeding areas for hawksbill turtle, the green turtle and the dugong. Togian forests and skies are filled with exotic creatures such as the Togian Macaque, the babirusa, the Sulawesi Hornbill, and hanging parrots. Within this tropical paradise island, 37 villages provide bright spots of gaiety and culture of several ethnicities, including the suku Bobongko, suku Togian, suku Suluan and the suku Bajau.

resources :
http://www.world66.com
http://www.sulawesi-info.com
http://www.bodeweb.de
http://www.maleo-cottages.com

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Information about Bunaken Island

Climate of Bunaken Island

Bunaken Islandis barely a degree above the equator and thus tropical climate. The winter season brings frequent rains, sometimes in storms lasting for several days, which make the air nice and cool but also reduce visibility. The high season is thus the dry summer season from June to August, when temperatures climb to 35° but visibility reaches a maximum.

Get in Bunaken Island

Bunaken Island is about 45-60 minutes by boat from Manado city. Most resorts will arrange transfers from the airport for their guests/tourist. Alternatively if you want to go to Bunaken Island you can use a public boat leaves daily except Sunday at 2 PM, or you can charter a boat anytime.

Fees or Permits get in Bunaken Island

As of 2006, entry to the park costs either 50,000 rupiahs /day (US$5) or Rp 150,000 rupiahs /year (US$15), usually paid at your lodgings. As proof of payment, you will receive a plastic tag that must be carried at all times; it is waterproof and can be attached to your diving gear.

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Welcome to Bunaken Island

Bunaken Island National Marine Park is an officially protected and recognized nature reserve. With a Northern and a Southern, section it exists out of two main parts.

The Bunaken Island National Marine Park was formally by Indonesian goverment established in 1991 and is among the first of Indonesia's growing system of national marine parks. The Bunaken Island National Marine Park covers a total surface area of 89,065 hectares, 97% of which is overlain by sparkling clear, warm tropical water. The remaining 3% of theBunaken park is terrestrial, including the five islands of Bunaken, Manado Tua Island, Mantehage Island, Nain Island and Siladen Island. Although each of these islands has a special character, it is the aquatic ecosystem that attracts most naturalists. The waters of Bunaken Island National Marine Park are extremely deep (1566 m in Manado Bay), clear, refreshing in temperature (27-29 C) and harbor some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. Pick any of group of interest : corals, fish, echinoderms or sponges and the number of families, genera or species is bound to be astonishingly high. For example, 7 of the 8 species of giant clams that occur in the world, occur in Bunaken Island. The Bunaken Island National Marine Park has around more than70 genera of corals; compare this to a mere 10 in Hawaii Island. Although the exact number of fish species is unknown, it may be slightly higher than in the Philippines, where more than 2,500 species, or nearly 70% of all fish species known to the Indo-western Pacific ocean, are found. Oceanic currents may explain, in part, why Bunaken National Marine Park is such a treasure trove of biodiversity. Northeasternly currents generally sweep through the Bunaken park but abundant counter currents and gyros related to lunar cycles are believed to be a trap for free swimming larvae. This is particularly true on the south side of the crescent-shaped Bunaken Island, lying in the heart of the park. A snorkler or diver in the vicinity of Lekuan or Fukui may spot over 33 species of butterfly fish and numerous types of groupers, damsels, wrasses and gobies. The gobies, smallish fish with bulging eyes and modified fins that allow them to attach to hard surfaces, are the most diverse but least known group of fish in the park. Biologists believe that the abundance of hard corals is crucial in maintaining the high levels of diversity in the park. Hard corals are the architects of the reefs, without them, numerous marine organisms would be homeless and hungry. Many species of fish are closely associated with particular types of corals (folious, branching, massives, etc.) for shelter and egg-laying. Others, like the enormous Bumphead Parrotfish, Balbometopon muricatum, are "coralivores" and depend on hard corals for their sustenance. Bony mouth parts fused into an impressive "beak" allow these gregarious fish to crunch corals like roasted peanuts. Some 20,000 people live on the natural resources of Bunaken National Marine Park. Although there are inevitable conflicts between resource protection and use by people, the Indonesian government is taking a fairly unusual and pragmatic approach to park management. The idea is to promote wise resource use while preventing overexploitation. Local communities, government officials, dive resort operators, local nature groups, tourists and scientists have played an active role in developing exclusive zones for diving, wood collection, fishing and other forms of utilization. If successful, Bunaken Marine Park will stand as an important example of how Sulawesi, and the rest of Indonesia, can work to protect its natural resources.

resources :
http://www.sulawesi-info.com
photos :
http://www.divetrip.com
http://www.merelyscene.com
http://www.geocities.com/smilinghostel
http://www.pulisanresort-sulawesi.com
http://skyscrapercity.com

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Indonesia Island Tour Journal