Explore Bunaken

Located off the tip of North Sulawesi are the islands of Siladen, Manado Tua, Montehage, Bunaken, and Nain. These five islands make up the Bunaken National Marine Park, which has some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world, with exceptional fish variety and world-class walls. The seas surrounding the islands are very deep, in some places dropping to depths of 600 meters/1,968 feet, with the islands being pinnacles that reach to the surface. This has created an impeccable topography for wall diving. The oceanic currents that sweep past the marine park supply a steady stream of nutrients to Bunaken’s rich diversity, and it's not uncommon to see migrating pilot and sperm whales heading to breed.

The islands of Bunaken National Park have a number of dive resorts; however, if you have the time, it is worth seeing more of the North Sulawesi region. Many liveaboards will allow you to scuba dive in Bunaken while enjoying the best macro diving at Lembeh Strait and taking a visit to the unique rock formations of the Bangka Islands. It is possible to arrange day trips from Manado Bay; however, a day trip is not enough to experience the full beauty of Bunaken diving.

Upcoming Events

Open Water Diver

Open Water Diver

The Open Water Diver certification is your foundational step into the underwater world, providing the essential skills and knowledge to dive independently with a buddy to a maximum depth of 18 meters or 60 feet. This comprehensive course covers three main phases including knowledge development through online or classroom study, basic skill practice in a pool or confined water, and four open water dives to apply your training in a natural environment. The program typically spans three to four days and includes all digital learning materials, certification processing fees, professional instruction, and a full rental of essential equipment such as a BCD, regulator, wetsuit, weights, and tanks. Training consists of one day dedicated to confined water sessions followed by two days of boat open water dives. To ensure safety and personalized attention, we maintain a strict ratio of maximum two students per instructor.

3will Bunaken Dive Resort, 3will bunaken dive resort , Pangalisang Beach, 95000, Bunaken, SA, IDN
August 17, 2026 +190 More
$461.31
€400.00
Marine Ecology

Marine Ecology

This globally recognized certification program is the best way to learn more about Marine Ecology. Being informed about the environment you are diving in will not only make you a better diver, but you'll enjoy your diving so much more!This course includes marine biology, oceans and marine ecosystems, and how we can protect our oceans. 

3will Bunaken Dive Resort, 3will bunaken dive resort , Pangalisang Beach, 95000, Bunaken, SA, IDN
August 18, 2026 +190 More
$115.33
€100.00
Basic Diver

Basic Diver

In the SSI Basic Diver program, you will learn the skills and knowledge you need to try diving up to 12 meters deep with an SSI Professional. It is a great way to explore the underwater world more fully as you try diving. The entire Basic Diver program can be credited towards the Scuba Diver or Open Water Dive programs within 6 months, so you can take the next step in your dive adventure.

3will Bunaken Dive Resort, 3will bunaken dive resort , Pangalisang Beach, 95000, Bunaken, SA, IDN
August 14, 2026 +153 More
$103.79
€90.00
TryScuba

TryScuba

The SSI Try Scuba program is the best way to try scuba diving for the first time. You will be in confined water and well looked after by your instructor, so you can enjoy those first unforgettable breaths underwater and experience the magic of scuba diving. At the end of this short course, you will have earned your SSI Try Scuba recognition card and undoubtedly want to go diving again.Endless scuba diving adventures are waiting for you and this course is where it all begins. Start today!

3will Bunaken Dive Resort, 3will bunaken dive resort , Pangalisang Beach, 95000, Bunaken, SA, IDN
August 15, 2026 +43 More
$57.66
€50.00
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Dive Activity

Diving in Bunaken

Bunaken diving has been offered the title of having some of the best wall diving in the world. You can find yourself enthralled while drifting along in Bunaken’s signature wall dives, like Celah Celah, or exploring the sandy depths of Black Rock, encountering macro creatures on par with the standards set at Lembeh Strait. Dramatic drop-offs will find you peering out into the blue, trying to spot resident dolphins as the thriving coral reefs draw your eyes into their intricate patterns and vibrant hues. Technical divers can find themselves descending into unexplored rocky outcrops, and those with a passion for wreck diving can explore the Manado wreck, which sank in World War II and rests 40 meters/131 feet below the surface. Those wishing to partake in advanced dive courses will find dive sites here the perfect challenge!

Dive Centers

3will Bunaken Dive Resort

3will Bunaken Dive Resort

3will bunaken dive resort , Pangalisang Beach, 95000 Bunaken, SA - Indonesia

Dive Sites

Eric B. (#3298528)
Muka Kampung (★4.6)

Muka Kampung (★4.6)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park. This dive site is a wall dive abundant marine life, beautiful coral, sponges, and more. Perfect for freedive, scuba diving, and snorkeling.
Aqualung
Lekuan 2 (★4.5)

Lekuan 2 (★4.5)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park, this dive site is a wall dive thriving with marine life like beautiful corals, sponges, and more! Perfect for freediving, scuba diving, and snorkeling as well.
Scubapro
Lekuan 1 (★4.5)

Lekuan 1 (★4.5)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park, this dive site is a wall dive thriving with marine life like beautiful corals, sponges, and more! Perfect for freediving, scuba diving, and snorkeling as well.
Aqualung
Bunaken Timur 1 (★4.5)

Bunaken Timur 1 (★4.5)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park, this dive site is a wall dive thriving with marine life like beautiful corals, sponges, and more! Perfect for freediving, scuba diving, and snorkeling as well.
Aqualung
Likuan Pygmy (★4.4)

Likuan Pygmy (★4.4)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park, this dive site is a wall dive thriving with marine life like beautiful corals, sponges, and more! Perfect for freediving, scuba diving, and snorkeling as well.
Mares, Janez Kranjc
Lekuan 3 (★4.5)

Lekuan 3 (★4.5)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park, this dive site is a wall dive thriving with marine life like beautiful corals, sponges, and more! Perfect for freediving, scuba diving, and snorkeling as well.
Mares, Janez Kranjc
Pangalisan (★4.3)

Pangalisan (★4.3)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park, this dive site is wall dive with abundant marine life, beautiful corals, sponges, and more. This site is perfect for freediving, scuba diving, and snorkeling.
Mares
Fukui (★4.3)

Fukui (★4.3)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park. This dive site is a sloping dive with abundant marine life, beautiful corals, sponges, and more. This site is perfect for freediving, scuba diving, and snorkeling.
Mares, Janez Kranjc
Alung Banua (★4.3)

Alung Banua (★4.3)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park, this dive site is a wall dive thriving with marine life like beautiful corals, sponges, and more! Perfect for freediving, scuba diving, and snorkeling as well.
Mares
Celah Celah (★4.3)

Celah Celah (★4.3)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park, this is a wall dive with abundant marine life, beautiful corals, and sponges. A perfect site for freediving, scuba diving, and snorkeling.
Aqualung
Bunaken Timur 1 (★4.5)

Bunaken Timur 1 (★4.5)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park, this dive site is a wall dive with abundant marine life, beautiful corals, and sponges. A perfect site for freediving, scuba diving, and snorkeling.
Mares
Mandolin (★4.5)

Mandolin (★4.5)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park, this dive site is a wall dive thriving with marine life like beautiful corals, sponges, and more! Perfect for freediving, scuba diving, and snorkeling as well.
Mares
Cha Cha (★4.4)

Cha Cha (★4.4)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park, this dive site is a wall dive thriving with marine life like beautiful corals, sponges, and more! Perfect for freediving, scuba diving, and snorkeling as well.
Mares
Sachiko (★4.3)

Sachiko (★4.3)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park, this dive site is a wall dive thriving with marine life like beautiful corals, sponges, and more! Perfect for freediving, scuba diving, and snorkeling as well.
Mares
Tanjung Parigi (★4.3)

Tanjung Parigi (★4.3)

Located in the middle of the coral triangle at Bunaken National Park, this dive site is a wall dive thriving with marine life like beautiful corals, sponges, and more! Perfect for freediving, scuba diving, and snorkeling as well.

The best Months to dive in Bunaken

You can enjoy scuba diving in Bunaken all year round but the dry season, between March through to October, will provide the best dive conditions. November to late February can see winds and rains so surface conditions and visibility can reduce slightly, however, there is much less rain here than in other parts of Southeast Asia. Although most marine life can be seen year-round, June is the best month for sharks and July for dolphins and pilot whales. March through to July and August you may be able to witness sperm whales migrating through the region to calf in the Sangihe region of North Sulawesi.

Top Wildlife Sightings in Bunaken

With over 70% of all fish species known to the Indo-western Pacific found here, scuba diving in Bunaken really is a feast for the eyes. The submerged mountain ranges of the island’s offer drop-offs with an extensive variety of soft and hard corals that provide a home to a vast array of reef fish such as fusiliers, sweetlips, cardinalfish, and damselfish. There are thought to be over 33 species of butterflyfish residing in the Bunaken Islands - how’s that for a kaleidoscope of colour.

Hunting giant trevallies, mating big-eye trevally and never-ending fast-moving schools of triggerfish all make the reef their home as reef sharks, turtles, and eagle rays appear to delight your senses. In the south of the marine park, dugongs are known to feed on seagrass beds and large silvertip and hammerhead sharks have been spotted at some dive sites. Looking out into the blue it is possible to observe the grace of migrating pilot and sperm whales while resident dolphins may show up to play at any moment. Macro photographers can trawl the walls for scorpion fish and nudibranch or search rocky patches for emperor shrimps and candy crabs. It’s safe to say, whether you are a fan of the big or the small, Bunaken diving has it all.

Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content

Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle

Green Turtle
5k Sightings
J
191
F
109
M
339
A
320
M
322
J
444
J
733
A
782
S
656
O
487
N
373
D
249

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 200

Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel

Moray Eel
1k Sightings
J
35
F
11
M
78
A
83
M
41
J
88
J
171
A
172
S
146
O
76
N
70
D
49
Shutterstock-Andrey Armyagov
Hawksbill Turtle

Hawksbill Turtle
756 Sightings
J
20
F
12
M
32
A
42
M
56
J
88
J
144
A
103
S
97
O
44
N
93
D
25

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 600

iStock/ultramarinfoto
Wrasse

Wrasse
560 Sightings
J
12
F
2
M
31
A
36
M
32
J
57
J
78
A
85
S
97
O
32
N
66
D
32

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 25

iStock/Juliosanjuan
Eagle Ray

Eagle Ray
250 Sightings
J
0
F
4
M
5
A
1
M
22
J
28
J
26
A
74
S
36
O
27
N
13
D
14

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 27

iStock-Global_Pics
Barracuda

Barracuda
172 Sightings
J
7
F
3
M
13
A
14
M
14
J
1
J
17
A
42
S
15
O
44
N
1
D
1

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 28

Udo Kefrig
Clownfish

Clownfish
1.8k Sightings
J
65
F
19
M
131
A
125
M
74
J
138
J
275
A
276
S
236
O
213
N
165
D
85

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 3000

SSI-Peter-Schinck
Nudibranch

Nudibranch
1.7k Sightings
J
49
F
15
M
120
A
175
M
109
J
143
J
216
A
247
S
271
O
173
N
135
D
93

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 130

Shutterstock_Krzysztof Odziomek
Butterfly Fish

Butterfly Fish
1.5k Sightings
J
51
F
1
M
113
A
104
M
55
J
120
J
211
A
213
S
209
O
189
N
163
D
85

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 40

iStock-wrangel
Triggerfish

Triggerfish
1.4k Sightings
J
37
F
15
M
91
A
92
M
52
J
124
J
212
A
244
S
209
O
132
N
104
D
82

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 90

Shutterstock-Rich Carey
Angelfish

Angelfish
1.3k Sightings
J
50
F
3
M
88
A
76
M
43
J
95
J
201
A
204
S
197
O
162
N
144
D
74

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 100

iStock-burnsboxco
Parrotfish

Parrotfish
1.3k Sightings
J
44
F
16
M
81
A
58
M
38
J
118
J
197
A
209
S
217
O
147
N
121
D
78
iStock-June Jacobsen
Whitetip Reef Shark

Whitetip Reef Shark
1.1k Sightings
J
35
F
16
M
59
A
60
M
83
J
83
J
173
A
202
S
143
O
97
N
83
D
70

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 12

iStock/cinoby
Lionfish

Lionfish
1.1k Sightings
J
31
F
13
M
78
A
79
M
59
J
72
J
160
A
184
S
142
O
122
N
94
D
57

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 130

AdobeStock-JirinaVFR
Pufferfish

Pufferfish
1k Sightings
J
30
F
9
M
86
A
55
M
40
J
92
J
172
A
196
S
132
O
93
N
82
D
29

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 8

Alamy-Reinhard Dirscherl
Bannerfish

Bannerfish
994 Sightings
J
17
F
19
M
84
A
70
M
20
J
49
J
174
A
187
S
142
O
100
N
88
D
44

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 7000

iStock-Michael Zeigler
Crab

Crab
854 Sightings
J
30
F
2
M
78
A
82
M
64
J
63
J
145
A
96
S
108
O
63
N
78
D
45

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 3

Shutterstock_Leo Lorenzo
Trumpetfish

Trumpetfish
852 Sightings
J
25
F
3
M
25
A
43
M
42
J
57
J
128
A
180
S
129
O
79
N
79
D
62

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 3400

Shutterstock-Shane Gross
Shrimp

Shrimp
827 Sightings
J
19
F
2
M
61
A
72
M
67
J
59
J
121
A
120
S
109
O
73
N
79
D
45

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 85

iStock-mirecca
Surgeonfish

Surgeonfish
727 Sightings
J
23
F
7
M
47
A
18
M
17
J
82
J
86
A
109
S
125
O
88
N
83
D
42

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 150

Shutterstock-aquapix
Sweetlips and Grunts

Sweetlips and Grunts
709 Sightings
J
15
F
1
M
58
A
50
M
28
J
51
J
109
A
95
S
95
O
91
N
86
D
30

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 80

iStock/Extreme-Photographer
Stingrays

Stingrays
687 Sightings
J
38
F
7
M
38
A
51
M
58
J
56
J
81
A
100
S
107
O
34
N
47
D
70

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 25

AdobeStock_Vladimir Wrangel
Boxfish

Boxfish
630 Sightings
J
20
F
3
M
47
A
33
M
28
J
81
J
99
A
94
S
68
O
65
N
64
D
28

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 250

iStock-Miguel-Angelo-Silva.
Scorpionfish

Scorpionfish
560 Sightings
J
15
F
3
M
41
A
67
M
30
J
22
J
47
A
52
S
90
O
57
N
105
D
31

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 350

Alamy-Andre Seal
Damselfish

Damselfish
451 Sightings
J
6
F
1
M
55
A
42
M
5
J
43
J
55
A
91
S
56
O
22
N
40
D
35

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 40

iStock-Hoatzinexp
Jackfish

Jackfish
430 Sightings
J
14
F
3
M
15
A
18
M
26
J
29
J
66
A
70
S
83
O
65
N
8
D
33

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 60

iStock-Global_Pics
Soldierfish

Soldierfish
396 Sightings
J
10
F
0
M
37
A
13
M
14
J
36
J
60
A
69
S
59
O
23
N
38
D
37

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 110

iStock-Rainer von Brandis
Snapper

Snapper
370 Sightings
J
12
F
1
M
19
A
21
M
19
J
28
J
56
A
46
S
55
O
41
N
44
D
28
AdobeStock-Nikolai Sorokin
Blacktip Reef Shark

Blacktip Reef Shark
245 Sightings
J
11
F
4
M
8
A
2
M
10
J
8
J
19
A
75
S
49
O
38
N
13
D
8

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 15

Shutterstock-Al McGlashan
Tuna

Tuna
215 Sightings
J
8
F
0
M
9
A
3
M
28
J
15
J
38
A
87
S
15
O
10
N
1
D
1

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 250

Shutterstock-Henry_and_Laura_Whittaker
Grouper/Basslets

Grouper/Basslets
180 Sightings
J
7
F
1
M
25
A
6
M
2
J
36
J
29
A
37
S
7
O
14
N
2
D
14

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Mares