Explore Mando
Diving in Manado, the capital city of North Sulawesi, offers an unparalleled underwater experience in some of Indonesia's most celebrated dive sites. As the gateway to the stunning realms of Bunaken Marine Park, the Bangka Islands, and the Lembeh Strait, Manado is a diver's paradise. Each location offers a unique underwater landscape, making it an exceptional dive destination. Bunaken is renowned for its world-class wall dives where you might spot migrating sperm and pilot whales. The steep underwater cliffs are adorned with vibrant coral formations, providing a breathtaking backdrop for encountering sea turtles and white-tip reef sharks.
A trip to Manado would be incomplete without exploring the Bangka Islands and the Lembeh Strait. The Bangka Islands boast unique rock formations and pinnacles of soft coral, home to an array of marine life including seahorses, eagle rays, and occasionally, sharks. Meanwhile, Lembeh Strait is a haven for muck diving enthusiasts, with its black sandy slopes teeming with macro life such as nudibranchs and unique critters. While there are day trips available from Manado, a liveaboard journey ensures a more comprehensive exploration of these rich waters. Whether you seek vibrant coral gardens or tiny marine marvels, diving in Manado promises an unforgettable adventure for divers of all levels.
Dive Activity
Diving in Manado
Scuba diving on the mainland of Manado offers wreck diving of a 75-meter/246-foot cargo ship and a search for orangutan crabs at Tanjung Pisok, a muck dive located close to the Sulawesi mainland. Take a boat ride to the nearby Bunaken Marine Park to experience Bunaken’s signature deep-wall dives or head to the Bangka Islands to find yourself drifting in strong currents over bizarre rock formations. In Lembeh, become accustomed to the lower visibility of muck diving and capture shots of elusive creatures with your camera. When scuba diving around Manado, you’ll be spoiled for choice.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Manado
Manado diving will showcase a range of macro life from nudibranch to octopus while heading deeper into northern Sulawesi seas will expose larger pelagics. In Bunaken’s strong currents you have the chance to spot large silvertip sharks and hammerheads while in the calmer waters to the south of Bunaken you can observe playful dugongs feeding on seagrass. Observe giant sea turtles resting on rocky ledges as eagle rays cruise past. If you are a fan of the small stuff, dive in the Lembeh Strait whose sandy bottoms reveal ghost pipefish, blue-ringed octopus and a vast array of frogfish in all different shapes and sizes.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
87 Sightings
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3
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2
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6
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3
M
5
J
3
J
11
A
10
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11
O
19
N
7
D
7
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 600
iStock/ultramarinfoto
Wrasse
35 Sightings
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0
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0
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5
A
1
M
0
J
5
J
1
A
1
S
9
O
7
N
2
D
4
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 300
Alamy/Reinhard Dirscherl
Octopus
33 Sightings
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2
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0
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7
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2
J
3
J
3
A
4
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4
O
8
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0
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0
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle
29 Sightings
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2
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1
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3
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0
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3
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1
J
7
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1
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1
O
5
N
4
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1
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 27
iStock-Global_Pics
Barracuda
14 Sightings
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1
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4
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1
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0
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3
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2
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2
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1
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 12
iStock/cinoby
Lionfish
225 Sightings
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10
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8
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12
A
9
M
10
J
14
J
33
A
26
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35
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36
N
12
D
20
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 28
Udo Kefrig
Clownfish
169 Sightings
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6
F
6
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13
A
10
M
9
J
7
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22
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20
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33
O
24
N
9
D
10
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 3000
SSI-Peter-Schinck
Nudibranch
158 Sightings
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9
F
4
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11
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14
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9
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12
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11
A
15
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23
O
28
N
16
D
6
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 3400
Shutterstock-Shane Gross
Shrimp
121 Sightings
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1
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0
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7
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11
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5
J
5
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15
A
12
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28
O
15
N
11
D
11
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 7000
iStock-Michael Zeigler
Crab
117 Sightings
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2
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0
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6
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12
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4
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7
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11
A
15
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28
O
19
N
7
D
6
The best Months to dive in Manado
In northern Sulawesi, rainfall is lower than in other areas of Southeast Asia; thus, scuba diving in and around Manado is possible year-round. Around mainland Manado, the dry season runs from May to October, with visibility of up to 50 meters/164 feet. During the rainy season from November through April, the rainfall can cause runoff from the mainland, reducing visibility at some sites. Yet the conditions at Bunaken and Bangka Islands are rarely affected. July through August are the best months to observe sperm whales migrating at Bunaken and the perfect time to inspect the black sandy depths of Lembeh for its weird and wonderful creatures.
