TRAVEL

The long rugged island of Flores is not known internationally as a dive destination. However due to its geographic position at the junction of the Australasian and Asian submarine ridges and between the two distinct faunal regions marked by the Wallace line it yeilds some impressive marine life. The coral reefs of the Flores sea are amongst the oldest in the world and are mostly in pristine condition. They are recovering nicely from damage caused by the 1992 tsunami however their growth could be even quicker if the authorities took action against the dynamite fishing that is painfully common in the area. Maumere in the east is a real muck diving paradise, known for its endemic species and bio-diversity.

Riung
There are a number of lesser known spots such as Riung along the northern coastline of Flores that may soon develop into dive resorts of their own. At the moment though they are solely visited by liveaboards from Bali, Komodo or those originating in Maumere. Many of the dive sites here are frontier and uncharted.

Flores at a glance Accommodation : Bungalow or Liveaboard Highlights : Marine diversity, critters, frontier dive sites. Average cost of a dive : $30 Dive Sites : 10+ Dive Operators : 2+ Getting there : Liveaboard. Off Season : None

The map below is interactive so click on the dive site to get more details.

The world renowned Lembeh Strait lies off the northern tip of Sulawesi. Since resorts started to open in the mid-90s the area has rapidly gained popularity amongst macro photographers and is now considered the diving Mecca for critters and macro marine life. The extremely diverse marine habitat in this stretch of water offers a plethora of macro species, many of which can found nowhere else on the planet. Diving here is the ultimate experience for photographers in search of the unusual and unseen. It is often refered to as a muck divers paradise as most of the sites are either sandy areas or small reefs, there are no spectacular walls of drop offs here. With over 30 dive sites to choose from and even a WWII wreck all within a short boat ride over calm waters from the resort it is no surprise that the Lembeh Strait is a world class dive destination.

Lembeh is diveable all year but the conditions do vary from month to month. January to June sees variable (but still fine) conditions and less divers. August sees the poorest visibility but the richest numbers of critters and September to October are probably the best two months overall.

The Lembeh Strait has over 30 dive sites so since the topography and marine life is very similar for most of them we have only included the most popular. Other good dive sites in Lembeh include Jahir; a large sandy site with coral blocks, Nudi Retreat; very similar to Nudi Falls, Aw Shucks where whip coral and pipefish are abundant, Pantai Parigi; more muck marine life, Kapal Indah; wrecked cargo boat teeming with life, Jiko Yance; reef slope with good viz, Aer Perang and the house reefs at Kungkungan and Divers Lodge.

Lembeh Strait at a glance Accommodation : Resort Highlights : Rare macro species. Average cost of a dive : $30 Dive Sites : 25+ Dive Operators : 8+ Getting there : Flight to Manado, then 1.5 hour drive. Off Season : None

The dive destinations of Bunaken and Lembeh near Manado in the north are by far the most popular of Sulawesi's dive spots. However the are countless other islands, reefs, atolls and diving opportunities around Sulawesi. With over 6,000 kilometers of coastline fringed with pristine, clear tropical waters and a rich diversity of marine life Sulawesi is one of the best diving destinations on the planet. Dramatic topography consists of abyssal trenches and sheer drop-offs near the coast. Nutrient rich oceanic currents well up from the deep attracting a huge variety of marine life. Many spots around the sprawling island are pristine, frontier dive destinations just waiting to be explored.

Sulawesi at a glance

Accommodation : Resort, liveaboard

Highlights : Biodiversity, deep wall diving, pelagics, critters.

Average cost of a dive : $30

Dive Sites : 50+

Dive Operators : 20+

Getting there : International flights.

Off Season : None

The world renowned Lembeh Strait lies off the northern tip of Sulawesi. Since resorts started to open in the mid-90s the area has rapidly gained popularity amongst macro photographers and is now considered the diving Mecca for critters and macro marine life. The extremely diverse marine habitat in this stretch of water offers a plethora of macro species, many of which can found nowhere else on the planet. Diving here is the ultimate experience for photographers in search of the unusual and unseen. It is often refered to as a muck divers paradise as most of the sites are either sandy areas or small reefs, there are no spectacular walls of drop offs here. With over 30 dive sites to choose from and even a WWII wreck all within a short boat ride over calm waters from the resort it is no surprise that the Lembeh Strait is a world class dive destination.

Lembeh is diveable all year but the conditions do vary from month to month. January to June sees variable (but still fine) conditions and less divers. August sees the poorest visibility but the richest numbers of critters and September to October are probably the best two months overall.

The Lembeh Strait has over 30 dive sites so since the topography and marine life is very similar for most of them we have only included the most popular. Other good dive sites in Lembeh include Jahir; a large sandy site with coral blocks, Nudi Retreat; very similar to Nudi Falls, Aw Shucks where whip coral and pipefish are abundant, Pantai Parigi; more muck marine life, Kapal Indah; wrecked cargo boat teeming with life, Jiko Yance; reef slope with good viz, Aer Perang and the house reefs at Kungkungan and Divers Lodge.

Lembeh Strait at a glance

Accommodation : Resort

Highlights : Rare macro species.

Average cost of a dive : $30

Dive Sites : 25+

Dive Operators : 8+

Getting there : Flight to Manado, then 1.5 hour drive.

Off Season : None

Irian Jaya comprises the western half of the huge island of New Guinea situated just northern tip of Australia and at the far eastern reaches of the Nusa Tenggara. It is one of the planets final frontiers both above and below the ocean. Most of the diving here is concentrated around the recently discovered reefs of Raja Ampat archipelago. Raja Ampat meaning Four Kings is named after the four sultans who once ruled West Papua and is rapidly becoming one of Asia's diving hotspots. The four islands of Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool are in the part of Irian Jaya known as the "bird's head" peninsular and have earned almost mythical status among divers. Conservation Report According to the Conservation International Rapid Assessment Project in 2002 the marine life diversity for scuba diving in Irian Jaya is considerably greater than all other areas sampled in the coral triangle of Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea. Irian jaya and particularly the Raja Ampat Islands in the North West are quickly becoming recognised as one of the most diverse and pristine reef ecosystems in the world. With their very low human population which still use only traditional fishing techniques, and their inaccessibility, these islands have still maintained their pristine natural state. Findings include 970 fish species - a world record 283 on one single dive at Cape Kri, the benchmark figure for an excellent dive site of 200 fish species surpassed on 51% of Raja Ampat dives (another world record), 456 coral species (a remarkable 96% of all scleratinia recorded from Indonesia are likely to occur in these islands), 699 mollusc species - again another world high. One of the great things about this area is the variety of reefs and their topography. There are vertical walls, reef flats, slopes, ridges, sea mounds, mucky mangroves, lagoons and pinnacles all of which are affected by a varying degree of current from none to very strong. The visibility is normally very good in the Raja Ampat islands, ranging from 20 to 40 meters varying in the different areas. The north generally has excellent visibility as the water is deep and the islands are small with very little run off.

Irian Jaya at a glance Accommodation : Liveaboard/Resort Highlights : Many fish, frontier dive sites, stunning bio-diversity. Average cost of a dive : $35 Dive Sites : 10+ Dive Operators : 2+ Getting there : Liveaboard, plane to Sorong. Off Season : None

The island of Rinca is Komodo's little sister. The same quality and quantity of dive sites can also be found here since the two islands share the same tides and currents. The island has a wide array of diverse wildlife above and below the surface. The south of Rinca offers the most dive sites with underwater macro worlds teeming with critters. Horseshoe Bay, formed by Rinca and Kode islands, is a protected bay with several world class dive sites like Cannibal Rock, Crinoid Canyon and Yellow Wall. There are plenty of unexplored sites and islets too.

Rinca at a glance Accommodation : Bungalow or Liveaboard Highlights : Marine diversity, critters, frontier dive sites. Average cost of a dive : $30 Dive Sites : 10+ Dive Operators : 2+ Getting there : Liveaboard from Bali. Off Season : None.

The islands of Komodo and Rinca are the largest of about 90 islands that lie in between the larger islands of Sumbawa to the west and Flores in the east along the Nusa Tenggara. Together with a extensive area of the surrounding ocean they form the Komodo National Park which was established in 1980 and declared a World Heritage Site in 1986. The park is most famous for its enormous lizards, the Komodo dragon, however its underwater attractions should not be overlooked and are rated as some of the best dive sites in the world.

The diversity of dive options around Komodo is astounding, from calm and colourful shallow reefs teeming with hundreds of reef fishes and crammed with invertebrates, to current-swept deep water sea mounts, walls and pinnacles patrolled by sharks, tuna and other big fish. The multiple islands and relatively shallow seas between Flores and Komodo's west coast result in extremely fast currents at tidal changes. There are deep seas both north and south and upwellings bring nutrients and plankton to keep the seas rich and well-fed.

The water in the south of Komodo is usually much colder (21° to 26°C) than in the north. There is also a noticeable change in marine life. The north has more unpredictable currents due to the Indonesian throughflow hitting the island straight. This makes for shiftling currents and eddies but also attracts large fish in large quantity. Coral cover here is less colourful than in the south, but visibility generally better. The best time to dive is from late October to early May however the plankton rich seas between November and January produce some spectacular fish life.

The rugged island of Sumbawa lies in the Nusa Tenggara between Lombok and Komodo. It has many jutting and twisted peninsulas which form a number of protected bays for its islands dotted along the north coast. These include Moyo, Sangeang and Satonda. These sheltered and varied havens offer crystal clear waters, deep and vibrant walls, and fertile volcanic breeding grounds for some great macro diving opportunities. Often overlooked as a dive destination Sumbawa can yield an abundance of marine life and pristine coral reefs. Sumba The rarely visited island of Sumba to the south of Komodo can offer some wild diving off its southern coast. Big pelagics are attracted to the open ocean dive sites of Magic Mountain and Marlin Rock.

Sumbawa at a glance Accommodation : Bungalow or Liveaboard Highlights : Marine diversity, big pelagics, frontier dive sites. Average cost of a dive : $30 Dive Sites : 10+ Dive Operators : 2+ Getting there : Liveaboard from Bali. Off Season : None.

The duty free destination of Labuan was once a small colonial outpost of the British Empire and is now a free trade zone under the Malaysian government. The island is surrounded by pristine fringing coral reefs housing all manner for fish and marine life however there is another attraction for divers here. Four ship wrecks lie in shallow waters just south of Pulau Labuan. Diving is for all experience levels from novice to pro as penetration is possible.

Labuan at a glance

Accommodation : Hotel/Resort.

Highlights : Wreck diving.

Average cost of a dive : $20

Dive Sites : 4

Dive Operators : 2+

Getting there : Boat from KK, 3 hours, from Brunei 1 hour.

Off Season : None, diving year round.