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