Manado and Bunaken National Park are well conserved marine habitats with excellent diving and snorkeling opportunities.

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Manado and the five islands Bunaken, Manado Tua, Siladen, Montehage and Nain that make up Bunaken National Park can be found at the northwestern tip of Sulawesi. The park with its warm tropical waters was formed in 1991 and is separated in conservation zones, tourism zones and zones for general use including fishing. Its entrance fee system is quite unique and used as a model for marine conservationists around the world. Your entire hefty entrance fee is used directly for Bunaken National Park. Diving tours, snorkeling trips and boat activities are easily booked from Manado.

The east, south and west of Bunaken Island are known for its steep drop-offs and incredible amount of reef fish. Expect to see hundreds of butterfly fish, parrot fish, bannerfish, angel fish and fusiliers, especially at the southern gradually descending coral slopes. Manado Tua or Old Manado is an 800 meter high dormant volcano that continues dropping down below the waterline. Siladen Island has many brilliant colored and shallow coral formations making it perfect for snorkelers. The two northern islands Mantehage Island (mangrove forests) and Nain Island are more remote but still awarded with splendid coral despite destructive dynamite fishing. The waters between the islands are extremely deep and sights of the coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis) have been reported, a living fossil of up to two meters large living in caves at 200m deep. The reefs around the Manado Coast, Molas-Wori area and inside Manado Bay can be simple reef dives, high speed drift dives and even some nice wrecks can be visited. It is possible to spot dolphins and pilot whales while crossing over from Manado to Bunaken.

It is not only diving that is special in the region of Manado. There are many walking and hiking tours to the lush tropical rainforest of the Minahasa highlands. Volcanoes are surrounding the area of Manado with Klabat (2002meter) and Dua Saudara (1351meter) to the west. The twin volcanoes Lokon and Empung can be found to the south. Tangkoko Nature Reserve is a must as it encircles the small volcano Gunung Tangkoko.

Bunaken is known for its steep continental shelf, meaning that you will find many wall dives. Its upwelling currents and lunar cycles provide for a lot of trapped healthy nutrient currents which attract many different predators and prey. Sea fans, mackerels, slugs, dragonets, ghost pipefishes, hammerhead sharks, green sea turtles, barracudas, Napoleon wrasses, sea horses, but also most of the common reef fish such as bumphead parrot fish are all found here in dazzling colors. It is a famous spot for marine biologist, wide angle and macro photography, underwater videography and with this many different species of marine life it is a haven for muck divers searching for the unknown. Most divers agree that its aquatic ecosystem, with almost 70% of all Indo-western Pacific marine species, is the main reason for its popularity.

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