Indonesia, land of utter enchantment, stretches along the Equator between the Indian & Pacific Oceans. It borders Malaysia (on the island of Borneo) to the north and East Timor & Papua New Guinea to the east. Across the water lie Australia to the south, Micronesia, the Philippines & Thailand to the north. Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, has 18,110 islands (6,000 are inhabited) & roughly 240 million people. It presents the traveler & diver with perhaps of the most diverse & intriguing opportunities on land & under the sea.
Indonesia diving ... in brief
Indonesia is irresistible. It really is. There aren't enough adjectives in the world to describe this massive, complex and fabulous island nation. The diving includes:
- fabulous wall dives, throbbing schools of fish
- captivating colors of diverse reef fish and healthy coral & sponge gardens
- the world's best "muck" diving where you find the tiniest, most extravagant of Earth's creatures
- a mix of large predators - mantas, sharks, dolphins & whales
- calm waters or ripping currents
- even a bit of wreck diving
You will find all of this and much more in Indonesia.
A plethora of choices
With its immense number of islands, the diving choices in Indonesia are mind-boggling. Perhaps the most important thing, when you're thinking about diving Indonesia, is that you don't dive Indonesia, you dive a region of Indonesia - and only a part of that.
South & east ... exotic critters, incomparable corals, plenty of pelagics
Critters, corals & great pelagic action greet you in Komodo & the Alor Islands, to the south & moving east in Indonesia. In Sulawesi, moving north and east, you have the finest of the land-based diving and all the infamous critters found in the Lembeh Strait. The remote rush of Raja Ampat is in the far eastern region ... with its simply glorious corals, plenty of critters, a few mantas and the awesome whale sharks of Cenderawasih. More coral splendor & superb muck diving lies a bit further east, not far from West Papua, in Ambon & the Banda Sea. Check for details of each region below.
North & west ... mythical, magical Bali & Borneo
The wonders of Bali & Borneo mustn't be neglected, with excellent diving, including a beautiful wreck dive on Bali ... plus all the cultural glory you can find there. Nor should you ignore Kalimantan, the Indonesian side of Borneo, where you can experience terrific diving and can add on a visit to an Orangutan rehabilitation camp. Find diving information about Bali, Borneo & the Derawan Islands below.
Choose your Indonesia diving adventure ...
Raja Ampat, Misool & Triton Bay ... vast diversity of corals & critters
For many intrepid divers, this is seen as the outer limits of diving on our planet, with a variety so vast that it's probably impossible to equal. Exploration & the discovery of new sites is still quite possible ...
In this region where the bio-diversity is reputed to be the greatest found anywhere in the Earth's seas, you'll have muck dives & drift dives, vertical walls, shallow reefs, drop offs, caves, black sand, white sand, sea mounts & pinnacles - some mangrove areas with coral reefs just next to them and even a few wrecks.
There are some dives with NO current at all & some which are really wild rides!
The variety of species, from macro to pelagics, is staggering. You'll find different statistics quoted, but it' safe to say that there are more than 1,000 fish species, over 500 coral species and nearly 700 mollusc species! And, can we just add that the scenery above water, everywhere you look, is glorious, the people are warm and welcoming, and island visits are highly recommended.
Komodo National Park ... corals, reef fish and pelagics
Home to fabulous soft corals & reef fish, plus sharks & mantas enough to make every dive an adventure, in the opinion of many divers Komodo is the pen-ultimate diving experience in Indonesia. Then, too, there are those dragons!
With each dive site in the Komodo National Park, you will experience something different, as this is perhaps the most diverse range of sites in the Indonesian chain. The peaceful coral reefs are pristine and attract an incredible variety of splendid reef fish. But there are also dive sites with strong currents, bringing plankton-rich waters and the pelagics which feed on them . . . tuna, jacks, barracudas, beautiful rays & plentiful sharks.
There are seamounts, walls, canyons and pinnacles as well as the spectacular coral gardens. There a hot spring at an underwater volcano, great night dives on black sand slopes and of course, a land visit with a forest walk to see the awe-inspiring Komodo Dragon is included on most every cruise.
Komodo should be on every diver's "must-do" list.
South Komodo ... corals, critters & exploration
This region of incredible beauty has been added in recent years to several liveaboard itineraries from October to May, the waters are clear and warm, the conditions excellent for diving and northern Komodo is cold!
The weather and sea conditions during the traditional Komodo diving season have long made the idea of diving in the South virtually impossible. Your cruise here may well include exciting exploratory diving, but there will also be well known world class sites such as Manta Alley, Cannibal Rock, Torpedo Point, The Three Sisters and Lankoi. Plus you will explore the Southern Sape Strait and all around South Komodo, South Rinca, South West Flores, Gili Mota and the Southern part of Selat Molo.
You may be treated to sightings of the largest living animal in the world, the Blue Whale, but assuredly will view great fish life, vibrantly colored reefs with orange and green cup corals, soft coral heavens and, of course, the most extraordinary critters hidden in the black sand of volcanic islands (which continue to provide exotic displays from time to time for intrepid visitors).
Ambon, Alor & Banda Sea ... macro & muck
Only relatively recently accessible, after years of strife, Ambon is the gateway to some of the world's finest diving - Misool & Raja Ampat in the north and to the Banda Sea & Alor in the south. Let's start with the south.
First, in the Ambon region, you're going to find incredible macro diving & muck diving - critters galore . . . rhinopias, pegasus sea moths, countless varieties of frog fish, seahorse, flamboyant cuttlefish, ghost pipe fish and star gazers.
As to the diving in the Banda Sea and Alor regions - you'll experience vertical walls & drop offs, pristine reef, volcanic vents - and you'll see more critters as well as massive barrel sponges, plenty of pelagics, an immense population of sea snakes - even a wreck dive.
Forgotten Islands ... adventure & exploration
The latest frontier in Indonesia. Some of Indonesia's most pristine diving sites ... with good to excellent visibility, beautiful reefs, stunning walls, fabulous drop-offs, massive sea mounts and fantastic fish, critter & pelagic action.
This vast region - comprising an island chain of roughly 625 miles (1000 km) - hosted no liveaboard diving until a couple of years ago. Officially known as the Southeast Moluccas and lying between West Papua (Indonesia's portion of the island of New Guinea) and Timor, the Forgotten Islands are virtually unpopulated. In addition, the waters surrounding them were virtually unexplored by divers until the first liveaboards arrived.
The dive sites vary greatly, with many presenting exciting pelagic encounters and large, swirling schools of barracuda & makerel ... while others offer up weird and wonderful creatures hidden away in healthy, colorful corals.
You get, at one end of the scale: stargazers, stonefish, snake eels, ghost pipefish, pygmy seahorses, weedy scorpionfish ... while at the opposite end bumphead parrotfish, jacks, giant trevallies, napoleons, Spanish mackerel, barracuda, hammerhead sharks, and on certain trips, divers are treated to a salt-water crocodile at one site!
Although never guaranteed, the possibility of an elusive whale shark or two also exists at those pelagic sites.
It's in April to May and in October to November ... when the seasons (and winds) change ... that the conditions are ideal for diving in this region. The liveaboards which visit the Forgotten Islands offer different itineraries, most of which are at least partly exploratory in nature ... making them true adventure voyages.
Cenderawasih Bay ... whale sharks & wrecks
The big draw here is the large number of whale sharks who live year-round, feasting on leftovers from the local fishermen's catch. Several of our favorite operators offer a Cenderawasih itinerary for encounters up close & personal.
Located on "the Bird's Head" of Indonesia's West Papua, Cenderawasih is home to some 600 species of coral (some of the healthiest hard coral gardens in Indonesia), 955 species of fish and one of the only locations in the world that almost guarantees whale sharks all year round.
Plunging vertical walls with prolific sponge life are found on the outlying atolls, along with great schools of fish. Most of the diving is within the National Park, an immense underwater wilderness, but you will also have the opportunity to dive on Manokwari's excellent WWII wrecks.
You'll find the trips with available spaces listed on Indonesia Availability.
North & South Sulawesi .... with Lembeh Strait ... coral gardens & critter paradise
Sulawesi underwater is a challenge to summarize: the luscious coral gardens of Wakatobi ... the critter paradise of Lembeh Strait ... the plunging walls of hard & soft corals of Bunaken. You can pretty much dive forever here.
Host to some of the most fascinating spots in the world for divers, Sulawesi has something for everyone, including non-divers. In the south, you have the renowned Wakatobi Resort, acclaimed for its pristine & protected reefs plus the luxurious Pelagian liveaboard, based at Wakatobi.
In the north, you have 3 areas to choose from: First, Bunaken National Marine Park & Bangka Island, with their amazing steep coral walls, rich with a diversity of species, its huge sponges and beautiful hard corals, and countless critters.
Next, there's the volcanic Sangihe archipelago, with amazing soft corals and critters + access to pelagics.
And finally, the undisputed critter capital of the world - the Lembeh Straits with its weird & wonderful species: stonefish, sea robins, stargazers, devil fish, weedy scorpion fish, ghost pipefish, the list goes on!
To top it all of, the land itself holds cultural fascinations galore & beauty beyond the imagination.
Bali ... colorful corals & pelagics
Known to many as the cultural capital of Indonesia, Bali is also home to beautiful diving sites which may surprise you. You'll find some awesome macro diving, wreck diving right off the beach at Tulamben & great pelagic sites.
You will find walls & drop-offs & grottos, wonderful currents with drift dives & gentle coral garden dives. There are white sand bottoms & black sand bottoms - a fabulous background for the exquisite colors of soft corals, gorgonian fans, sponges & reef fish.
You'll see turtles, barracudas, big-eyed trevally, Mola-Mola in season, eagle & manta rays, sharks & other pelagics, along with all of the reef fish & critters. Land-based diving is the way to go here & our favorite operator is Aqua Marine Diving, who can also arrange land visits. Contact us for details.
Derawan Islands (east Kalimantan / Borneo) ... macro to mantas
Off the coast of Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, lie simply gorgeous islands & diving sites, which offer fabulous marine life variety, ranging from critters to manta rays & even a jellyfish lake!
Often referred to as the Derawan Islands, this refion offers walls, fringing reefs & caverns, turtles galore, sharks, barracudas, napoleon wrasses, cuttlefish, jacks, batfish, plus all the colorful reef fish you desire. There is also some totally awesome critter diving. Read on for descriptions of the different islands.
Kakaban: Kakaban is known for the non stinging jelly fish lake, located in the middle of the island and a brisk 15 minute walk. The non-stinging jellyfish have inhabited the lake for centuries as there are no known predators. The outer ring of Kakaban island offers a wide variety of dive sites that includes corals, large pelagic and thrilling caves. The most famous area is Barracuda Point which has schooling barracuda which are joined by large tuna and sharks.
Sangalaki: This is a great site for Manta encounters. They live in these waters pretty much year-round. But, you're also going to be treated to plenty of turtles, luscious reefs in a shallow lagoon, & a vast number of species of hard & soft corals, with their accompanying reef fish. Whale sharks are frequently seen off the coast of the island.
Maratua atoll: Here you'll dive "The Channel" and "Big Fish Country" with tornados of barracuda, grey reef sharks, tresher sharks, loads of turtles and schooling eagle rays. Maratua Island has at least 13 known caves with countless more yet to be explored.
Pulau Panjang & Pulau Derawan: This is a macro haven with weird and wonderful life such as satomi pigmys, sea dragons, ghost pipefishe, frogfish, blue ring octopus, harlequin shrimp and tiger shrimp. Photographers get ready!
Pulau Sambit: Diving sites here are known for the large population of hawksbill turtles and for frequent visits from tiger sharks.
Nabucco: This area has currents & drop-offs & channels providing excellent pelagic diving - reef sharks, leopard sharks, tons of barracudas.