Bunaken Marine Park

Bunaken Marine Park

Only a few kilometers offshore from Manado city lies Bunaken marine park, This tiny cluster of islands is surrounded by some of Indonesia's very finest coral reefs, acclaimed by divers the world over and frequently visited by the world's top underwater photographers, who find the perfect combination of abundant marine life, pristine coral and calm, crystal-clear water unbeatable.

The Bunaken marine park is a true natural wonder, each island ringed by a dense coral reef which almost makes the naming of individual site pointless-the whole place is one huge dive site. Diving in this area is almost without exception wall diving-on sheer, vertical coral walls with phenomenal growth well into the depth, often well below 50m (165ft). Fish life is both profuse and diverse, with strong showing from all the common reef fishes and frequent visitations from deeper-water species like sharks, rays, tuna and jacks.

There are abundant turtles on the reefs, and a diversity of nocturnal species which is absolutely remarkable. Diving condition are exceptional, which visibility consistently in the 25-30m (82-100ft) range, sometimes 40m (130ft) or more, and water temperatures generally around 26-27 C (78-80 C).

Bunaken National Park is very representative of Indonesian tropical water ecosystems, consisting of seagrass plain, coral reef, and land/coastal ecosystems. The northern part of the Park area covers the islands of Bunaken, Manado Tua, Montehage, Siladen, Nain and Nain Kecil, and part of the Tanjung Pisok coastal area. The southern part of the Park covers part of the Tanjung Kelapa coast. On land, these islands are rich in species of palm, sagu, woka, silar and coconut. Among the animal species that live on the land and the beaches are black-crested macaques (Macaca nigra nigra), Timor deer (Cervus timorensis russa), and bear-cuscus (Ailurops ursinus ursinus).

The mangrove forest of the Park contains, among others, Rhizophora sp., Sonneratia sp., Lumnitzera sp., and Bruguiera sp. This forest is also rich in species of crab, lobster, mollusc, and sea birds such as gulls, herons, sea doves, and storks. The seaweed species that can be found here include Caulerpa sp., Halimeda spp., and Padina spp., while the dominant seagrasses, in particular in the islands of Montehage and Nain, are Thalassia hemprichii, Enhallus acoroides, and Thalassodendron ciliatum.

Thirteen species of coral have been recorded in the waters of the Park, dominated by fringing reef coral and barrier reef coral. An interesting feature is the 25-50 metre vertical coral wall which is inhabited by 13 coral genus. About 91 species of fish live in the waters of the Park, among them being the emperor angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator), almaco jack (Seriola rivoliana), spotted seahorse (Hippocampus kuda), yellowstripe snapper (Lutjanus kasmira), four saddle rock cod (Ephinephelus spilotoceps), pinkish basslet (Pseudanthias hypselosoma), two-lined monocle bream (Scolopsis bilineatus), etc.; and species of mollusc such as the great clam (Tridacna gigas), horned helmet (Cassis cornuta), pearly-chambered nautili (Nautilus pompillius), and ascidians. There are five islands in the Park (Bunaken, Manado tua, Siladen, Montehage and Nain island) where visitors can enjoy diving, snorkelling and marine tours