Responsible Travel: Bunaken National Park, Sulawesi

Bunaken National Park off the shore of North Sulawesi has been among the first marine parks to be made in Indonesia. While no direction strategy would be without its defects, it has to be stated that Bunaken stays a shining example of how a nation can conserve its natural sources. It had been created to guard the astonishing heights of biodiversity that could be located at the depths involving the five islands of Bunaken, Manado Tua, Siladen, Mantehage, and Nain. The park remains widely considered among the best destinations on earth for scuba diving and sightseeing.

There are a few 20 dive sites across the playground, attaining varying depths down to approximately 1,340m. All are located from the crescent-shaped Bunaken, in which vibrantly colored walls dip melts down, and Manado Tua. The islands are of volcanic origin and may be achieved in just half an hour by speedboat from Manado in Sulawesi. However, many excursions will accommodate individuals in fairly lavish resorts on Bunaken or even Siladen.

Bunaken National Park Marine Wildlife

There are almost 400 species of coral reefs, soft and hard, found in Bunaken National Park, that encourage a spectacular collection of marine life which ducks and dives one of the barrel sponges, anemones, and lovers:

• green and hawksbill turtles
• pilot whales
• dolphins and stingrays
• lobsters and giant clams
• triggerfish, butterflyfish and bannerfish, and several endangered species that move on their migratory routes

For scuba divers, the odds of disappointment here are very low.

If you do not have a diving certification, you may devote an introductory afternoon on birth studying the basic concept and how to use the equipment with a pool session and a sea dive. For that, you do not require any experience, only the ability to swim and good health. More complex diving demands an appropriate qualification.

Of course, not everyone loves to dive or needs the hassle of becoming straight up and needing to take a boat out all the time. There’s also considerable scope for snorkel safaris at Bunaken National Park and its clarity. Siladen is explicitly excellent for snorkeling, with a fantastic seagrass meadow just off its white sand beach where you could experience octopi, moray eels, stingrays, and relaxing dugongs. The benefit of sightseeing is you can go out any time of day without being determined by the tides, as you are on other islands. Bunaken Island is ideal for viewing turtles, which gather in large quantities, but they require air, so snorkelers can often see them near the surface.

The Coral Triangle

Among the most critical marine conservation areas, the Coral Triangle, unfortunately, like a lot of other ecologically sensitive places, faces a multitude of threats from climate change to coral bleaching and overfishing. A number of our holiday businesses work with local partners to fight such risks by working together with hotels that pay local individuals to run beach cleans and organizations that produce artificial reefs to help coral regain.

Many Sulawesi vacations will spend no less than a couple of days at Bunaken National Park, perhaps in the instance of a snorkel safari, which makes it the focus of this excursion. In July and August, the resorts and favorite dive sites become incredibly active, so it’s worth avoiding the peak period if you’re able.

Vacation is more than just the scenery, it’s about making long-lasting memories. Discover more adventures in Bunaken by visiting Wonderful Indonesia.