Mainland Sites – Manado Area
Wori Bay
5-minute boat ride. There are not a lot of hard and soft corals at this site, but its black sandy slope and relatively shallow depth of 10 to 15 meters makes this a great muck dive, with ghost pipefish, ribbon eels, batfish, juvenile sweetlips, and a long list of different species of gobies.
Odyssea Point 1 & 2
10-minute boat ride. A shallow site with a maximum depth of 15 meters, this is a sandy slope but with some coral outcroppings. Frequented by frogfish, seahorse, crocodile fish, nudibranchs, a variety of crabs and shrimp, it’s become a guest favourite, as well. It’s also a popular night dive.
Tiwoho
10-minute boat ride. This is a sandy slope, dotted with coral heads, where a wealth of small critters live. Ghost pipefish, frogfish, squat lobsters, anemone fish, ribbon eels, and several species of nudibranchs are the regular fare. With visibility ranging from 10 to 30 meters, this is a very nice site, suitable for all levels of divers, as well as snorkelers.
Gabet
10-minute boat ride. A shallow site with a maximum depth of 15 meters, this is a sandy slope with some very nice coral heads. A great muck dive with cuttlefish, pink leaf scorpionfish, giant mantis shrimp, Spanish dancers, harlequin shrimp, boxer crabs, and even Pontohi pygmy seahorses! A favourite location for night dives.
Molas Shipwreck
30-minute boat ride. As no one is exactly sure of the name and origin of the ship, the site is named after the local village. Sunk in 1942, it is presumed to be a Dutch cargo ship. This is an advanced dive due its depth: lying on its side, the bow starts at 24 meters, and the propellers are at 42 meters. Although not safe for penetration, the marine life makes this an entertaining dive, with nice soft corals, nudibranchs, pufferfish, white tip reef sharks and Napoleon wrasse in attendance.
Popoh
90-minute boat ride. Originally discovered by Cocotinos Director Martinus Wawanda, this site has a black sandy slope with a maximum depth of 30 meters. Hailed as being “better than Lembeh”, as you can see the same critters here but within the first 5 minutes of your bottom time! Thorny seahorses, rhinopias, frogfish, mimic octopus, wonderpus, cuttlefish, sea moths, pygmy seahorses, and even dugong in the sea grass on a full moon! These are just a few of the treats one can expect to see. Minimum of 4 people required, IDR190,000 surcharge per person.
Bunaken Island Sites
Lekuan 1, 2 & 3
20-minute boat ride. On the south east side of Bunaken Island. The walls at Lekuan are definite favourites amongst the Cocotinos dive staff. With visibility often 30 to 40 meters, sightings of larger species such at sharks, turtles, and schools of trevally and Napoleon wrasse are very common. Smaller fish such as butterflyfish, triggerfish, scorpionfish and lionfish are also abundant. And the small stuff isn’t lacking either, with many species of nudibranchs making their home here. A beautiful set of dive sites!
Sachiko’s Point
20-minute boat ride. Named after a Japanese tour operator, this is a deep, vertical wall on the north east side of Bunaken, with visibility frequently in the 30 to 40-meter range. The slight current here means larger pelagics such as sharks, turtles, barracuda, and Napoleon wrasse, frequent the area. Other critters typically found here include moray eels, sea snakes, leaf scorpionfish, nudibranchs, crabs and shrimp.
Bunaken Timur 1 & 2
25-minute boat ride. On the east (timur) side of Bunaken. After an initial sandy slope for 5 to 10 meters, this site becomes a vertical wall with beautiful hard and soft corals. A great variety of sea life, both large and small, gathers here, including eagle rays, turtles, Napoleon wrasse, harlequin shrimp and nudibranchs. This is also a nice site for snorkeling.
Fukui Point
40-minute boat ride. On the southwest side of Bunaken. Named after a Japanses dive instructor who first described the site in the 1980’s, this site has many of the same critters found on other sites around Bunaken, such as barracuda, batfish and trevally, yet it has no wall. It’s a slope with a white sandy bottom, with many hard corals and large sponges. One of its most noticeable and distinguishing features are the 5 giant clams, a nice treat for snorkelers. The site is also home to Pontohi pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, crabs, and shrimp. It’s a good place for dive training due to its shallow maximum depth (18 meters) and little to no current.
Ron’s Point
40-minute boat ride. At the southwest corner of Bunaken, this is an advanced dive due to its depth and strong currents, which of course means larger pelagics are drawn here. Schools of black tip reef sharks, barracuda, tuna and jacks frequent the area. The coral rubble is home to eels, ghost pipefish, and anemones.
Raymond’s Point
40-minute boat ride. On the western corner of Bunaken Island, this is a deep wall with lots of soft and hard corals and an amazing array of critters: white and black tip reef sharks, turtles, clown triggerfish, eagle rays, stingrays, ribbon eels, and lobster. There’s also a small cave. The top of the reef is at 5 meters, so the show continues all the way through your surface stop.
Siladen Island
20-minute boat ride. A small island surrounded by a beautiful white sandy beach, Siladen includes 2 favourite sites. Siladen 1, on the south side of the island, is a wall dive with a maximum depth of 30 meters. The top of the reef is a beautiful hard coral garden, with stunning soft corals all along the wall. Boxer crabs and pygmy seahorses are among the many different critters making their home here. This is also a very nice site for snorkeling. Siladen 2, on the northeast side, is a white sandy slope with big boulders, soft corals, and table corals. Larger pelagics frequent the area, including sharks, Napoleon wrasse, and bumphead parrotfish. Due to its strong current, this is a site for advanced divers only.
Manado Tua Island Sites
Bualo
50-minute boat ride. Located on the south side of Manado Tua, this is a vertical wall with a 30-meter maximum depth. Visibility ranges from 20 to 30 meters. The gentle current here makes this a nice dive for beginners. Large sponges and soft corals decorate the wall, with banded sea snakes, scorpionfish, lionfish, and anemonefish all part of the scenery. There are also occasional sightings of eagle rays.
Tanjung Kopi
50-minute boat ride. On the north side of Manado Tua, this site gets its name from the coffee (kopi) tree on the corner (tanjung) of the island. This site combines both a slope and wall, with a maximum depth of 35 meters, and visibility ranging up to 35 meters, as well! Due to its very strong currents, this is an experts only site. But this of course means pelagics! With tuna, barracuda, large schools of trevally, batfish and fusiliers, Napoleon wrasse, triggerfish, bumphead parrotfish, octopus, and sea snakes all part of the regular backdrop. Even an occasional hammerhead has been spotted here!
Mantehage Island
Barracuda Point
1 hour, 20-minute boat ride (leave Cocotinos at 6:00am). This is an experts only dive to the significant current, but the wall and 30-meter visibility is a delight, with barracuda and bumphead parrotfish in attendance.
Naing Island
Batu Kapa
90-minute boat ride. Strong currents and the maximum depth of 75 meters makes this an experts only dive. Its main attraction is a swim-through cave-like structure, which you enter at 40 meters, often to find a sleeping white tip reef shark, and then exit at 72 meters. Outside, divers are occasionally rewarded with a few potato cod, and perhaps even a hammerhead.
Bangka Islands / Northern Mainland Sites
(minimum of 4 people required, IDR 190,000 surcharge per person)
Batu Gosok
2-hour, 30-minute boat ride. Located at the northeast corner of Bangka Island, with beautiful hard and soft corals. It’s a pristine site, with visibility frequently over 30 meters. Eagle rays, tuna and giant grouper are typically found gliding above the large table corals. The current here makes this an advanced site.
Sahaung
2-hour boat ride. A beautiful pinnacle dive, with lots of soft corals. Be sure to peak underneath the table corals as you might stumble upon some sleeping baby sharks. Pontohi and Barbaganti pygmy seahorses are very common, as well as small and giant frogfish and ribbon eels. Visibility ranges from 15 to 20 meters, and the maximum depth is 45 meters. Be sure to enjoy the striking white sandy beach during your surface interval.
Batu Mandi
2-hour boat ride. Another stunning pinnacle dive on the northern tip of the mainland, with a sloping wall filled with soft corals, large sponges, and sea fans. Nudibranchs, Spanish dancers, giant frogfish, cuttlefish, and blue ring octopus are regular inhabitants. The visibility usually ranges from 10 to 15 meters, but it can be a great wide angle site if you hit it in the early morning. Also a nice night dive.
Paradise Jetty
2-hour boat ride. A beautiful macro dive, with an underwater hot spring, located on the northern tip of the mainland. This is a relatively shallow dive at 15 meters, with a white sandy bottom. A great variety of critters reside here, such as frogfish, leaf scorpion fish, a variety of shrimp, snake eels, and moray eels. A mimic octopus might also be spotted.
Batu Pendeta
2-hour, 20-minute boat ride. On the northeast tip of the mainland , this is another pinnacle dive with nice soft corals. The extremely strong currents here make this an experts only dive. And as you know, this means pelagics! A reef hook is definitely called for here, and one would be advised to forego the camera.
