National Marine Park of Bunaken

Bunaken National Park is representative of the ecosystem of a tropical forest ecosystem of mangroves, coral reef, and land/coastal ecosystems. It is located at North Sulawesi about 15 km from Manado city with a friendly people.
The waters of Bunaken Marine are extremely deep (1566 m in Manado Bay), clear (up to 35-40 m visibility), refreshing in temperature (27-29 C) and harbor some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. Pick any of group of interest - corals, fish, echinoderms or sponges - and the number of families, genera or species is bound to be astonishingly high. Has recorded 13 genera of living coral and approximately 91 species of fish found in the waters of Bunaken National Park, such as fish of gusumi horse (Hippocampus kuda), white oci (Seriola rivoliana), lolosi yellow tail (Lutjanus kasmira), goropa (Ephinephelus spilotoceps and Pseudanthias hypselosoma), ila gasi (Scolopsis bilineatus) , and others. Type moluska like giant kima (Tridacna gigas), the goat (Cassis cornuta), hollow nautilus (Nautilus pompillius), and tunikates/ascidian. The park has around 70 genera of corals; compare this to a mere 10 in Hawaii. Although the exact number of fish species is unknown, it may be slightly higher than in the Philippines, where 2,500 species, or nearly 70% of all fish species known to the Indo-western Pacific, are found.

The beautiful of Bunaken marine has identified at many years ago by the divers, but the Indonesian government just announce officially in October 1991 as National Marine Parks Tourism and Conservation areas in Indonesia. In the North Bunaken National Park consists of Bunaken island, Manado Tua island, Montehage island, Siladen island, Nain island, Nain Small island, and some of Tanjung Pisok coastal areas. While in the South include some Tanjung Kelapa coastal.

The tourists can dive down to see the beautiful of Bunaken bottom sea. Dives location are limited in each of beaches, more or less any 20 point dive (Dive spot) and 12 point of them in the vicinity of Bunaken Island is often visited by divers and bottom sea beauty lovers. On the island there is underwater great walls, also called the hanging walls or walls of a giant coral with vertical standing and vaulted to the top. coral wall is also a source of food for fish in the waters around Bunaken Island.

How to reach the location:
Bunaken National Park can be achieved through from Manado port, Marina Nusantara Diving Center (NDC) in the Molas subdistrict and Marina Blue Banter. From Manado port to the Siladen island need around 20 minutes by motor boat, to Bunaken Island around 30 minutes, to Montehage island around 50 minutes and to Nain island around 60 minutes. From Marina Blue Banter to the Bunaken island tourist area will need within 10-15 minutes by yacht, meanwhile from NDC port will need around 20 minutes to the dives location in Bunaken island by speed boat.

Best season visit: May till in August each of year. Don't miss it.