Route Description - Lembeh/North Sulawesi/Derawan
The Lembeh, North Sulawesi and Derawan 12 Night itinerary showcases Indonesia’s incredible marine diversity, from world-famous muck diving to vibrant coral reefs and thrilling pelagic encounters. Search for rare critters in Lembeh Strait, explore Bangka’s volcanic pinnacles and Bunaken’s spectacular walls, then continue to the Derawan Islands. Highlights include Kakaban’s jellyfish lake, manta rays and turtles at Sangalaki, schooling barracuda and sharks at Maratua, and opportunities to encounter whale sharks at Talisayan. This expedition offers an exceptional mix of macro life, pristine reefs and big-animal encounters.
Lembeh Island
Lembeh offers warm, shallow reefs filled with colourful reef fish and exotic invertebrates, alongside deeper seamounts, walls and pinnacles where currents attract sharks, tuna and other pelagic species. The region is also renowned for its remarkable diversity of unusual marine life and excellent muck diving.
North Sulawesi
The first four to five days are spent exploring the dive sites around northern North Sulawesi, followed by two to three days discovering less-explored areas before crossing to the Derawan Islands.
Lembeh Strait
Known as a muck diving mecca, Lembeh Strait is famous for its exceptional density and diversity of rare and unusual marine life. Its distinctive sandy slopes provide shelter for an extraordinary range of critters, including eight species of frogfish, 12 species of octopus, three species of pygmy seahorse and numerous crustaceans and nudibranchs. Highlights include hairy frogfish, Pontohi pygmy seahorses, wunderpus, mandarinfish, mimic octopuses, Rhinopias scorpionfish, flamboyant cuttlefish and blue-ringed octopuses.
Bangka Island
With more than 30 dive sites, the Bangka archipelago offers a variety of underwater landscapes, from colourful volcanic pinnacles and pristine coral slopes to sandy seabeds, mangroves and dramatic walls. Its diverse habitats support a wealth of tropical marine life.
Bunaken National Park
Comprising five islands, Manado Tua, Siladen, Mantehage, Nain and Bunaken, Bunaken National Park is renowned for its impressive walls, sloping reefs and abundant coral gardens. Divers can explore pristine hard corals and encounter plentiful reef fish, reef sharks, eagle rays, tuna and other pelagic species.
Derawan Islands
Part of the Coral Triangle, the Derawan Islands are renowned for their exceptional marine biodiversity, with 872 recorded reef fish species and 507 coral species. The surrounding waters also support protected marine life, including giant clams, sea turtles and coconut crabs.
Diving Highlights
Kakaban
Kakaban is famous for its inland lake, home to non-stinging jellyfish that have lived in isolation for centuries. A short walk across the island leads to the lake, while the surrounding reefs offer varied dive sites featuring colourful corals, pelagic encounters and exciting cave systems. Barracuda Point is a particular highlight, attracting large schools of barracuda, tuna and sharks.
Sangalaki
Known for its year-round population of manta rays and sea turtles, Sangalaki offers excellent opportunities to observe these graceful animals feeding in the surrounding waters. Visitors can also explore the island’s locally managed turtle nursery, while whale sharks are frequently sighted offshore.
Maratua Atoll
Maratua is renowned for thrilling current dives at sites such as The Channel and Big Fish Country. Divers may encounter swirling schools of barracuda, grey reef sharks, thresher sharks, numerous turtles and schooling eagle rays. The island is also home to at least 13 known caves, with many more still awaiting exploration.
Pulau Panjang and Pulau Derawan
These islands are excellent destinations for macro diving, with unusual marine life including Satomi pygmy seahorses, sea dragons, ghost pipefish, frogfish, blue-ringed octopuses, harlequin shrimp and tiger shrimp. Their rich habitats make the area a favourite for underwater photographers and critter enthusiasts.
Talisayan
Talisayan is known for seasonal whale shark encounters, with these gentle giants often spotted beneath local fishermen’s fishing platforms. Similar to Cenderawasih Bay, these encounters offer a memorable opportunity to observe whale sharks in their natural environment.