Indonesia
Diving in Bunaken
Photo: SnapSaga / Unsplash
Bunaken National Marine Park is a world-class wall-diving destination in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, encompassing five islands: Bunaken, Manado Tua, Siladen, Mantehage, and Nain. Unlike most coral reefs that slope gently to a continental shelf, Bunaken's walls drop vertically from 3 meters to over 1,800 meters into the abyss. Located at the heart of the Coral Triangle — the global epicenter of marine biodiversity — the park is home to over 390 coral species, thousands of reef fish, and green and hawksbill turtles on nearly every dive. The legendary Lekuan wall, nicknamed 'Turtle City,' delivers 10+ turtle encounters per dive. Discovered here in 1998, the Coelacanth — a 'living fossil' fish thought extinct for 65 million years — still inhabits the deep waters around Manado Tua. With warm water (27–30°C), good visibility (15–40m), year-round diving, and easy access via direct flights from Singapore, Bunaken offers the perfect blend of world-class diving, accessibility, and affordability — just 3.5 hours from Singapore but a world away.
Explore the map
Select a pin to learn more. Use the zoom buttons or pinch to zoom.
Loading map…
Places on this map (17)
25 places have no verified map location yet. Browse the page lists for more places.
Conditions
27–30 °C
15–40 m
3–40 m
Mild
May to October (dry season, peak visibility 30–50m, calmest seas)
| Month | Summary |
|---|---|
| Jan | January is in the wet season with 25 rainy days, but morning dives still deliver good conditions. Water temperature holds at 28°C with visibility 15–25m. Turtles are abundant year-round, and reef sharks patrol the deeper wall sections. Fewer boats mean uncrowded dive sites. |
| Feb | February continues the wet season pattern with water at 28°C and visibility 15–25m. The northwest monsoon brings occasional rain, but Bunaken's sheltered south coast sites like Lekuan remain excellent. Green turtles and hawksbills are grazing on the reef tops daily. |
| Mar | March is a shoulder month with improving conditions — water warms to 29°C, visibility increases to 20–30m, and rainy days begin to taper. Eagle ray sightings increase as the transition season brings pelagic activity. Good time to visit before peak season crowds arrive. |
| Apr | April delivers excellent diving as the dry season approaches with 29°C water and 20–30m visibility. Reef life is at its most vibrant — bumphead parrotfish schools cruise the walls, and Napoleon wrasse are regulars at Mandolin Reef. Shoulder season means uncrowded sites and good availability. |
| May | May kicks off the peak dry season — water stays at 29°C, visibility climbs to 25–40m, and the seas calm. The southeast monsoon brings the best conditions of the year. Mandolin, Sachiko's Point, and the Lekuan walls deliver world-class diving with barracuda schools, sharks, and eagle rays. |
| Jun | June is peak season at its finest — water reaches its warmest at 30°C with spectacular 30–50m visibility. The walls are alive with thousands of red-tooth triggerfish at Sachiko's Point, massive Napoleon wrasse patrol Mandolin, and turtles are everywhere. The definitive month for Bunaken wall diving. |
| Jul | July maintains peak conditions with 29°C water and 30–50m visibility. Currents strengthen slightly — perfect for drift dives along Mandolin and Pangalingan where dogtooth tuna and giant trevally hunt. All five islands of the park are accessible, and every zone delivers excellent diving. |
| Aug | August is the driest month with only 10 rainy days, delivering the most reliable conditions of the year. Water holds at 29°C with 30–50m visibility. Currents can be strong at point sites — advanced divers thrive at Tanjung Kopi and Batu Kapal. Peak hammerhead shark season for the Nain Island deep sites. |
| Sep | September is a transition month — still in the dry season with 29°C water and 25–40m visibility, but with fewer crowds. An excellent month for photographers with calm conditions and good light. Muck diving in Manado Bay pairs perfectly with morning wall dives for the ultimate macro + wide-angle combo. |
| Oct | October is the final month of the dry season with 29°C water and 20–30m visibility. Muck diving in Manado Bay remains excellent — flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ring octopus, and harlequin shrimp are active on the black sand slopes. Combine Bunaken walls with Manado Bay muck for the best of both worlds. |
| Nov | November marks the start of the wet season with 26 rainy days, but the monsoon is less pronounced here than elsewhere in Indonesia. Water stays warm at 29°C with visibility 15–25m. Morning dives on the south coast remain excellent, and the quiet season means you'll often have sites to yourself. |
| Dec | December brings the northwest monsoon with 26 rainy days, water at 28°C, and visibility 15–25m. While surface conditions can be unsettled, the sheltered south coast sites deliver reliable diving. Holiday season brings more visitors, but the festive atmosphere at Bunaken resorts makes it a special time to visit. |
Dive Sites (25)
Alung Banua
3–30m · Beginner
Wall · Caves · Crinoids
Bati Hitam
3–15m · Beginner
Reef · Turtles · Table corals
Bunaken Timur 1 (East 1)
3–40m · Beginner
Wall · Coral garden · Snorkelling
Bunaken Timur 2
3–35m · Beginner
Wall · Coral garden · Turtles
Celah Celah
5–30m · Intermediate
Wall · Fissures · Caves
Cha-Cha
3–25m · Beginner
Wall · Sloping reef · Night dive
Depan Kampung (Muka Kampung)
2–25m · Beginner
Wall · Turtles · Shore dive
Fukui Point
3–30m · Beginner
Coral garden · Giant clams · Pelagics
Marine Life (96)
must-seeLoggerhead Turtle
must-seeBull Shark
must-seeGreat Hammerhead
must-seeGreen Sea Turtle
must-seeHawksbill Turtle
must-seeAtlantic Bottlenose Dolphin
must-seeSpotted Eagle Ray
must-seeIndonesian Coelacanth
Common Lionfish
Great Barracuda
Hammer Coral
Solar-Powered Nudibranch
Dive Shops (17)
Two Fish Divers Bunaken
Happy Gecko Dive Resort
Panorama Dive Resort
4sisters Divers Bunaken
Manado Dive Club
Bunaken Oasis Dive Resort and Spa
Raja Laut Dive Resort
AQUii DIVERS BUNAKEN
Blue Shark Divers Bunaken
Bunaken Scuba & Homestay
Thalassa Dive & Wellbeing Resort Manado
Bunaken Divers Seabreeze Resort
Bastianos Bunaken Dive Resort
Cakalang resort and diving
3WILL Bunaken Dive Resort
Bunaken Island Dive Resort
Mc bunaken Stay • Diving • Trip’s
Guides
The Complete Bunaken Diving Guide: Walls, Turtles & Reefs
Bunaken offers the world's most accessible wall diving — turtles on every dive, 390+ coral species, and walls dropping to 1,800 meters. Complete guide.
Diving Bunaken: Conditions, Seasons, and What to Expect
Visibility up to 50m, 27–30°C water, and year-round wall diving. Here's exactly what Bunaken's conditions look like month by month.
Top 10 Dive Sites in Bunaken: A Complete Guide
Explore the best dive sites in Bunaken — from Turtle City's 12+ turtles per dive to Mandolin's drift encounters. Full guide with depths, current, and access.
Safety
Bring Bunaken underwater
Offline access, dive log, AI fish ID, live site maps, and trip planning.
Download on the App Store