Kalimantan - Maratua - Nabucco island resort

[Dan]

Some great info here, sounds like an awesome place, are there lots of operators ? how would you compare it to RA all things considered ?

As far as LOB, I think Raja Manta is going there. There are 2 other resorts near by. Can't think of their names. I'll come back to this question later.

As far as comparison to RA, in terms of the resort, @billt4sf asked similar question on page 1. Please read my answer at post #8 on page 1.

 

[Dan]

Here are three other dive resorts in the area:

Derawan Island - Derawan Dive Resort

Maratua Paradise Resort @ Derawan Archipelago - Maratua Paradise

Home | Scuba Junkie Sangalaki

I can't comment on the resorts as I haven't been to any of them.

Nabucco & Nunukan are under the same management, Extra Divers Worldwide: Dive Center

I've been to one other of their dive resorts in Tobago. They are world class dive management, reminds me of the Aggressor Fleet for dive liveaboard.

 

[scubajunky17]

Resorts aside, how do you compare the diving to RA or komodo Dan ?

 

[Dan]

Resorts aside, how do you compare the diving to RA or komodo Dan ?

It’s just as good in different ways. Maratua’s soft coral may not be as diversed as Misool, but it compensates by the massive schooling barracudas (in thousands) that are unique to northeast Kalimantan & Sipadan that I haven’t seen anywhere in Raja Ampat (RA). I’ve been in RA 6 times in the last 8 years. The schooling barracudas in RA may be about 10% that of in Maratua Atoll at best.

So, if you you are there, don’t miss the dive site Big Fish Country or others call it The Channel for seeing the schooling barracudas. The site is only 5-10 minutes boat ride from Nabucco Island and it reminds me of Peleliu Cut or Blue Corner in Palau. Be prepared with your reef hook for a quick negative entry & get ready for exciting sites of massive school of barracudas along with sharks, Napoleon wrasses, jackfish. I love the site so much and did it 3 times while I was there for a week. The dive is done during a high tide. So, after you run out of NDL, you just unhook yourself off the reef & drift on to the shallow. Very safe. No drifting into the deep blue water.

The stingless jellyfish in Kakaban are prolific in comparison to that of in Misool or in Palau. The last trip I went to Misool (November 2017), the adult stingless jellyfish there got wipe out, leaving tiny baby ones, according to the ranger there. He didn’t recommend us to visit the place, so we skipped the tour. Same with Palau. The El Niño wiped them out. We also skipped that place when I was there in December 2017.

If you are into seeing mantas like the manta cleaning station in Magic Mountain (Misool) or Manta Ridge / Manta Sandy / Blue Magic in Dampier Strait, you can also see them around Sangalaki Island.

 

[scubajunky17]

So Dan, thanks for your input, have you dived anywhere superior to RA ?
If I went to Maratua is it comparable topside to RA beauty, tranquillity etc ? and would the diving be of a similar standard ? is there big stuff there.
I spent five weeks in RA last year and have done kri about twenty times and BM about 8 times and as much as i love the place I don't want to get bored of the sites ! I have always dived RA in August so I might go back another time of year.
at the moment I am thinking of doing a month hiking in Leh / Ladakh and then a month in Indo somewhere new or the Andaman Islands.... I'm open to suggestions.

 

[Dan]

Here are some of the pictures I took when I was in Maratua Atoll.

 

[Dan]

So Dan, thanks for your input, have you dived anywhere superior to RA ?
If I went to Maratua is it comparable topside to RA beauty, tranquillity etc ? and would the diving be of a similar standard ? is there big stuff there.
I spent five weeks in RA last year and have done kri about twenty times and BM about 8 times and as much as i love the place I don't want to get bored of the sites ! I have always dived RA in August so I might go back another time of year.
at the moment I am thinking of doing a month hiking in Leh / Ladakh and then a month in Indo somewhere new or the Andaman Islands.... I'm open to suggestions.

So far, RA is still better than any other places I've been diving, including Galapagos, Red Sea, GBR & Palau. I've not been to Cocos or Maldives or Socorro. I plan to go there in mid September, early December, and late December this year, respectively. We'll see how the diving there relative to RA.

Top side, RA is still better than any other diving destinations I have been to.

I just post some pictures of the diving in Maratua Atoll in my previous post. There are plenty of big fish there including manta, bumphead parrotfish, sharks and tons of barracudas, which is unique to that place and I don't see in RA. As far as the diversity of fish & critters, RA is still on top of any other places I have been diving.

Someday I'll check Andaman Island.

 

[AlMitch]

That cottage over the water looks stunning!!

 

[Dan]

That cottage over the water looks stunning!!

With AC

 

[AlMitch]

Ooo with AC!!! You know how to tempt me!!