Lembeh Water Quality??

[Nettie-NZ]

I've been to Lembeh and Bunaken twice (last time a year ago). Yes, I've also had ear infection issues there, but I have elsewhere too. I'm just getting over an ear infection - middle ear not just external from diving in Panama. Luckily it came on the day after I finished diving. Ear infections are very, very frustrating!

I have to agree with Luko. There is a lot of life in the water in Lembeh, including plankton and lots of things that are happy to thrive in warm damp conditions - like inside your ear.

As far as dirty goes - I don't think it's any worse than elsewhere in Asia. I remember being disgusted by the rubbish in that water in Bali - I don't remember Lembeh being as bad as Bali.

 

[hellhole]

i think its about where u stay...

 

[WetPup]

i think its about where u stay...

How exactly? Doesn't matter if you stay at KBR, Critters@Lembeh, Two Fish...Wherever. Everyone's still diving in exactly the same stretch of water on exactly the same dive sites.

 

[hellhole]

How exactly? Doesn't matter if you stay at KBR, Critters@Lembeh, Two Fish...Wherever. Everyone's still diving in exactly the same stretch of water on exactly the same dive sites.

but not right beside the ****...

maybe as mention.. u see the diaper and **** there... then don't go to that dive site.. go to others...
i think there is enough at lembeh to move around...

 

[diver 85]

Thanks for the heads up...will mark this one to look @ more closely in the future.......

 

[chillyinCanada]

I dove Lembeh 3 dives a day for a week with no ear infection. I dont ear beer or even make particular efforts to rinse my ears after dives. I'm lucky I guess as I've not had an ear infection since my early days of diving.

There were a couple of sites that I had to try and think of other things to keep the bile down. But I knew all this before I went and one of the major reasons it took me so long to get around to it was because of what I knew.

It was still wonderful but I wouldn't have wanted Lembeh to be my only diving on that trip and thankfully it wasn't.

 

[Luko]

but not right beside the ****...

maybe as mention.. u see the diaper and **** there... then don't go to that dive site.. go to others...
.

Probably been diving below a village "sewage" in Kalabahi bay / Alor, I thoroughly vinegared my ears immediately after surfacing and getting on the boat..

That said I probably surfaced at the wrong place at the wrong time, and forgot to keep my reg latched in my mouth. As a result I had such a belly blues for 4 days that it prevented me from donning any wetsuit more than 2 hours in a row.

My ears didn't suffer any infection though.

 

[chillyinCanada]

LOL

 

[docmartin]

There were a couple of sites that I had to try and think of other things to keep the bile down. But I knew all this before I went and one of the major reasons it took me so long to get around to it was because of what I knew.

I am struggling to keep the bile down just reading this thread. I guess I'll stick to the Blue Heron Bridge for my muck diving.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Been to Lembeh and we didn't have any issues. No dirty diapers in sight. There was a fair bit of rubbish around but perhaps part of it is the time of year and tides? I know a lot of stuff can get swept through the straights from other locations. Maybe it is worse now than it was then.

I know that Critters@Lembeh sent staff in regularly to clean up the house reef and area out front. I also know that a few of the resorts are trying to work on educating the locals about pollution and the value of marine tourism....

I always carry medication in case of ear infections but we haven't done any real preventative stuff. Thanks everyone for posting, I think we will take some of the precautions mentioned here when we go to Siladen in July... won't do any harm