Manado, N Sulawesi, creatures large and small

[Indah]

SSRA 30 Maybe you can please convince the Panunee not to anchor anymore on top of the corals of Lembeh Strait. They just drop their anchor about anywhere.

 

[ssra30]

SSRA 30 Maybe you can please convince the Panunee not to anchor anymore on top of the corals of Lembeh Strait. They just drop their anchor about anywhere.

I will be glad to pass the message along when I am on the boat next month. However, I need a bit of clarification. Where did they drop the anchor on top of coral?
One problem with Lembeh is that there is really no big enough buoy for a boat to dock. What does other liveaboards do?
When I was on the boat last month, they usually anchor quite a bit away out in the chanel from the divesites and use dinghies to transport divers. At Police Piers and a few other sites where I jumped off the back of the boat, the anchor was usually just on the sandy bottom.

Anyhow, I will pass along your concern and better yet if you can give me a specific site/location that you think the anchor might damage the corals, that would be even more helpful.

 

[scubashooter]

Gaby
KBR was the first big resort. House reef is decent. Food is probably still the best of the 2 big resorts. It has left the "eco" roots by building a pool and the newer rooms. I've always preferred the cottages with patio on the south side. No need for ac since there is always some breeze going through. Guides are excellent still.

Lembeh Resort has a very nice house reef. Biggest problem is the locale: It is on the leeward side of Lembeh Island and in a cove so there's not much breeze. Thus it's more muggy (esp in Sept-Jan) which is why they put in ac rooms only. Guides are also excellent here (since they came from KBR).

Never been to SDQ but know the people. It really comes down to your likes and dislikes. I am a self-professed conscientious tourist. KBR was better for eco-tourism with the construction of their cottages (but not anymore), but they pissed off many locals in the past. Lembeh Resort is owned by an Indonesian so that fits into my supporting the locals requirement.
You can't go wrong with either of them with regards to dive guides, so your choice may ultimately be based on budget, accomodations and food (which is always a major consideration for me).

 

[Santa]

I know it is not fair to judge a place just on 4 dives. I dove Lekuan I, Raymond Point, Tanjung Kopi and Sela Sela.
I am sure I will be back in Bunaken again but Bunaken is one of those annoying place, especially for dSLR camera I suppose. At least at Lembeh, I know I am just going to concentrate on macro stuff. With nice blue clear water around Bunaken, I would most likely go with wide angle lens so what would I do when I find those pgymy seahorse
Kind of like Richeliue Rock in Thailand, go with macro for the sure known thing or wide angle just in case a whale shark stop by :06:

Yeah I see your point.

All the lekuans 1-3 are considered "flagship" sites I think - they sort of embody the best of bunaken with their dramatic steep coral walls. Very scenic and one of the better places for bigger stuff like turtles, black and whitetips and the occasional grey reefie.

I'd have to check my logbook, but for some reason the other three we didn't go to that often (which immedialtely made them strange and exotic to me ;0).

The Muka Buoy just in front of the Two Fish resort is actually a really great and underestimated site if you havent been snorkling it to death, and Muka campung in front of the village is fun in a challenging way because it's where the currents that go round the island usually meet. Seen some huge jacks, tuna and wahoo there.

But there is just such an abundance of great sites.

I wanna go back too. Did someone say they'd seen pilot whales?

Happy diving

 

[Santa]

So, Bunaken is more likely to see big stuff? probably good for a beginner like me

It think he meant big in the sense that it's not critters. Biggest things I've seen there is the ol' turtles, blacktips, dugong, eagle rays and the odd whiptail stingray. There's a pretty good Napoleon guarantee at a site called Fukui too. But it's not really pelagic that's the thing.

But no dangerous sharks, jellies or saltwater crocs - so it's really safe.

You'll probably get a chance to work on your drift skills though (but it's usually not ripping).

 

[pelan-pelan]

Hi Santa - yes - I did say pilot whales. Have seen several times on the boat ride across from Manado side to Bunaken. And we were surrounded by at least 30 dolphin only a few days ago. At various times of year they see other types of whales and sun fish.

You are likely to see Napoleon wrasse on any of the Buanken sites - My log from two weeks ago shows Cela Cela, Mandolin, Lekuan. Also eagle rays, turtles, black tips. Just plain beautiful wall swarming with reef fish at Tanjong Kopi. Also a new site to me Alunganua was a great dive. Big shoals of big snapper, trevally, batfish etc at Fukui. You couldn't see the water for fish! (And I've dived Los Roques)

Jetty dive at lumbalumba is a dream. (I've dived Lembeh so I know it stacks up in comparison). Lumbalumba is a new name but the owners have been running dive operations in the area for years. They are good friends of Christiane at Froggies and Simone at Thalassa. Heavily eco committed. Built their own cottages. Sewage processed through plant filter beds not into sea. Train and develop own Indonesian staff and some have been with them for nearly 10 years. Many return guests including macro-nuts, scientific survey etc. And as for doing your OW there - warm, clear, calm and just so many fish. Big stable boat, toilet. (And the food is great.)

Dive guides are knowledgeable and dedicated to giving you the dive you want - staying down on muck sites spending 80 minutes plus (OK - they check air and depth - no stupidity there) photographing one critter - Yes, that's fine by them. You want current - Yes they'll find you that. And the boat is alert and there for you when you come up.

 

[Indah]

Hello SSRA 30. I saw them doing it at the Police Pier and between Air Prang and Jahir. Probably they did not know about the last place being a coral stretch. But Police Pier they should know. Actually I would like to ask all visitors to Lembeh Strait to persuate the dive centers and guides to be more aware of the damage anchoring is causing. Specially many of the resorts from Manado which are using chartered watertaxis are still dragging their anchors. Even at the sites that already have a mooring. This moorings are indeed not heavy enough for boats such as the Panunee. They should make their own I suggest. Also more than 15 divers at once at a site as Nudi Falls is really far too much. Lembeh has about 40 good sites. Lets spread! Go to an other site if you see there are already people diving.

 

[Indah]

Hello Kai (fka Opo Laut and/or Pok Pok) is that you? I really hope not. Some explanation: Kai is somebody who wants to stay and dive for free and pays (?) by making nice messages on newsgroups.

Rob Sinke

 

[Santa]

That's great!

I heard rumors about some-one spotting humpback whales which sounded really bizarre to me - but there you go. All I've seen on my boat rides from Manado is the bloated carcass of a dead pig ;0) - but then I had my nose in the PD

(Godawful stuff isn't it? They say the local PD production facility once changed owners and several people died drinking from a batch poisoned with cleaning chemicals).

Sure you'll see wrasses all over the place - but the really big one hangs out at Fukui a lot.

I think it's very interesting about the new coastal sites. Last time is was there two-fish were just beginning to arrange exploratory dives for customers there to find new stuff and sites.

 

[ssra30]

Hello SSRA 30. I saw them doing it at the Police Pier and between Air Prang and Jahir. Probably they did not know about the last place being a coral stretch. But Police Pier they should know. Actually I would like to ask all visitors to Lembeh Strait to persuate the dive centers and guides to be more aware of the damage anchoring is causing. Specially many of the resorts from Manado which are using chartered watertaxis are still dragging their anchors. Even at the sites that already have a mooring. This moorings are indeed not heavy enough for boats such as the Panunee. They should make their own I suggest. Also more than 15 divers at once at a site as Nudi Falls is really far too much. Lembeh has about 40 good sites. Lets spread! Go to an other site if you see there are already people diving.

Thanks for the info. I will definitely pass them along when I am on the boat. Hanqi is one of the DM on the boat so I would assume that he should know exactly where the coral head is between Air Prang and Jahir.
As far as Police Pier is concerned, when I was there, the anchor was really just on the sandy bottom just past the clumbs of hydriods not far from the Pier itself. But I will definitely ask them to make sure that they pay attention to the location. I have to say though that beside a few small boulders/rocks here and there, was there really much of coral around Police Pier?