Embracing Night Diving: A Dive into Bunaken’s Secrets
Recently we have been having some fantastic night dives in Bunaken Marine Park. Night diving is considered by many dive enthusiasts to be the best way to really see the variety of life that inhabits the reefs, and night diving Bunaken will surely not disappoint!
Sunset Dive Adventures: An Entrance to the Night’s Wonders
Our trips leave Siladen Resort & Spa at 17:30, just as the sun is starting to set. After a short trip to the dive site and a detailed briefing we get ready for the dive. Jumping in just as the sun sets means we can see the day critters scurry off to bed, as the night dwellers come out to play. After the dive you will be given hot tea and warm towels to reheat, and you will be back at the resort by 20:00, just as dinner is being served.
Muck Diving and Wall Diving: Two Faces of Bunaken at Night
We have two types of diving within the park, both of which offer a completely different night dive experience. Muck diving can be done on the slopes of the mainland, and at night you can see many types of critters come out, such as the mimic octopus, different frogfish species, many different ghost pipefish, and even the flamboyant cuttlefish. Around the islands we have wall diving, and at night the walls literally come alive with an (almost) infinite variety of different crabs and crustaceans. Recently on one night dive on Bunaken’s famous Lekuan wall our guests where lucky to spot 3 blue ringed octopuses hunting over the reef. It is common to sport turtles sleeping in the crevices, and you can sometimes spot reef sharks lurking around. As always, our guides will use their hawk like eyes to spot even the most camouflaged of critters.
Illuminating the Depths: Eco-Friendly Dive Lights for Night Adventures
We recently switched the batteries in our dive lights away from single use disposable ones, to high-powered rechargeable ones. These not only hold more power, which means your torch will stay brighter for longer; It is also the more environmentally friendly option as it reduces our waste.
We look forward to showing you some of the wonderful and weird nocturnal critters that Bunaken Marine Park and North Sulawesi has to offer.
Thank you to Cesare Largo, Sandro Cappellinni, Paolo Ramponi and Daniele Giuseppe for this wonderful night dive video
