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Indonesia's
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Indonesia Dive Resorts
Manado Sulawesi:
Lembeh Resort |
Santika/Thalassa |
Kungkungan |
Murex |
Tasik Ria |
Kasawari Lembeh Resort
Black Sand Dive Retreat |
Kima Bajo Resort & Spa |
Minahasa Lagoon |
Gangga Island Resort & Spa
Beach Bungalows
Siladen Resort and Spa
Komodo National Park:
Reefseekers Diving
Raja Ampat:
Misool Eco Resort |
Kri Island Resort
Sorido Bay Resort
Wakatobi:
Wakatobi
Sulawesi:
Selayar
Kalimantan:
Derawan |
Nabucco Island | Maratua Paradise Resort
Bali:
Mimpi Resort Tulamben |
Mimpi Resort Menjangan
Maluku:
Cape Paperu Resort & Spa
East Kalimantan (Borneo) Indonesia
The Islands of Derawan
Derawan Island Resort
 The
terrain at Derawan is varied from walls and fringing reefs to caverns.
Big sea turtles, whitetip, leopard and nurse sharks, schooling barrucudas,
napoleon wrasses, cuttle fish, Spanish mackerel, jacks, batfish
and ornamental reef fish hang out in record amounts. Over 50 species
of hard coral were found on one reef. Turtles also come on land
every night to lay eggs, hatchlings are often encountered just below
the cottages and restaurant!
My favorite site, however is just on the door step beneath the
pylons of the 200 m long jetty. Here I have found some of the most
mind boggling and bizarre critters I have seen in years; luminous
multi coloured dumpling squids, pairs of 3ft crocodile fish, finger
sized purple sea horses, tunicates and dwarf scorpianfishes. The
quality of diving around Derawan is indeed hat divers dream about
I have been back four times and I will be back again and again and
again.
Michael AW
Sangalaki Island
Sangalaki is the world Capital of Mantas. At Sangalaki
the familiar shape of Manta Rays emerge from all directions. Their
wing tips breaking the surface at regular intervals. Smorkeling
is the way to interact with these gentle plankton feeders. Totally
unperturbed by your presence, they swim in eurythmy and sometimes
glide right up to you before making a sharp nose dive into the blue.
It is not unusual to find ten of them encircling you. Though most
of them are about 12 ft wide with a white belly, there are a few
black giants with 20ft wing spans! The sensation of looking through
their giant mouths cannot be described, it must be experienced.
It is totally out of this world, so much so that one published writer
reported that he was whacked by his own adrenaline!
Kakaban Island
The island of Kakaban is an exceptional marine environment. An
uplifting in the area during the Holocene transgression, 19000 yrs
BC has left 5 sq ft kilometer of seawater trapped within a 165 ft
ridge, turning the area into a land lock marine lake. The only other
known lake of such nature found only in Palau, Micronesia, is a
desert compared to Kakaban, some of the stanfest species and typical
hehaviors are observed in the lake. Through millennium's, they have
adapted into an ecosystem that is totaly unique to the brackish
water environment. The lake is teeming with at least 4 species of
stingless jelly fish including one of an upside species of Cassiopea.
About 3 species of Halimeda green algae cover the bottom, and mangrove
roots live side by side with tunicates, sponges, tube worms, bivalves,
crustacean, anemonies, sea cucumbers, sea snakes and at least five
known species of gobies. Unidentified species are in abundance.
Dr. Thomas Tomascik from Canada has aptly called this place a biological
paradise.
The mystery of how the lakes plants and animals are able to survive
in this isolated system is a subject that marine scientists and
geologists bicker about Thousands of barracuda, blue finned tunas
and big sharks are also found at Kakaban's Barracuda point
Maratua Island
 Imagine
you are sitting on a ringside seat, the arena an underwater coliseum
at 100 ft, beneath you an abyssal plunge beyond the depth of mortal
endurance. The arrival of a lone 7 ft great barracuda heralds for
the show to begin. A dark cloud emerges from the distance, like
an uprising tornado, as it twirls towards you, the dark mass metmorphosizes
into a silvery screen of barracudas, thousands...uncountable.
Eight spotted eagle rays peer from the liquid ceiling
information whilst heavy bodied gray sharks arrive at an electrifying
velocity to break up a school of big tooth trevalley. The water
boils, your adrenaline reaches a record high as a huge giant black
spotted bull ray looks over you to cross the terrain of golden and
red coral trees. Large dog tooth tunas and mackerels make up the
chorus line to fleeting appearance's of hammerheads and mantas,
this show is the greatest show on earth beneath the sea, the performance
thrice and after having over 8000 sojourns is tropical water, this
site is amoung the very best in my experience. The locations discovered
by Bapak Nawawi he graciously shared this secret domain of the deep
with us.
Getting to Derawan:
Fly to Jakarta or Bali for a domestic flight to Balikpapan in Kalimantan
(Borneo). Overnight stay in Balikpapa, next day connection to Berau.
Dive packages:
Twenty four traditional cottages, a/c or fan with private amenities
and four rooms are equiped with voltage converter, dive guides
and telecommunication facility.
Meals:
The water restaurant serves a delightful selection of Chinese,
Indonesian and western cuisine, fresh home made bread and cakes.
This has been reprinted from Derawan Dive Resort brochure.
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