Lembeh Strait,Bitung,North Sulawesi,underwater paradise of the most beautiful in the world

Diving in the Lembeh Strait
Lembeh Strait the new wonderful for diving,No place on the planet gives you the chance to see more shy critters such as the mimic octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, harlequin shrimps, skeleton shrimps and innumerable nudibranchs,The fish also include the usual tropical reef suspects but also the more bizarre: Ambon scorpionfish, snake eels, stonefish, sea robins, stargazers, devil fish and even the weedy scorpionfish. There are also beautiful seahorses including pygmies, pegasus, mandarinfish, ghost pipefish and the endemic Banggai cardinalfish.

Dive Site Descriptions

Aer Perang
The formation of this dive site was influenced by a World War II warship that blasted through the rocks in order to reach fresh water. The name literally means 'War Water'.
Angel's Window
If, during your stay, you are growing tired of black sand, among some of the most amazing and bizarre, rare creatures on the planet, Angel's window gives you the chance to do a bit of reef diving. More than just a change of scene, however, this site is in fact a beautifully decorated pinnacle whose tip lies just below the surface, off Lembeh Island.

Hairball.
As you listen to the dive briefing and look at the site map you may feel a sense of déjà vu. The muck diving sites all sound the same - gentle slope, black sand, patches of activity, a few sunken logs. Hairball however, often emerges as a king among kings in the Lembeh Strait.

Jahir.
Jahir is one of the newest dive sites discovered in the strait and was named after the guide who first found it. Jahir is a site that in many ways typifies Lembeh, with black volcanic sand that you will slowly cruise over with your nose close to the sea-bed.

Makawide.
This spot is situated between 2 large boulders rising out of the ocean which offer amazing scuba diving opportunities over coral patches as the gradual slopes descend beneath the waves of the Lembeh Strait. Despite being right in the middle of the channel, currents are generally calm.

Mawali Wreck.
This Japanese World War II steel cargo ship wreck lies completely on its side on the strait's seabed in water ranging from 15 to 30 metres. As the sight of the wreck begins to take shape beneath your fins you will marvel at just how beautifully encrusted it is with crinoids, black coral trees and soft corals.

Nudi Falls.
Your diving boat will tie itself to both a low impact anchor as well as some over hanging trees at this site near the water's edge. The sheltered nature of the bay and the proximity to the land makes it feel like a lake dive. You will notice, as you roll over the edge, that the water is normally a degree or two cooler than at Bunaken.

Nudi Retreat.
This is yet another great site featuring a gentle reef slope that starts from a sheltered cove on the Sulawesi coast and descends gradually to a depth of 28 metres. Offering more coral than many of the dive locations you will find on the Lembeh Island side of the strait, healthy soft coral and anemones abound, playing host to probably the world's most popular fish, the anemone fish.

Pantai Parigi.
Believe it or not, Pantai Parigi is actually the only white sand muck dive site that you will find in the Lembeh Strait, an area dominated by black sand. This bay, on Lembeh Island itself, has exceptionally healthy and dense coral cover in the shallows, then a gentle white sand slope. This site is named after the fresh water well in the village and the nearby beach: "Pantai" means 'beach' and "Parigi" means 'well'.

Police Pier.
If you scuba dive here it is likely to be at night. Nighttime and muck share the promise of discovery, so to do a night dive in a place like the Lembeh Strait should be something special, and it is. Police Pier may be an odd name but there is every chance of a 'Sting' coming your way as scorpionfish and lionfish lurk all around. The bottom composition is a dull grey mass, at first glance lifeless but on closer inspection, teeming with activity.

Teluk Kambahu (TK 1).
A manageable name for a site which translates as the name of the local Lembeh village bay. Another entry off the boat into shallow water will see you descend over a dark sandy bottom, sloping gently down to 25 metres. To dive here is to snoop through the rubble and in and around sunken bit of wood and nets. Your possible discoveries could run into ridiculous numbers.