Bunaken

Bunaken island is an area of 8.08 km ² in the Bay of Manado, which is located in the northern island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Around Bunaken Bunaken marine park which is part of the Bunaken National Park. This marine park has one of the highest marine biodiversities in the world. A scuba diving attracts many visitors to the island. Overall Bunaken marine park covers an area of 75,265 hectares with five islands in it: Manado Tua Island, Bunaken Island, Siladen Island, Mantehage island with some small islands surrounded it, and Naen Island. Although the area covers 75,265 hectares, the diving location  is limited in each of the five beaches that surround the islands.

Bunaken marine park has 20 diving points with the depths vary up to 1344 meters. Of the 20 diving points, 12 diving points are located around Bunaken Island. These 12 divng spots are the most frequently visited by divers and lovers of the beauty of underwater scenery.

Most of the 12 diving points in Bunaken Island are lined up from the southeast to the northwest of the island. In this region there are underwater great walls, also called hanging walls, or walls of the giant rock that stood vertically and curved upward. This rock wall is also a source of food for fish around Bunaken Island.

This region is considered as having  characteristics of sea biologicaladvantages. Biologists call the types of vegetation in the mangrove forests of Bunaken National Park as Rhizophora sp, Sonneratia sp, sp Lumnitzera and Bruguiera sp. The forest is rich in various kinds of crabs, shrimps, mollusks and various types of sea birds such as seagulls, storks, sea peagon, and sea Heron. Types of algae found in this national park include Caulerpa sp, Halimeda sp, and Padina sp. Seagrass in the Montehage Island, and the Nain Island thalatsia, hemprichii, enhallus acoroides, and thalassodendra ciliatum. Bunaken National Park was proposed to be included in the natural world heritage list or in the UNESCO world heritage.

If you like snorkeling and diving, Bunaken marine park is one of places you should visit.