Remote and spectacular scuba diving in Sulawesi
Benjamin Jones
The islands that make up the Wakatobi chain have some of the world’s best diving with atolls, walls, fringing reefs, sea mounts & a barrier reef contributing to the almost limitless diving opportunities.
The national park comprises of four main islands, Wangi Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomea & Binongki (thus the name WaKaToBi) the reach out from the south-eastern tip of Sulawesi.
Wakatobi's diving can be enjoyed all year round, with a small number of resorts and liveaboard options available.
Highlights
Best diving spots
The atolls of Koromaha & Koka have stunning reefs teeming with life. Schools of Trevally & Fusliers flit around in the blue while you admire the pristine coral-covered walls and overhangs of the atoll. Turtles, Sharks & Eagles Rays are also sometimes seen. West of Tomia, there are a wealth of fantastic & colourful dive sites.
The sumptous Wakatobi Dive Resort's house reef will take your breath away - no less than four different species of Pygmy Seahorse have been identified on the beautiful reef. Nearby, Roma & Cornucopia are also stunning sites with incredible corals and a huge diversity of life.
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Around Hoga Island to the north are sea-mounts, ridges & coral gardens offering more great diving, including the chance to see Mobulas - the smaller cousin of the Manta Ray. Wangi Wangi is the northern-most island in the chain. It has excellent, but often challenging diving with numerous pelagic species, including Sharks & Rays. Anano Island, in the north-west also has excellent diving.
When to dive
These islands have been created from uplifted limestone. This, along with the dry climate means mimimal run-off & great visibility for most of the year, with the exception of July & August when plankton blooms lower the visibility but dramatically increase the chance to see larger pelagics.
Getting there
If you plan to stay at the Wakatobi Dive Resort, you should travel via Bali, which has an international airport in Denpasar. From there the resort offers charter planes which take you as far as Kendari, before taking you by boat to the resort.
For more independent minded souls or those staying at other resorts in the area, it is possible to fly to Makassar in Sulawesi, then take either a plane or (lengthy) public ferry to Kendari, before arranging onward transport to your resort.
Activities
Aside from diving - relaxing in the remote, tropical island setting and enjoying the scenery is the main activity. It is possible to walk around the island and there is a house reef, so you can dive or snorkel until your heart’s content.
Resort and liveaboard options
There are both resort and liveaboard options available to dive the region. The most famous is the luxurious Wakatobi Dive Resort, which also operate the Pelagian liveaboard from the resort.
Other resort options are available, while some of Indonesia's liveaboards occasionally offer itineraries which take in these islands. Only those staying at Wakatobi Dive Resort, or joining the Pelagian liveaboard may join the resort's charter flight from Bali.
A number of other liveaboards frequent this region seasonally. We recommend the team at Liveaboard.com to find your perfect Wakatobi liveaboard adventure.
Did you know?
Wakatobi National Park is Indonesia's third largest national park. It is exceptionally diverse, with sea grass meadows, mangroves, fringing reefs, atolls and a barrier reef providing habitats for a large range of marine species. According to Wikipedia Wakatobi National Park is home to over 940 fish species and 750 of the world's 850 coral reef species.
In 2012, Wakatobi was included on UNESCO's list of World Biosphere Reserves, and is tentatively listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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