Bunaken National Park, Amazing Underwater Nature in Manado
Source: https://www.indonesia.travel/ph
The beauty of Indonesia’s natural tourism is no longer a secret. Starting from the sea, mountains, to the underwater has extraordinary views. Not only that, parks and caves, relics from the colonial era, also have their charm. Regarding underwater beauty, many islands in Indonesia are still very well preserved and offer underwater beauty to be explored. One of the most popular types of tourism in Indonesia is marine tourism. This is due to the abundance of marine resources to be used as a tourist area. One of them is Bunaken National Park, North Sulawesi, a marine park with the advantage of natural charm that attracts many tourists.
The Underwater Enchantment of Bunaken National Park
Bunaken became a national park and a tourist attraction since 1991 upon the appointment of the Indonesian Minister of Forestry. It has a location that is representative of Indonesia’s tropical water ecosystem. It consists of mangrove forest ecosystems, seagrass beds to coral reefs and terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. The island in Bunaken is indeed rich in flora and fauna. Bunaken National Park itself has 13 genera or genera of corals that live with the dominance of fringing reefs and barrier reefs. Then for the marine life, there are about 91 types of fish that live in these waters. Among them tourist attractions in Spanish are gusumi horse fish, yellow tail passi, and ila gasi.
Those who come to enjoy this underwater tour are local tourists and foreign tourists hunting for this sight. In addition to diving and snorkeling, you can also enjoy sunbathing, swimming, enjoying the sunset or sunrise. There is also a diving center called Dragonet, which is famous for breaking the MURI record with more than 2000 divers participating in the flag ceremony on the seabed. The place is located on Kalase beach, precisely on the outskirts of Manado city.
No need to worry, the owner of the Dagonet Diving Center itself employs a dive instructor who has been certified as SDI (Scuba Diving International). Dragonet offers diving lessons for beginners. For example, visitors or novice divers learn the basics of diving for 15 minutes and will be invited in stages up to 45 minutes at depths of up to 6 meters. This assistance from the Diving Center will certainly make it easier for visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of Bunaken Marine Park. This tourist spot is located in the Minahasa Regency, Manado City. Meanwhile, to the north of the national park, Bunaken island, Montehage island, Manado Tua Island, Nain Kecil island, Siladen, and parts of the Tanjung Pisok coastal area.
Attractions You Will Meet
Bunaken is often called heaven on earth because, divers can find about 20 diving spots from the underwater sector, and 12 of them can be found on the island of Bunaken itself. The uniqueness of the dive spots here is the visibility that can reach 20 meters because of the clarity. Far enough to enjoy every corner of the life of various types of living creatures in the depths of the sea.
At certain moments, the visibility can reach almost 35 meters. In addition, there is also a giant rock wall that is curved and vertical. The function of this wall is to feed the small fish in the sea. The visitors can see an extraordinary beauty. Many dive points in other countries can be inferior to those in Bunaken. So don’t be surprised if foreign tourists who love diving and snorkeling fall in love with Bunaken.
There is one more thing that every foreign tourist also feels. Indonesian citizens or people are famous for their hospitality. Residents are also known to smile, and most of them are fluent in English. Some fishermen usually take visitors diving.
Easy Route & Affordable Entrance Fee
For tourists who want to go to Bunaken National Park, they can take a plane to Manado. Then from Sam Ratulangi International Airport, you can continue your journey to Manado City using a taxi as the fastest transportation. Later from Manado, they will be directed to the Marina Blue Banter port. After that, visitors can use a boat to go to Bunaken Island, which takes about 20 minutes. Only then will you be able to enjoy the various beauties that are here.
The price of admission to Bunaken National Park does not drain the pocket. For only IDR 150,000 you can enjoy almost all the scenery here. Meanwhile, visitors have to pay IDR 150,000 to rent diving equipment for one hour to do snorkeling activities.
Ready to start your getaway to Bunaken National Park? Visit Wonderful Indonesia, and don’t miss out on the magic!