JC. Princen If you like diving and underwater photography, which is the best place? The question can actually be answered if we’ve felt it ourselves. Many factors must be considered to be able to give the title of “the best place for diving”.
Diving in Indonesia
However, if asked which country is best for diving, I dare to answer: Indonesia. So, it’s a pity when you are in Indonesia, but you have never dived or taken diving courses. Well, for me, calling Indonesia as the best diving spot there are several reasons. The whole ocean from the east to the west Indonesia has its own charm.
1. Landscape
Just like in a “dry place”, who doesn’t like to see beautiful scenery? Especially in the sea, various types of coral reefs and reef fish offer bright colors not found on land. Some big names like Raja Ampat, Alor, and Komodo are the best places to enjoy this underwater beauty.
2. Sea Fauna
Pelagic is a name commonly used for large types of fish or coastal waters such as tuna, sharks, rays, barracudas, giant trevally. Divers often meet pelagists. One of the diving locations that is also striking because of its pelagic features is Nusa Penida.
Every year, Nusa Penida is invaded by divers to meet with moon fish or called Mola-mola. In Raja Ampat or Komono Island, we can see whalesharks (whale sharks). In Lombok, divers can usually find hammerhead sharks that are often dubbed “sexy” by divers.
3. Small Animals
Divers, especially underwater photographers, really like looking for small animals that live on rocks or coral. Lambeh (North Sulawesi) and Seraya (Bali) are already well-known among foreign divers as the best destination for muck diving or diving to the bottom of the sea.
Later this type of muck diving began to be famous among divers and underwater photographers. Muck diving is done to see and perpetuate super small animals with all their unique beauty and behavior.
4. Ship Wreck
Wreck here means to dive between the wreckage of ships or planes that have been underwater for years. In Tulamben, Bali, we can see Liberty shipwrecks, Sophie shipwrecks on Weh Island, Aceh, or Bomber wrecks in Togean, Morotai and Biak.
In fact there are at least 2 species that have the name of an Indonesian who discovered it the first time: the Lauriea siagiani lobster squat found by Wally Siagian, and the Pipefish Kyonemichthys rumengani discovered by Noldy Rumengan.
Gorontalo has a sponge coral named Salvador Dali (Petrosia lignosa). Stingless jelyfish or stingless jellyfish can be found in several locations in Indonesia such as in Kakaban-Derawan, Togean, Misool-Raja Ampat, and also in Rote.
6 Cave
Diving in a cave requires special knowledge and expertise. Some diving spots that are relatively easy to try are Wakatobi, Buton, or Crystal Cave in Kupang. In the cave, we can find fossils of sea animals.
Now, after seeing the superiority of the Indonesian sea before, did you start to be interested in diving in these locations. I also recommend to dive at 4 ends of the territory of Indonesia which already has dive operators, such as the island on the west side, Sangihe in the north, Jayapura in the east and of course the island of Rote at the southern tip of Indonesia.
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