Wakatobi, which is a small group of islands in Sulawesi’s southeast region, is dotted with more than fifty incredible dive sites which have been named and charted, and many more favorite underwater spots that simply connect the dive sites together! The areas rich coral growth is healthy, and the water itself is clear and clean. Here, divers have the opportunity to encounter a wide array of all kinds of marine life – from macro to massive!
Dive Conditions
Wakatobi is at its best between March and December, with visibility often exceeding an astounding eighty meters. Between July and August, you can see massive plankton feeders, but the bloom that attracts these magnificent creatures causes a drop in visibility, as well as a slight drop in water temperature. Even so, the overall temperature ranges between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius all year round, with the coolest temperatures occurring during the last part of August.
Currents are generally mild, and most features lie between five and thirty-five meters, with some deep dives extending below forty meters. In short, there’s something for everyone!
House Reef
Wakatobi House Reef is accessible from shore and features a jetty where resident fish peer from the protection of the rocks and soft coral and tunicates thrive. The reef here is only a bit more than ten meters from shore – with a shallow drop off that starts at about three meters and extends to a sheer drop where resident turtles make their homes. The area between the reef and shore is a sandy bottom covered in turtle grass and occasionally punctuated by coral heads, and this area alone can take a considerable amount of time to explore thoroughly. A school of jacks alternates between time near the jetty and time near the wall, which is covered in sponges and sea fans, as well as abundant hard and soft coral. Watch for blue ring octopus, blue spotted stingrays, and even juvenile giant clams as you explore this diverse ecosystem.
Roma
At Roma, a massive pinnacle and mounds of coral and anemones await. Bommies swarm with macro life, and big boulders offer shelter to the shyest of reef life – the rarely seen comet fish. Here, massive swirling schools of red toothed triggerfish join up with schooling fusiliers to create a spectacle that is hard to imagine unless you’ve actually seen it! Banded sea snakes dance together as they surface for air, and colorful leaf fish adorn brilliant sea fans attached to hard coral formations. Life here is dense, with all forms of creatures living one on top of another.
With a maximum depth of just thirty meters and visibility often extending well beyond seventy meters, as well as a current that is normally quite hospitable, this site is ideal for divers of every level. At times, the current can be strong – but that rarely occurs.
Tanjunk Patok
One of the most beautiful dives you’ll ever experience, Tanjunk Patok is a drift dive along the west side of Wakatobi house reef that extends all the way back to the resort. The reef is completely covered in magnificent soft coral and is home to many other invertebrates including a wide array of nudibranchs, sea stars and feather stars. Local biology experts have catalogued more than four hundred species of fish at this reef. This astonishing combination of invertebrates and colorful fish makes this a great place to enjoy underwater photography, so long as the Wakatobi Express is not in effect! When it is, you’ll be in for a wild ride instead of a gentle drift – either way, you’re sure to enjoy this dive so much that you’ll want to do it more than just one time.
Fan Garden
The Fan Garden is so named due to the thousands of vibrant, healthy fan coral that occupy the wall and steep slope in the area. Massive displays of black coral greet those divers who wish to go deep, while schooling humphead parrot fish provide a colorful display that is absolutely irresistible. Reef fish are everywhere, as are hard and soft coral!
Magnifica
Whether you decide to equip yourself with a rebreather and trimix and head into the deep, or stay up top and enjoy a colorful snorkel along the reef, you will be amazed at what Magnifica has to offer. Here, a steep sandy slope with swarms of fish surrounding bommies and boulders leads to the depths, where schools of skipjack and snapper, as well as massive barracuda, await their turns to be captured on film.
Table coral provides hiding places for the cuttlefish that enjoy Magnifica as their mating ground, and long toms hunt for smaller fish. Oriental sweetlips nibble around the rocks and reef, and beautiful anthias provide even more captivating photo opps.
Teluk Maya
Teluk Maya features depths that extend from just below the surface to as deep as sixty meters, and is situated on a sandy slope on the northern side of Lintea Island. Here, a coral garden beckons from 24 meters, while an overhang provides shelter for a plethora of fish and the occasional visiting turtle. Cuttlefish mate and lay their eggs here, and beautiful batfish laden with isopods move past at a leisurely pace. Watch for the amazing macrolife as well as the larger fish here – you may see pygmy pipehorses, rare Pegasus sea moths, well hidden frogfish, and a variety of other creatures. Keep an eye out for sharks and blue spotted rays, as well as the occasional blue ring octopus, too!
The Zoo
At this zoo you’ll find neither cages nor bars – instead, you’re likely to encounter the odd looking hairy squat lobster, mushroom anemones and their attendant mushroom pipefish, and an amazing array of other macro life. This patch reef lies just off Turkey Beach, and offers divers of every level the opportunity to view some of the strangest and most amazing creatures on earth. At night, mandarin fish mate among the staghorn coral, and cuttlefish, octopus and bobtail squid explore the reef with their tentacles, seeking a meal on the go, and twin spot lionfish stalk their prey.
These are just a few fabulous Wakatobi dive sites – once you visit, you’re sure to come up with your own favorite!