Diving & Snorkeling
Derawan and Sangalaki Islands
Located off shore of east Kalimantan, this island complex comprises of some small islands including Derawan island, Sanglaki island, Kakaban island, Maratua island, and many other small islands. Some of the island group are being inhabited by nearly 6000 peoples. The rest of the island group, however remain inhabited, there are 14 small islands of this status.
The island group is rich of marine life. Vast coral reef, sea turtles, white tip, leopard and nurse shark, various species of ornamental fishes, are only some of them. The terrain on Derawan is varied from walls and fringing reefs to caverns. Big sea turtles, Spanish mackerel, jacks, batfish, napoleon wrasses, cuttle fish, hang out in large record amounts. Sea turtles quite often come ashore to lay their egg in the night. Hatchings are quite often to be encountered.
Underwater visibility is vary from 25 – 30 m, with the temperature of 27 – 30 Celcius degree.
Sanglaki is the world capital of Mantas. Here, all size of Mantas emerge from any direction. Their wing tips breaking the surfaces at certain intervals. Snorkelling is the way to interact with this giant plankton eater. It’s quite often that tents of them encircle you when snorkelling.
The Sangalaki Island marine reserve consist of a coral arcipelago in East Kalimantan province. The Marine Park has an area of 280 ha and is located next to the proposed Maratua Island Marine Park. The main attraction of the park is its beautiful underwater world. Around Sangalaki Island several species of sea turtle and giant but peaceful Manta rays will occur. Sangalaki Dive Lodge will support your diving activities within the islands.
Kakaban in an exceptional marine environment. An uplifting in the area some 19,000 years ago has trapped 5 sq ft kilometres within 165 ft ridge of salt water inland. The only sample of this kind of lake only found that in Palau, Micronesia. The sea surrounding Kakaban Island is home to large shoals of Barracuda.
Since the above period, the creatures living there have to adapt into such unique new environment. The lake is the home for at least 4 kinds of stingless jellyfish, about 3 species of green algae, cover the bottom, and mangroves roots live side by side with tunicates, sponges, tube worms, bivalves, crustaceans, sea cucumber, anemones, sea snakes, and at least 5 species of gobies. While another abundance number of creatures are still unidentified.
Maratua is the home of the barracudas. This kind of fish is easily be seen underwater.
Other islands of the archipelago are the domains of sea birds, where Pinaka Islands has mangrove forest. Derawan Island and Maratua Island are the Islands where the Bajau people live. Banjar and Kutai Dayak also live on these two islands, while the other islands of the archipelago are not inhabited.
Derawan Island
The terrains at Derawan are varied - from walls and fringing reef to caverns, big Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas), whitetip, leopard and nurse sharks, schooling barracudas, napoleon wrasses, cuttle fish, spanish mackerel, jacks and batfishes, and ornamentalreef fishes hang out in record densities and diversity. Dr. Carden Wallace of the museum of the Tropical Queensland found over 50 species of Acropora hard coral on one reef.
Not only it is possible to dive with turtles; are also found coming on land every night to procreate; hatchlings are often encountered just below the cottages and restaurant. My favorite site, however is just on the door step- beneath the pylons of the 280 m long jetty. Here I have found some of the most mind-boggling and bizzare critters I have seen in years; luminous multi coloured dumpling squids, pairs of 3 ft (1 m) crocodile fishes, finger sized purple crayfish, squat lobsters, decorator crabs, sea horses and unidentified species of worms, tunicates; dwarf scorpionfishes and also ghost pipe fish.
The quality of diving around Derawan is indeed what divers dream about I have been back four times and I will be back again, again and again.
Berau@2007
Located off shore of east Kalimantan, this island complex comprises of some small islands including Derawan island, Sanglaki island, Kakaban island, Maratua island, and many other small islands. Some of the island group are being inhabited by nearly 6000 peoples. The rest of the island group, however remain inhabited, there are 14 small islands of this status.
The island group is rich of marine life. Vast coral reef, sea turtles, white tip, leopard and nurse shark, various species of ornamental fishes, are only some of them. The terrain on Derawan is varied from walls and fringing reefs to caverns. Big sea turtles, Spanish mackerel, jacks, batfish, napoleon wrasses, cuttle fish, hang out in large record amounts. Sea turtles quite often come ashore to lay their egg in the night. Hatchings are quite often to be encountered.
Underwater visibility is vary from 25 – 30 m, with the temperature of 27 – 30 Celcius degree.
Sanglaki is the world capital of Mantas. Here, all size of Mantas emerge from any direction. Their wing tips breaking the surfaces at certain intervals. Snorkelling is the way to interact with this giant plankton eater. It’s quite often that tents of them encircle you when snorkelling.
The Sangalaki Island marine reserve consist of a coral arcipelago in East Kalimantan province. The Marine Park has an area of 280 ha and is located next to the proposed Maratua Island Marine Park. The main attraction of the park is its beautiful underwater world. Around Sangalaki Island several species of sea turtle and giant but peaceful Manta rays will occur. Sangalaki Dive Lodge will support your diving activities within the islands.
Kakaban in an exceptional marine environment. An uplifting in the area some 19,000 years ago has trapped 5 sq ft kilometres within 165 ft ridge of salt water inland. The only sample of this kind of lake only found that in Palau, Micronesia. The sea surrounding Kakaban Island is home to large shoals of Barracuda.
Since the above period, the creatures living there have to adapt into such unique new environment. The lake is the home for at least 4 kinds of stingless jellyfish, about 3 species of green algae, cover the bottom, and mangroves roots live side by side with tunicates, sponges, tube worms, bivalves, crustaceans, sea cucumber, anemones, sea snakes, and at least 5 species of gobies. While another abundance number of creatures are still unidentified.
Maratua is the home of the barracudas. This kind of fish is easily be seen underwater.
Other islands of the archipelago are the domains of sea birds, where Pinaka Islands has mangrove forest. Derawan Island and Maratua Island are the Islands where the Bajau people live. Banjar and Kutai Dayak also live on these two islands, while the other islands of the archipelago are not inhabited.
Derawan Island
The terrains at Derawan are varied - from walls and fringing reef to caverns, big Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas), whitetip, leopard and nurse sharks, schooling barracudas, napoleon wrasses, cuttle fish, spanish mackerel, jacks and batfishes, and ornamentalreef fishes hang out in record densities and diversity. Dr. Carden Wallace of the museum of the Tropical Queensland found over 50 species of Acropora hard coral on one reef.
Not only it is possible to dive with turtles; are also found coming on land every night to procreate; hatchlings are often encountered just below the cottages and restaurant. My favorite site, however is just on the door step- beneath the pylons of the 280 m long jetty. Here I have found some of the most mind-boggling and bizzare critters I have seen in years; luminous multi coloured dumpling squids, pairs of 3 ft (1 m) crocodile fishes, finger sized purple crayfish, squat lobsters, decorator crabs, sea horses and unidentified species of worms, tunicates; dwarf scorpionfishes and also ghost pipe fish.
The quality of diving around Derawan is indeed what divers dream about I have been back four times and I will be back again, again and again.
Berau@2007
