The Togeans are an untouched paradise on Earth where all kind of reefs are represented: fringing, barrier and atolls offers to the scuba diver caves, canyons, drop-offs and rocky formations with abundant marine life for spectaculars dives. The remote Una-Una volcanic island is a must. Due to the lack of an airport in the region, the Togians dive sites are still off the beaten track and scuba diving here is superb. Only a handful of liveaboards have explored the Togian paradise. But the charm of the place extends beyond the impressive sites: peaceful, pristine sandy beaches shaded by palm trees, crystal clear waters in every shade of blue, quiet fishing villages under blue skies. If you were looking for an idyllic tropical setting with great diving, then you just found it!
Last updated: January 8, 2023
TOGEANS
Togian Island is an idyllic tropical setting with great diving
SCUBA DIVING IN TOGIAN ISLANDS
WHERE STAY TO DIVE TOGIAN ISLANDS
SCUBA DIVING IN TOGIAN ISLANDS
The Togian Islands are an archipelago of 56 islands and many offshore islets, situated in the Gulf of Tomini, which separates the Minahassa (Northern) and East Peninsulas of the island of Sulawesi (Celebes) in Indonesia. The Togeans lie near its center. To the east, the Gulf opens onto the Molucca Sea. Una Una, Kadiri, Lebiti, Dondola, Pulau Dua are the names of these islands that are the setting for you diving adventure.
DIVE SITES
Sheltered by the protective arms of central and north Sulawesi, Tomini Bay is reputedly the calmest deep water bay in the world. There's an awesome array of reefs in exceptional conditions, stunning underwater topography and fish diversity that some of the world's better known dive destinations could only dream of. It is the only place in the world where barrier reefs, atolls and fringing reefs are found together.
Togeans Diving Environment
Togean diving environment: huge sponges and sea fans, drop offs with crevasses and overhangs, canyons, rocks formations, and pinnacles.
Una-una
Around the volcanic island of Una-una, there is an amazing array of sponges of all size and shape diversity, probably among the biggest in the world.
The fish life is very dense: schools of Jack and barracuda, bumphead parrotfish, numerous Napoleon wrasses, snappers, fusiliers, etc.
Other dive sites include beautiful drop offs with crevasses and overhangs, canyons, rocks formations, pinnacles, all offering a great variety of spectacular underwater scenery.
The good visibility here means you can spot huge schools of barracudas forming vast shimmering whirlpool walls.
Blue marlins have been seen dashing through the water, and if you see one of those you certainly will never forget this place!
Wreck diving at South Togians: the B24 Liberator
The wreck is an American B24 bomber from the Second World War, lies almost intact on an 18 meters bottom.
The plane was on its way back to its base on Morotai Island (north Moluccas) when an engine went on fire.
The pilot managed to alight on the waters of this calm bay. All the crew was safe and went to the land where the local people rescued them.
A large school of jacks is always on the spot, shrimps, glass fishes, crocodile fish.
Another good place to dive in South Togian is a pinnacle coming up from a bottom of more than 200 meters, which culminates at 27 meters, is visited by numerous pelagic fishes: tunas, white tips and grey reef sharks, schools of jacks, sea turtles.
There is a beautiful coverage of soft and hard corals here.
Pasir Tengah Atoll
You dive straight down along an absolutely vertical wall that goes down to abyssal depth. The deep and transparent blue of the water -the visibility is generally excellent-, gives to this dive a special fantasy ambient. This is the archetype of the "wall", where hang huge tubes and barrel sponges, black corals, where are cruising tunas, eagle rays, ascending and descending schools of Platax and Trevally. The wall also presents beautiful overhangs and crevasses. This is also a typical dive profile of the tropics where you slowly get up along the wall and finish your tanks at the top of the reef looking at the aquarium.
There is another wall, with a lot of overhangs and horizontal faults. It’s a very good site for photographers, with a good coverage of soft corals. There is a large swim through at 40 feet deep, with walls and ceiling covered by bright yellow siphonogorgias. The wall between 6 and 3 meters is colonized by an amazing quantity of various kinds of nudibranchs and critters.
Togeans various kinds of nudibranchs & critters
Togeans various kinds of nudibranchs and critters: Ambonesis scorpion fish, Costasiella kuroshimae, Elysia timida, and Gymnodoris ceylonica.
Kadidiri
It is a rocky formation outside the barrier reef -the barrier reef runs along almost all the north coast of Togian Islands-. We leave the bottom of the reef wall at a depth of 55 feet and follow the sandy bottom in between massive rocks, where we frequently spot giant groupers. The last rock, at 100 feet depth, makes a wall on its outside part falling in the deep blue, from where are coming up tunas and schools of Jacks. We then follow the top of this rock that forms a flat platform covered with colorful soft corals, sponges and splendid huge gorgonians.
Batu Gila
It’s a special spot for pelagics outside the barrier reef of Kadidiri, a reef with a top at 27m on a sandy bottom of about 70m. When the currents are strong at certain periods of the tide, the fish life is very dense: schools of jacks, barracudas, white tips, grey reef sharks and sometime hammerheads. Due to the strong currents, this dive is only offered to experienced divers.
WHERE TO STAY TO DIVE TOGIANS
There are some structures offering accommodation and dive center facilities in Togian Islands National Park. Only a few liveaboards have ventured into this remote region of Central Sulawesi, currently the liveaboards on offer are full boat charter only. Follow the link for further information.
Una Una Dive Resort
Una Una Dive Resort offer scuba diving in the remote dive spots of Togian Islands National Park
TOGIAN ISLANDS CHARTERS
There are few experienced dive boats in the Togian Islands, and only a few include Togean on their regular itineraries. However, it is possible to privately rent a liveaboard and arrange on request, diving or leisure cruises, in this part of central Sulawesi to visit and enjoy some of the clearest and most transparent waters in all of Indonesia.
Even if diving and snorkeling are the main activities, the Togeans offers many other interesting experiences for the surface interval. These beautiful scattered islands in the turquoise sea of the calm Bay of Tomini are ideal for island hopping and to visit the tranquil and welcoming Bajau villages. Most Bajau people -25,000 throughout Togean- have settled in villages that sit above the sea on stilts. As you cruise among the islands, you will see these stilted houses which connect to each other by a long footbridge and their tiny wooden boats, some supported with spider-like outriggers, some of them with a single triangle sails, a truly idyllic setting for your travel photography.
Getting to know the Bajau People, with their strong culture and peaceful way of life, is probably the most endearing experience on this journey, that could be easily combined with the Tanah Toraja Tour, in the highlands of Sulawesi, to meet another uncredible ethnic group of Indonesia: the Toraja People.
DIVING FACTS
Diving season: March to December is the best time to dive Togian Islands since it is the dry season, but is possible to dive it all year round in a good time conditions. Rainy season: From January to February. Water temperature: 27-30°C. A 3mm shorty should be more than sufficient. Visibility: 20-40m. Depths: 5- >50m. Currents: Gentle. Surface conditions: Calm. Experience level: Beginner - intermediate - advanced. Dive sites: >30. Length of stay: Recommended 7-10 days.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Airport: Manado. International flight to Manado. Weather: 27-30°C. Indonesia has two seasons: wet and dry. In most of Indonesia the wet season is from October to April and the dry from May to September. Central Sulawesi rainy season runs from December to March, but being in the tropics, the rain is only intermittent rather than torrential. Time zone: Sulawesi GMT +8. Transit night & connecting flight: You may need to spend one night in transit in Indonesia before and/or after your cruise, depending on your domestic and international flight schedules. We have the most competitive airfares with the most convenient flight timetables, and hotels for all budgets.
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