When talking about the most paradisaical places on Earth, The Bunaken National Marine Park has to be mentioned. Formally established in 1991, this park is the first one established in the long Indonesian list. Bunaken (which is just a part of the whole park) is situated in the North of the Sulawesi Island.
The Marine Park has a surface of 890 sq km. 97% of this area is represented by the tropical waters and only the remaining 3% is dry land. Also, the 3% of the land covers islands like Bunaken, Manado Tua, Mantehage, Nain and Siladen. Although the Indonesian rule applies here as well, most of the tourists visiting the park are driven here by the amazing bio-diversity of the waters.
One of the strong features of the park is the natural characteristics. The waters are very deep, reaching 1556 m in Manado Bay, crystal clear (in some points the visibility reaches up to 40 meters) and they have a pleasant temperature (27 to 29 Celsius degrees). All of these attributes improve the scuba diving activities and the “underwater sightseeing”.
Moreover, the park has an exclusive bathymetry - the direct drop of the coastal area into the continental shelf. If you dive in this area or in any other 24 diving sites in Bunaken, you can see more than 70% of the fish species in the Western Pacific (almost 2500). In addition, a vast number of rare and endangered species of animals like coelacanths, dugongs, whales, dolphins and turtles live here. Also, here you can find 7 of the 8 species of giant clams, registered worldwide.
The rich diversity of the biological scenery in The Bunaken National Marine Park is explained by the presence of the continuous and strong oceanic currents. The northeasterly currents that cross the water surface of the park, along with the gyros, complementary to the lunar cycles form a natural trap for the larvas. But this amazing variety is threatened by the 20,000 people that live in the area and whose main living resources are the natural resources in the park. Unless coherent policies are implemented for this national park, all these wonderful facts may become history.
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