Destinations:
The Sangihe Archipelago, Indonesia
Asian Diver (1996)

The thought of diving in Indonesia’s Sangihe-Talaud archipelago conjures up visions of underwater volcanoes, lava flows and lost cities waiting to be rediscovered. Until now, access to diving in this fascinating area has been limited to specially arranged charters on a liveaboards dive boat operated by a diving center in Manado. SEAL, a world class dive charter company, is about to change that. Beginning in June, SEAL will run regularly scheduled six and nine day cruises through the Sangihe Islands from their base in Lembeh Strait. Trips will run through September.

The Sangihe-Talaud archipelago lies off the northeast tip of Sulawesi. The forty or so islands are laid out like a series of "stepping stones" that bridge the gap between Indonesia and the Philippines. This area, called the "ring of fire" because of its many volcanoes, separates the Sulawesi and Maluku seas. The islands are surrounded by deep, clear waters and abundant marine life.

The imposing beauty of these islands contrasts nicely with the serenity of the surrounding sea and sky. Numerous bays and inlets form the natural shelters that make these islands perfect for cruising and diving. Ocean sunsets and steaming volcanoes add to the exotic visual appeal of this remote island group. Sangihe Island, the largest of the southern islands, is dominated by Mt. Awu, elevation 1,320 meters, an active volcano that last erupted in 1979. Another active volcano further south regularly spews forth ash and lava, creating an impressive natural fireworks display at night and in the wee hours of the morning.

Makalehi Island, an overnight sail from mainland Sulawesi, is surrounded by a fringing reef marked with overhangs and plenty of sea fans. Just off the south side of the island is Needle Point, a series of exposed pinnacles that attracts schools of jacks, fusiliers and banner fish. Hammerheads and dolphins are also occasionally spotted here.

Ruang is a beautiful island dominated by a volcanic cone. The volcano is covered with lush vegetation, in stark contrast to the sweeping black lava flow that runs from the crater to the depths of the sea. The cooled, porous lava makes a perfect substrate for new corals, sponges and other reef life. This is one of the prettiest reefs in the islands. An astonishing variety of invertebrates and reef fish dominates the area. The north side of the lava flow has a picturesque bay with a good anchorage and an interesting night diving spot. The area is filled with large basket stars.

Pinnacles at Biaro, the southernmost island in the group, are covered with soft coral trees and sea fans. Dogtooth tuna, sweetlips, snappers and bumphead parrotfish provide nonstop action.

Mahengetang is the site of an underwater volcano that rises to within a few meters of the surface, and is one of the most unusual and desolate dive sites in the world. The barren seascape is strewn with large boulders and rubble. Yellow sulfur deposits cover everything like a thick coating of dust. Near the top of the volcano you can see hundreds of small bubbles racing for the surface as hot gasses escape from the heart of the volcano. Definitely weird and not to be missed.

Kahakitang Island has a beautiful, sheltered bay for spending the night. Lots of nudibranchs and other invertebrates in the shallows make the bay a fun place for a night dive. Further north, the steep slopes of Batu Lima and Inis Island are awash with strong currents that bring in hundreds of unicornfish, fusiliers and bannerfish. Lipang Island is the northernmost point in the island group. Its Horseshoe Reef boasts one of the largest populations of surgeonfish, fusiliers, and pyramid butterflyfish I’ve ever seen. The island of Lipang is noteworthy for two reasons: its inhabitants decorate their canoes with long, colorful, needlelike prows, and each home site is equipped with a solar panel as part of a government experiment for generating electricity in remote areas.

The northwest side of Sangihe Island is the site of a "lost city", reputed to have been swallowed by the sea a long time ago. It is difficult to ascertain the location of this modern-day Atlantis, but it is great fun to try. Although we did not find the sunken city we did find some good diving along the coast – lots of black coral trees, sea fans and giant sponges.

The cruises to the Sangihe Islands are set to coincide with the twice-weekly Silk Air flights from Singapore to Manado. The Crescent is a comfortable, 18,5 meter ketch that can accommodate up to 10 divers in four cabins. Diving is from the yacht but an inflatable dinghy with a 40hp engine is also available. The Crescent is fully equipped with two electric compressors, a desalinator, GPS navigation systems, etc. She carries ample dive tanks, weights, dive lights and has camera charging facilities. A small amount of rental equipment is available and should be booked in advance to insure availability. An English-speaking captain and divemaster and a Thai cook and deck hand round out the crew of for.