Indonesia, this beloved country, is a great place for diving. Count it, in an archipelago that lies between two continents and oceans, there are more than 17,000 islands from the tip of Sumatra to Papua. Surrounded border between the Andaman Sea, Singapore, South China Sea, Malaysia, and the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean and Australia. Marine and ocean! Imagine how unlimited the sea water in which to dive!
Exotic dive locations in Indonesia are so many and varied. Starting from Thousand Islands, Ujung Kulon, Karimun Jawa, Kalimantan, Bali and Sumbawa, Komodo, Wakatobi, Bangka, Banda and Flores, Bintan, Makassar, Bunaken, to Raja Ampat in Irian Jaya.
Bunaken
Bunaken Island, which is located in North Sulawesi, the aircraft can be reached directly from Jakarta for 3 hours and 10 minutes. For about 15-40 minutes from the outskirts of Manado, capital of North Sulawesi province using motor boats, mountain pass Manado Tua, you can see immediately Bunaken Island is located right next to Siladen Island. Bunaken Island national marine park has famous in the world with an area of over 75,000 hectares, which is divided by 3 percent land and 97 percent of the oceans, including the Bunaken Marine Park.
One travel magazine in the UK in the article entitled "World Top 10 Best Dives Destination" Bunaken Marine Park named as one of the best diving destinations in the world. The award was not excessive because the Bunaken Marine Park was established in 1991, is surrounded by five islands within it, namely the island of Manado Tua, Bunaken Island, Siladen Island, Island Mantehage, following some children island, and the island Naen that the overall number has 29 point dive (dive spot) was fantastic!
What makes Bunaken special?
Bunaken Island is one of the island which has a marine biodiversity or biodiversity in the world. Bunaken Marine Park itself is a protected marine park because there are a variety of plants and animals that are protected for the benefit of fisheries and marine, and of course tourism.
There are fifty-eight species of coral and 2,000 species of fish in the Bunaken Marine Park. Among these fish Riding Gusumi (Hippocampus), Oci White (Seriola rivoliana), Lolosi Tail Yellow (Lutjanus kasmira), grouper (Epinephelus spilotoceps Pseudanthias hypselosoma), Ila Gasi (Scolopsis bilineatus), species of molluscs such as giant clam (Tridacna gigas), Goats head (Cassis cornuta), hollow Nautilus (Nautilus pompillius), and many more. In addition, many rare marine animals that can be found in the park, like coelacanths, dugongs, whales, dolphins, and sea turtles.
No time off-seasons, alias anytime can dive in Bunaken. Although according to my personal experience, the best time for diving in Bunaken is in May and June. At times like that you are greeted by a sea water is clear and warm (air temperature of 26 degrees Celsius-31 degrees Celsius). Calm sea water almost without waves and currents, with a visibility of 20 meters-35 meters, allowing I can clearly see the charm of coral reefs and colorful fish with a depth of only 5 meters! The depth of the dive in Bunaken between 5 meters and 40 meters.
Diving in Bunaken is a special trip. See underwater scenery provides considerable international experience. We will see and feel how the dive location ramps rich coral reefs, fish species such as "Nemo fish" (clown fish), fish school, and a group of colorful fish passing.
At depths greater than 18 meters, you will experience diving in the sea cliffs (wall diving), if we "fly" in the depths of the abyss (drop-off) that seems without basis. Occasional can meet with a giant turtle that supposedly was nearly 100 years old, manta rays (manta, sting and eagle rays), snapper, grouper, barracuda, napoleon wrasse, angel fish, blow fish, blue ribbon eels, lobster, until the sharks!
For the under water photographer be sure will not be disappointed with the chances of drawing a very spectacular and interesting to bear the images of captivating photos. A friend who is a professional photographer, Hanny Kandou which incidentally also dive-master perpetuate our diving activities at a depth of 20 meters under the sea with photo equipment that is complex. However, the images which get very dramatic. Exciting also take a picture in the sea, can forget the anxiety and affraid.
Leaning to Dive.
I still remember the first time diving. At that time I was on vacation in the Park with a friend of mine, Agnes. Because it can not dive, I had to content themselves with snorkeling; recreational sports floating on the surface of the water that comes masks and frog's legs I have done in several years . When the underwater visibility pretty clear. Approximately 5 meters from the surface of the water, I could see Agnes, who was diving together Hanny. Agnes freely play with the fish Nemo only include snorkeling gear like me! Agnes looks breathing with a buddy-breathing technique, which is borrowed from the regulator or breathing apparatus Hanny. So good he was, did not need to bother carrying heavy air tube, he dives without encumbrance.
From there, I was interested to try diving. Recklessness was making me accept the challenge Hanny only equip me a crash course for 15 minutes. I was taught three important things;
First, how to breathe using the regulator. Breathing through the mouth, by means of a plastic bite regulators in order not lepas. Second, there are two buttons that are connected in BC (buoyancy control, a kind of air-filled vest) that need to be considered. Inflating and deflating button button. Inflating button to fill the air in BC so that the body becomes light so the body will float up to the surface of the water, while deflating button is used to deflate the air in BC so that the body becomes heavy and slowly the body will "sink" into the past the water.It taught is sign language.
Due in the water we could not speak, then the only way to communicate is through sign language, the gestures thumb and forefinger to form the letter "O" means "we are in the circumstances okay, good; then signaled by hand that moved horizontally to the left and to the right, which means "we are in bad condition; nervousness, panic, dizziness, etc. "; and cue the third is" RCTI oke "which is driven up and down, which means" I want to ride! "So I always smiled when he saw an ad private television with a thumbs-up in water which states "RCTI okay", which means in sign language divers is "RCTI want to ride!" armed with three brief knowledge, I ventured to directly dive! An unforgettable experience when I see the coral reefs and hundreds of fish in the depths four meters made me almost forget to breathe! If you remember that experience, I felt very stupid for a year and then I take a diving course and dive instructor I opened the class taught him with one question, namely "What are the consequences dive?" with the answer landslide that is, "Dead! "I should not be doing dives with just a crash course in that time! Whew! Sports scuba diving or set contained underwater breathing apparatus is a sport that is quite dangerous. However, if we know how to dive properly, then this event is very exciting.
No official institution in Indonesia Sports Centre Diving Indonesia (possi), Confederation Mondiale des Activities Subaquatiques (CMAS) from Italy, Professional Association Diving Instructors (PADI), Scuba Diving International, and several diving agencies. I take a diving course for five day (two days of theory and three days of practice) to get open water dive certification from the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI). I was taught the basic knowledge and diving techniques. I also learned about scuba gear, dive knowledge, self-rescue efforts and how to practice safe diving and comfortable, equally important is learning how to be a diver who is responsible for the environment. In the Bunaken Marine Park, still visible some garbage on the water surface. Is not unusual when diving I often take plastic waste or beverage cans are stuck on the reef and took him into the boat. Activities prohibited by the local government and Nature Conservation in the Park is fishing, felling trees and damaging the marine ecosystems with a fine of up to Rp 2 million and a maximum of 10 years in prison. Hopefully it can become official regulations are adhered to by the locals, especially for the visitor. In two days of theory, I was taught about the dive schedule, ie depth and dive time, as an example at a depth of 21 meters with a time of immersion for 40 minutes, decompression stop, or when we had to stop a few times when we finished the dive and rise to the surface of the water, as well as techniques of diving more serious. The course ends with a test dive theory that must be met before proceeding to practice.
In three practice days held in pool, I was trained how to breathe in water using a regulator and also put up their own diving equipment properly. Ease in Indonesia, divers spoiled with dive-master is ready to help pair the diving equipment to us so that divers stay down and diving. In second day, at the bottom of the lake, I was taught the technique of cleaning mask, buddy-breathing as that of Agnes with dive buddy- her, and reassemble the diving equipment that intentionally released at a depth of eight meters. Well actually a little scared, but fortunately I managed to do it with a good practice. The third day is the practice of diving on the high seas, including how to jump out of the boat, how to cope with panic, and how to dive with the current flow and self-rescue techniques in water.
Cool right? Another important thing to note is that we should be in good health as smoking asthma, heart disease, epilepsy, and diabetes, as well as mentally healthy, and throw away the panic and thoughts of all sorts. Can not swim? Do not worry. If you think you can not dive because they can not swim, you are mistaken. Precisely when you can "sink", then you can dive! Let the sea levels rose slowly through your mask and body slowly sinking from the surface of the sea, and still breathe normally! Furthermore, the wonderful experience of a lifetime awaits you! Diving can provide the most incredible feeling I have ever tasted and I would have remembered forever.
Ready to try? Let's plunge into the sea and see the beauty of the natural world under the sea!
