Manado is the provincial capital of North
Sulawesi and the 27th province in the
Republic of Indonesia. Manado lines the
shores of the Sulawesi Sea to the west
(Manado Bay) and spreads out along the
foot of the volcanic and mountainous Minahasa
Highlands to the south. To the north and
east, Manado borders coconut plantations
and rice fields as far as the eye can
see. Wenang was the original name of the
port and spice trade town and was later
changed to Manado in 1623. Manado covers
an area of 180 ha or an average of 0,6
% of the entire North Sulawesi province.
The total population is estimated to be
a total of 510.000 people.
The
islands around Manado Bay, the Lembeh
Strait and adjacent marine reserves offer
thousands of hectares of beautiful islands,
reefs, coastline and sea, waiting to be
explored. There's a wide choice of dive
sites suitable for both experienced and
novice divers alike. The underwater profiles
range from steep drop-offs with trenches,
caves and crevices, coral grown slopes,
sand slopes covered with sporadic coral
blocks, boulder slopes originating from
former lava flows to rock pinnacles and
underwater canyons, all of which are inhabited
by a wonderful profusion of hard and soft
corals, sponges and exhibiting a tremendous
wealth of reef and pelagic fish. There's
so much diversity in Manado's psychedelic
marine coliseums and something special
for everyone to see! Discover and venture
one of natures most wonderful and impressive
underwater habitats and be enchanted by
the grandeur of Manado's subterranean
phenomenas.
Rare species such as crocodile snake eels,
pegasus sea moths, stargazers, ornate
ghostpipe fish, leaf scorpionfish, flying
gunards, frog fish, yellow ribbon eels
among several unidentified nudibranch
and crustacean species can be sighted
here, many during night dives!
The
renown Molas wreck can be found only a
stone throw away from the resort jetty.
The steel-hulled Dutch merchant ship that
sunk in 1942, lies at a depth of 35m-40m
on a sandy slope. The ships open hull
is easily accessible for divers. The wreck
has become the habitat for grouper, trevallies,
crocodile fish, wrasse and schools of
surgeon and unicorn fish besides beautiful
soft corals decorating the deck and railings.
Here encounters with white tip sharks
resting below the stern and frequent visits
by eagle rays often arouses curiosity
and great affection towards the wreck
and it's inhabitants.
The coral reef which is in close proximity
to the wreck has some gorgeous stag-horn
and lettuce coral formations. It's here
that sporadic patches of sandy terrain
between the lush coral growth offer ideal
conditions for groups of garden eels,
jawfish, filefish, dartfish, gobies, cowfish
and the elusive but ardently loved mandarin
fish, all of which are permanent residents
of the Molas reef.
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