"There are pygmy seahorses in 30 feet of water—I don’t believe it!" dive master Jenny Collister remembers thinking on her first Tukangbesi dive. And from that moment on, the show never stopped. In just a few feet of water, you see Picasso triggers, anemone fish and countless other species. A hundred feet from the shore is an underwater canyon with a wall that drops 100 feet to a shelf. There you might see batfish, crocodile fish and razorfish. The wall is a blooming, swaying explosion of angelfish, butterfly fish, rabbitfish and lionfish against a backdrop of orange, purple and red corals. And that’s just the house reef.
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The Tukangbesi archipelago, off the coast of southeastern Sulawesi, is part of a biological hot spot. The entire Indonesian archipelago, and surrounding waters, has the most extensive assortment of marine life on the planet. Sites such as Mari Mubuk (Bahasa Indonesia for "Let’s get drunk") is so named because the dazzle of undersea life will intoxicate you. Do a backward roll off the side and you just might come fact to face with a banded sea snake, which is highly venomous, but, luckily, docile—bites are exceedingly rare. At the deep walls you have the chance to see schools of moorish idols, giant stingrays, jacks, barracuda, and gray and blacktip sharks. If you’re at the right place at the right time, you could even spot dolphins and pilot whales.
In 1995, Swiss diver Lorenz Mader and his wife Renée opened Wakatobi, a dive resort in Tukangbesi, on the island of Tolandono. This all-inclusive dive destination resort combines all the facets of a world-class dive spot: location, reefs, marine biodiversity and professionalism.
Relatively few people have explored Wakatobi’s reefs and there are still many sites that have never been seen through a mask. Staff still find new species they didn’t know live here. Tukangbesi is remote and also a national marine reserve, which will hopefully ensure that the area will remain pristine. Wakatobi is careful about reef preservation. "Your safety comes first, and the reef is right behind it," Collister says. "If the guides see you kicking something, they’ll haul you out of the water." In addition, the resort actually subsidizes the meager wages of local park rangers and makes efforts to integrate with the local community, donating funds to the school in the island’s village.
To get there, you fly to Bali, then hop aboard the resort’s own plane for another 600 miles. The next day, you get up with the sun, grab a tank and just walk into the water—which hovers around 82°F—for a dive. Wakatobi’s house reef—the reef that’s right outside your bedroom door—is considered one of the best in the world. You take a breakfast break before you board a boat about 9 AM, do two dives and return for lunch at 1 PM. Afternoons are free time, and most people naturally spend time diving. Just sign up, grab a tank and off you go. It is the epitome of "unlimited diving."
REEF & RAINFOREST, USA
As a fully accredited and registered US Travel Agency, they work with you to tailor each trip to your specific interests and create an escape perfectly suited for you. They can provide you with accommodation, diving, air tickets, land excursions and transfers. Encounter Indonesia´s equally exotic natural wonders and culture on Bali, Java, Sulawesi, Borneo and the primitive tribes of Papua - the possibilities are endless. We know Indonesia inside and out; call for a customized itinerary! Reef & Rainforest can customize whatever dive escape you desire.
Reef & Rainforest
Dive and Adventure Travel
400 Harbor Drive Suite D
Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
Toll free: 1 800 794 9767
Local phone: (415) 289 1760
Fax: (415) 289 1763
E-Mail: info@reefrainforest.com
Web: http://www.reefrainforest.com/
WAKATOBI DIVE RESORT, SULAWESI, INDONESIA
Wakatobi Dive Resort - a multiple award-winning luxury eco dive resort where you experience a level of care, comfort and remoteness rarely found elsewhere. Blessed with a house reef where you can begin your snorkel and dive only a few steps from the dive center, Wakatobi is often described as a live aboard with a built-in beach!
Kuta Poleng Blok D-1
Jln Setiabudi - Simpang Siur
Kuta - Bali
80361 Indonesia.
Email: office@wakatobi.com
Telephone +62 361 759669
Fax : +62 361 752729
Wakatobi Dive Resort, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Tel1: +62 868 1212 2355
Tel2: +62 81 5575 1080
email:resort@wakatobi.com
Web: http://www.wakatobi.com./home.php