Bunaken National Park

Bunaken National Park is a marine park off the northern coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia, protecting coral reefs, islands and diverse marine life and recognized as one of Indonesia’s key dive destinations.

The park includes several small islands and offshore reef systems where visitors undertake scuba diving and snorkeling to see coral walls, reef fish and marine megafauna. Popular dive sites have steep coral drop-offs, abundant reef species and clear waters accessed from dive operators based in Manado.

The park was established to protect the region’s coral reef ecosystems and to regulate marine activities; over time it has become a focus for both conservation work and marine tourism, with ongoing efforts to balance protection and visitor use.

It lies in the waters north of Sulawesi, close to the city of Manado, and covers reef systems and islands set in the Sulawesi Sea within Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province.

• Marine protected area: A marine protected area off the northern tip of Sulawesi near Manado, established to conserve coral reefs and marine biodiversity.
• Diving and biodiversity: Contains multiple islands and is widely known for diving on steep reef walls and high coral and fish diversity.

What to See #

• Bunaken Island: Bunaken Island is the most visited island in the park, famed for its steep underwater walls and easy access to dive sites directly off the shore.
• Manado Tua: Manado Tua is a volcanic island with a conical profile rising sharply from the sea and offering viewpoints for the park.
• Siladen, Nain and Mantehage: Siladen, Nain and Mantehage are smaller islands in the park that provide reefs, village communities and access points for marine tourism and conservation activities.