Rising from the depths of the Banda Sea, the main islands of Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomea, Binongki - WaKaToBi - dish up large portions of all the world's reef types - fringing, atoll and barrier - and are served with lashings of healthy corals and dense schools of fish. Jacques Cousteau was sufficiently moved to claim this area the finest diving site in the world and the area is now regularly visited by Indonesian liveaboards.
The reefs of Wakatobi diving are unlike others in the region because of the dry climate and uplifted limestone or, in other words, fossilised reefs. This means there is an exceptionally clean environment due to the lack of soil erosion.
Being a national park, fishing is strictly limited and the reefs are protected, meaning plenty of action for you the diver. Local fishing communities obtain a fair share of the income generated by Wakatobi dive tourism in exchange for adopting more sustainable practices, such as leaving large stretches of reef completely untouched. Other contributions go towards education and strengthening local support for the marine park.
Word is beginning to spread about Wakatobi but it is still relatively new. Indeed there are even new sites out there waiting to be discovered, particularly in the outer atolls which are virtually untouched. Dive in and discover the animal attractions here in the Banda Sea.
Not only does Wakatobi have the most pristine reefs on the planet - and perhaps the only reefs on earth which are actually thriving, getting healthier, richer and more diverse each year - but now you can discover something so different and magical, that you will never see marine creatures the same way again. Taking you back to premier ocean discovery, we call it “FLUORO-Diving". Experienced divers, not afraid of spooky, low-light conditions, can now intensify their night diving and sneak peek at the reef to find crazy green bubble anemones, burning red feather stars, freaky blue shrimps, brightly red scorpion fish, green glowing brain and mushroom corals and glowing green lizard fish.
Diving Season:
Wakatobi is best dived between March and December and during July and August, while the water temperature may drop a little along with the visibility this is the best time for big numbers of fish. Temperatures fluctuate between a low of 25°C in August and a high of 30°C in October.
Top Dive Sites:
“House Reef” - A mere 20 metres from your bed, you can simply fin into the paradise that is Wakatobi's House Reef. Breakfast has never heard so much enthusiastic chatter as it does here, with tales abounding of the delights of what many call "The Best House Reef in the World".
First you swim along a sandy bottom of snake eels and flounders, blue-spotted rays and shrimp gobies before reaching the drop-off where, after greeting the resident school of trevallies, you can descend to 12 metres and check out the as yet unnamed species of pygmy seahorse, resident on a sea fan.
Then gently drift along the craggy wall past beautiful pristine corals and anemones housing all manner of shrimps, crabs and nudibranchs. There is so much to see here with the lionfish, scorpion fish and batfish, that if you aren't careful you might miss the sight of a few early morning turtles and eagle rays about their business in the blue.
It is little wonder that, given both the beauty and proximity of this dive, many divers come back here in the evening. With your torch at the ready you can marvel at this extraordinary explosion of colour just a hop, skip and a giant stride from your bed.
“Coral Garden” - one of the top Wakatobi diving sites, offering a dazzling array of mixed coral forms and formations at all depths. It's not just coral though as there are all manner of marine visitors to the garden. After the adrenalin of getting down through the current, suddenly once in the bowl, all is calm.
Watch the cleaner wrasse tend to their clients including longface emperors and slingjaw wrasse. Cruise around in the calm water knowing that above you the currents sweep past, and idle with the garden eels and goatfish keeping your eye out for any big boys who happen to be passing.
“Roma” - In the opinion of many that have been scuba diving in Wakatobi, Roma is as good as any dive site in the world. Sinking in through rays of light you will be instantly greeted by large schools of fusiliers, and red-tooth triggerfish swirling around. The centre point of the site is an extraordinary pinnacle teeming with life. Anywhere other than Wakatobi this pinnacle would be a dive in itself. Banded sea snakes are very common here and divers have seen them in double figures.
Aside from the pinnacle you can cruise around the other undulating mounds endowed with pristine coral and anemones. 2 of the smaller bommies are great for focusing on the macro life. One is home to several leaf fish of green, white, yellow and black sometimes perching in a pink sea fan. If you have the time and inclination you can search under reef boulders with your torch for the rare and beautifully patterned comet fish.