Dive Sites of Gorontalo
Tomini Bay, north Sulawesi
Scuba diving in Gorontalo was only started some four or five years ago by an enthusiast who was keen to find a viable alternative to the more established and popular nearby destinations in Sulawesi.
Located on the rugged, northern coastline of mountains and rolling hills in Tomini Bay, Gorontalo not only has similar riches in biodiversity, but it also has its own unique mix of marine life and many species that are endemic to this area. To date ten new species, some only ever found in Gorontalo, have been internationally recognised and many more are slated for further investigation.
You may be wondering why the Gorontalo diving sites would posess such exciting and colourful creatures as the orange-backed wrasse, yellow-spotted slingjaw wrasse, Sarasvati's commensal shrimp and Coleman's coral shrimp. The truth lies in the unique diving conditions that exist here - Gorontalo is located very close to The Equator and its coastal walls plunge into a deep and very calm bay, allowing deep water marine species to come in very close to the dive sites. It's also near the centre of "The Golden Triangle" of marine bio-diversity.
With only one dive centre operating in Gorontalo, you can sample for yourself this fascinating brand of deep healthy coral walls, wreck diving, pinnacles and bays, in waters that are only crowded by fish.
With the 15 dive sites being just a few minutes from town, diving in Gorontalo will appeal to you if you have an interest in marine life identification and in absorbing some authentic culture of Indonesian rural city life. The latest dive destination in Indonesia to be receiving media attention and earning plaudits, Gorontalo, which is only a daily one hour flight from Manado International Airport, rightly deserves the praise and its place amongst the top diving destinations in Sulawesi.
Diving Season
The Gorontalo scuba diving season runs from November to April. Outside of this time, the winds make surface conditions too unreliable for trips to be guaranteed.
Gorontalo Diving Reef Basics
Depth: 5 - >40m
Visibility: 20 - 30m
Currents: Gentle
Surface Conditions: Calm
Water Temperature: 28 - 30°C
Experience Level: Beginner - advanced
PADI Course Compatibility: Great for underwater naturalist and fish identification
Access: Gorontalo dive day trips and resorts
Dive Sites
More detailed information on some of the diving sites of Gorontalo:
Dive The World Recommendations: Honeycomb and Sentinels.
Other dive sites close to Gorontalo:
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