Miguel's Diving

The equatorial waters of Gorontalo contain incredible marine diversity. The area contains over 500 species of hard coral alone. Seasoned divers are typically astonished at the dense, diverse corals here. Another distinctive is giant sponges, some as large as two meters. The highly carved surface of Salvador Dali sponges (Petrosia lignosa) is unique to Gorontalo. The ever-growing list of new species includes the adorable Blue belly blenny (Ecsenius caeruliventris), which is endemic to Tomini Bay, Sulawesi. As the pioneer of diving here, Miguel's Diving staff has discovered new species. Coleman's coral shrimp (Vir colemani) was described in December 2003 and has only been found in Papua and Gorontalo. Divers can usually see most of the new/undescribed species here during three days of diving. With waters plunging below four kilometers, cetaceans swim past the coral walls every season. This includes whale sharks and orca.

Miguel's Diving uses two custom-built speed boat for easy diving. Dive sites begin within ten minutes of the boat dock with the farthest sites less than hour's travel time. In addition to spectacular walls, Gorontalo also has multiple pinnacles, submerged points, muck, caverns and two wrecks, including a 1942 Japanese era cargo vessel. Guests usually request three dives per day. Over 30 dive sites are currently offered.

Dive equipment is available for rent. Advance bookings are strongly recommended, especially during holiday periods. Dive season is November to April because of local wind conditions. Contact us about off season diving. Divers can fly daily to Gorontalo (GTO) from Jakarta (CGK), Denpasar Bali (DPS), or Makassar (UPG).

Boat Description:

two custom-built speed boats

Sites Visited:

Dramatic coral walls, steep slopes, multiple pinnacles, shallow coral gardens, submerged points, muck, caverns & two wrecks

Facilities:

• Own Boat(s)
• Diving seven days

• Showers
• Scuba hire