DIVE SITES AROUND TO LOMBOK ISLAND (INDONESIA)

There are over 3,500 marine species living in the reefs and seas of Indonesia. In comparison to the Great Barrier Reef (1,500 species) and Red Sea (600 species), 25 % of all reefs in the world are in Indonesia.

The drop-offs, plateaus and slopes of the Gili's reflect a good cross-section of what Indonesia has to offer. Dive in and be fascinated by turtles, White-tip Reef Sharks, Cuttlefish, Moray Eels, Angel Fish, Ghost Pipefish and more.
Around the three Gili Island in the north-west of Lombok (Gili Air, Gili Meno, Gili Trawangan), are more then 15 different dive spots and there are new reefs being explored all the time.

Shark Point & Volkers' Golf Course

Shark Point, to the east of Gili Trawangan, is a popular dive spot in the mornings. This dive site consists of different levels (24m, 20m, 18m). It starts with a slope of hard and soft corals, the "native territory" of Green and Hawksbill Turtles.

The different levels are sandy areas with small coral locks - the variety of underwater life is large, starting with schools of Trevally Napoleon Fish to White-tip Reef Sharks and Rays in the sandy areas, ending up with Ribbon Eels, Leaf Fish and even Mantas.

Volkers' Golf Course is about 500 m east of Shark Point and starts at a depth of about 20m. It looks green like a golf course and is the best site to see Sharks, Schools of Mackerel and Doctor Fish. Because of its depth and the sometimes very strong currents, it is a dive for advanced divers.

Meno Wall

Meno wall, off the west coast of Gili Meno, goes down to depths of 18m. It offers a lot of small coral fish like Lionfish, Soldier Fish, Gobies, crabs, as well as Wart Slugs and Nudibranches coming out of hiding. It is also called "Turtle Heaven" because of the many resident Hawksbill and Green Turtles.

Air Wall

Air Wall, to the west of Gili Air, is a very beautiful wall that, due to the soft coral cover, shines yellow-orange depending on the position of the sun. The highlight of this wall is a coral block at 22m in which Leaf Fish (Scorpion Fish) make their "home", surrounded by shrimps, Pipe Fish, White-banded Cleaner Shrimps and thousands of Glass Fish. Look into the deeper parts for White-tip Reef Sharks.

Coral Fan Garden & Basket Coral Garden
Also popular for morning dives are the two dive spots in the north of Gili Trawangan: Coral Fun Garden and Basket Coral Garden. In the first few metres you have the feeling of being in an aquarium - schools of colored Fairy Basslets, Fusiliers, Banner Fish live here. Deeper, around the big coral and stone blocks, Groupers, Batfish, Trumpet Fish, hiding Octopus and Bearded Scorpion Fish. Look out to the blue: sometimes Eagle Rays, Mantas or Reef Sharks can be seen.

Manta Point

In the rainy season, when the water is rich with plankton, this dive site in the south of Gili Trawangan gives you the best chance to see Manta Rays. But even without the Mantas, you still have a good chance to see Reef Sharks and Turtles.

THE NATURE SEAWATER

Nowhere in nature can absolutely clear water be found. Even rainwater contains dissolved minerals. For example, 30kg of rainwater contains about 1g of solid substances, whereas 1kg of seawater contains about 35g different salts. Salinity is a very important characteristic and it directly influences the viability of the organisms living in the water. The total amount of dissolved salts in the oceans is 48 quadrillion tonnes. Most of it is NaCl (77.8%), to which the saline taste of seawater is due. Magnesium chloride accounts for 10.9% and it gives the water a specific bitterish taste. Then come sulfates (10.8%), carbonates (.5%), etc. The overall amount of salts may vary in different regions of the Ocean but the composition and the percentile content remain the same. The average ocean salinity is 35% and increases starting at the Equator and reaching 15–20º latitude, then it decreases towards the poles. This phenomenon can be explained with the distribution of water vapors and also with the saline waters transported from the tropical zones by warm currents. Salinity in the northern part of the Indian Ocean changes according to the season. Seas have greater salinity than oceans. The Dead Sea has the greatest salinity of all (256%), and the smallest is that of the Baltic Sea (5–7%).
The presence of more than 44 chemical elements has been established so far. Besides the popular oxygen, hydrogen, chlorine, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, and iodine, seawater also contains Al, Cu, Zn, Tn, Pb, Au, Ag, U, Mn, Hg, etc.
There are many gases dissolved in seawater, the largest amount being contributed by oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. Water dissolves oxygen better than nitrogen. That is why the ratio N:O which is 4:1 on dry land, changes to 2:1 under water.

Scuba Diving in North Sulawesi

Gangga Diver's PADI "Gold Palm" Dive Center is run by International dive instructors. Qualified guides and dive masters pride themselves in offering very personalized diving service to suit and divers of all levels of experience. The dive center provides racks for each room to store equipment and has toilet and shower facilities with hot water- perfect for after those night dives.With its more than 30 world-class diving locations, the island offers a wonderful variety of marine life with rare species and pristine reefs. Gangga is the ideal starting point for diving the Bangka Archipelago, Bunaken National Marine Park (near Manado) and Lembeh Strait. During your stay, the dive guides will help you discover the marvelous underwater world and see the astonishingly rich variety of flora and fauna which delights underwater photographers. Scientists of marine biology from all over the world come to study and photograph the marine life found here.Gangga Divers has 5 all-wood boats specifically built for diving, three with onboard toilets, all with easy on and off access. The engine power ranges from 80 plus horsepower to 360 plus. The staff on the boats is trained to anticipate all your diving needs. Each boat is also full stocked with towels, freshwater tanks for cameras, drinking water, hot drinks and snacks.







Gangga Divers also has a regulator service room and three of the guides have diplomas for repairing and maintaining Scuba Pro and Aqualung regulators.Being a member of the North Sulawesi Watersports Association (NSWA), Gangga Island Resort is committed to protecting the local reefs and is involved in conservation and development projects aimed at helping the local communities create sustainable tourism activities.






Gangga and Bangka Archipelago
(click to enlarge) The small island of Gangga offers a unique opportunity to dive some of the finest Indo Pacific dive sites. Located at the conjunction of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with more than 30 world class diving locations, the island offers a wonderful variety of marine life. It is perfectly situated to access both the North Sulawesi coast and other islands like Lihaga, Tindila, Talisei and Bangka.Click here for a few selected divesite descriptions of the Bangka/Gangga area.
Bunaken National Marine Park
(click to enlarge) This is a protected park of 75,265 hectares. In this area you find most of the species of coral fishes known to exist in Indonesia. There are more than 30 dive sites around five islands, including Montehage and Manado Tua. Because of its amazing visibility (20-30 meters), it is considered one of the best places in the world for diving. In 1997, a giant, prehistoric fish, the Coelacanth, which was thought to be extinct for more than 400 million years, was discovered here. Gangga Island is at a distance of 75 minutes from this diving paradise where you can dive with eagle rays, jackfish, tuna, sharks, turtles, napoleons, barracudas and so on.Click here for a few selected divesite descriptions of the Bunaken National Park.
Lembeh Strait
(click to enlarge) This area is a paradise for photographers owing to its 25 dive sites. It is widely known for its macro life. With an average of 10-20 meters of visibility, it is characterized by black, volcanic depths and its black sand slopes which highlight the amazing array of marine life. The Strait of Lembeh is famous amongst the best underwater photographers and organizations in the world because of the large selection of exotic, bizarre, and rare species. Gangga Island resort is approximately 75 minutes from this diving area. There you can discover pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, giant frog-fish, Pegasus sea moth, Hairy Frog-fish, giant seahorses, cockatoo wasp-fish, leaf scorpion-fishes, many varieties of eels and more.Click here for a few selected divesite descriptions of the Lembeh Strait.