Bunaken's signature wall dive, with green and hawksbill turtles on almost every drop.
Lekuan is the dive most people come to Bunaken for. The reef edge falls away as a near-vertical wall that runs for several kilometers, split by operators into Lekuan I, II and III. From a shallow shelf at 5 meters it drops past 40 and keeps going into the blue.
The wall itself is the draw: old barrel sponges, fans, and black coral trees growing out sideways, with green and hawksbill turtles resting on ledges. Seeing several turtles in one dive is normal here, not lucky. Schools of fusiliers, snapper, and the occasional napoleon wrasse or reef shark patrol the edge.
This is drift diving along a sheer drop, so you want a certification and steady buoyancy to enjoy it rather than fight it.
Getting there
Lekuan sits on the south side of Bunaken island, a 40 to 60 minute boat ride from Manado depending on the boat and sea state. Almost every Bunaken or Manado dive operator runs it as a standard guided drift dive, usually as the first or second tank of a day trip. You buy the marine park e-ticket before or on arrival.
Best time
Diving is good year round, but the calmest seas and best visibility usually fall in the dry months from roughly April to November. Currents vary with the tide, so guides time the drop to suit conditions.
Good to know
Bring decent buoyancy control, since you are diving a vertical wall and it is easy to drift deep without noticing. Watch your depth and gauge, follow your guide's line along the reef, and keep a safe distance from turtles rather than chasing them for photos.
Yes, to dive it you need an open water certification at minimum. Snorkelers can float over the shallow reef top, but the wall, turtles, and big fish are best seen on scuba.
Very likely. Green and hawksbill turtles are resident along this wall, and seeing several in a single dive is common rather than rare.
They range from gentle to moderate drift depending on the tide. With basic buoyancy skills it is comfortable, but it is a wall, so manage your depth and stay with your guide.
Add it to a route across Indonesia and we will work out the travel time and cost between every stop.
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