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On this information to diving in Komodo Nationwide Park, we focus on the perfect dive websites, dive operators, liveaboard diving, marine life, and choices to dive from Flores Island. On this magical a part of the Coral Triangle, you possibly can anticipate to see probably the most great organisms, from large manta rays, dugongs, big trevallies, sunfish (mola mola), white tip reef sharks to superb tiny critters just like the toxic blue-ringed octopus, the pygmy seahorse, frogfish and spectacular onerous corals. The park is accessed by most from Labuan Bajo on Flores Island. Reaching Labuan Bajo from Bali is simple, try our Full Bali Diving Information for the whole lot it is advisable find out about diving from this well-liked island.
For extra about touring and exploring the island see our Komodo Island and Flores full information
Komodo Nationwide Park
Komodo Nationwide Park contains three massive islands; Komodo, Rinca, and Padar, and likewise contains many little islands to cowl a complete space of about 1,800 km2. In 1991 the Komodo nationwide park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Web site. The Park is house to greater than 4,000 dragons and is situated within the Coral Triangle which accommodates a few of the richest marine biodiversity on Earth, put together your self for unreal diving. Situated within the Indian Ocean the park is among the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
Highlights of Scuba Diving Komodo Island
Indonesia might be the perfect nation on this planet for diving round Komodo island is certainly one of many dive highlights on this underwater paradise. The quantity and number of fish are unreal, hundreds of thousands of reef fish of all shapes, colours, and sizes, and loads of large pelagic fish and sharks looking in crystal clear water on the pristine coral reefs. The highlights for many that go to the park are the large manta rays gliding round underwater and the Komodo Dragons strolling on Komodo and Rinca islands. Diving right here is principally in regards to the massive stuff, however don’t underestimate the macro life within the park, we noticed some superb issues; a blue-ringed octopus, seahorse, crocodile fish, pygmy seahorse, and extra.
We now have spent loads of time exploring totally different islands round Indonesia, and seeing what we expect is All of the Finest Diving Round Indonesia.
Liveaboard diving or diving from Labuan Bajo?
The Komodo Nationwide Park is situated throughout the Lesser Sunda Islands and contains Komodo, Rinca, Padar, and 26 small islands. The websites within the park are pretty unfold out, making this an awesome space to discover by liveaboard. You’ll be able to dive into many of the sights you’ll dive by liveaboard on day journeys from Labuan Bajo, this selection is cheaper.
Why dive into Komodo Nationwide Park from a liveaboard?
- Liveaboard boats dive websites in Komodo Nationwide Park which can be removed from Labuan Bajo and tough to succeed in on day journeys.
- You may be on the dive websites first, whereas a whole bunch of divers are heading to the dive websites on sluggish boats, you’re already within the water earlier than different divers scare your fish away!
- (diving is commonly dictated by present and tides, thus generally being there first gained’t get you within the water first) nonetheless good to get up on the dive website and roll into the water after breakfast!
- Evening dives, the whole lot is totally different at evening and it’s superb to have the ability to dive these far-off websites at evening
- It’s superior, what might be higher than residing on a ship for a few days, waking up and diving a few of the world’s greatest websites after breakfast after which all day…
Komodo Liveaboard Diving Boats Price Reserving
There are liveaboards at an enormous number of budgets working round Komodo, earlier than you ebook do analysis and skim evaluations on the boats. Listed here are some glorious Liveaboard choices for diving in Komodo Nationwide Park.
For implausible offers on liveaboard journeys in Komodo Nationwide Park in 2023 Try these boats:
Extra Komodo Liveaboard Offers for 2023!
Komodo Nationwide Park Dive Websites (our dive log)
Batu Bolong (rock with a gap in it)
Max Depth 30m, Avg Depth 14m, viz 25m, temp 27C
Batu Bolong is our favourite dive in Komodo Nationwide Park. Descending within the crystal clear water subsequent to this rock it appears like you’re in an aquarium.
Large colleges of small zebra fish and quite a lot of colourful fish swim near the floor. We noticed large better barracuda, big trevally, colleges of blue spot trevally, tuna, and quite a lot of pelagics looking across the rock.
Wanting nearer to the rock there have been hawksbill turtles, moray eels, stone fish, and quite a lot of nudibranchs. The rock drops right down to 70m in at about 30m when trying down there have been reef sharks and quite a lot of massive wrasse, together with an enormous Napoleon swimming round. Good deeper diving for the skilled diver. This dive spot is among the greatest dives to begin your day on a liveaboard journey.
The Cauldron
Max Depth 29m, Avg Depth 11.2m, viz 20m, temp 27C
Superb Dive! Good visibility. Greeted by a big manta ray! Sloping reef, sand patch adopted by a pleasant drift dive by way of a channel. Good fish life, Big Trevallies, sweetlips, colleges of batfish, massive groupers, moray eels, nudibranchs, and massive hawksbill turtles.
Manta Level (Makassar Reef)
Max Depth 15m, Avg Depth 10m, viz 20m, temp 27C
Manta Level (also called Makassar Reef) is among the most dived websites within the park. That is the perfect place to dive with manta rays, generally education within the space! Manta Level is a cleansing station the place Manta Rays come to get their parasites eliminated. Manta Alley is the opposite well-known cleansing station within the park. We additionally noticed two eagle rays majestically flying over the reef, for me probably the most swish of all rays. These cleansing stations are drift dives in shallow waters with some rocky outcrops. On a very good day, your dive information will lead you to some nice interactions within the crystal-clear waters of this great spot.
You’ll be able to see them right here all yr spherical, however the perfect season for mantas is from December to February when you possibly can have 20 or 30 of those giants circling you! It’s a very flat, shallow website with small rocks overlaying the underside. The present right here might be very robust and a few teams use reef hooks to stay in a single place, hovering within the present whereas trying on the mantas. We had been very unfortunate, in August it was not the season however many teams noticed 4 or 5 mantas. We had zero present and noticed just one manta for a short time.
Crystal Rock
Max Depth 28m, Avg Depth 17m, viz 20m, temp 28C
Crystal Rock is a superb dive website in north Komodo. Massive see mound, coated in lovely smooth corals, and onerous corals. Many black tip reef sharks. Big canine tooth tuna. Sturdy currents are widespread, and dive situations are extra fitted to superior divers.
The location with the perfect likelihood to see large trevallies, many got here very near us. Massive Napoleon wrasse, many sweetlips, batfish, butterfly fish, and blue spot trevallies.
Wae Nilo
Max Depth 19m, Avg Depth 14m, viz 8m, temp 27C
Near Rinca Island, normally dived as a substitute for the Rinca dragon hike to see the well-known Komodo Dragons. Basic muck diving website with, flat sandy backside and a few superior distinctive issues to find, one of the best ways to discover this website is with a very good information. We noticed a sea horse and my first blue-ring octopus!
Fort Rock
Max Depth 27m, Avg Depth 13.9m, viz 20m, temp 27C
Fort Rock is a big rock coming as much as 4m on the floor. Probably the most well-liked komodo dive websites. The dive begins in open water with a fast descent, there are robust currents. Loads of white tip reef sharks, gray reef sharks, big trevally, and barracudas. Dolphins are sometimes seen right here. The dive website is extra appropriate for seasoned divers.
Tatawa Besar
Max Depth 19m, Avg Depth 11.2m, viz 20m, temp 28C
Superior drift dive, lovely onerous and smooth corals. Superb reef coated in fish at 10-20m depth, Nice dive, Massive GTs, large Napoleon wrasse, snappers, breams, Bluefin trevallies, many damsel fish, sweetlips, white tip sharks, massive cuttlefish, blue noticed stingray, leafy scorpion fish. A favourite dive spot for a lot of scuba divers.
Golden Passage
Max Depth 16m, Avg Depth 9m, viz 20m, temp 28C
Golden Passage is a drift dive within the channel Gili Lawa Darat and Komodo Island. Fashionable with dive boats. Typically dived on day dives by dive colleges from Flores Island. Good chilled-out drift dive within the sluggish present. Stunning corals. Massive turtle, many sweetlips, a white and a inexperienced leafy scorpion fish, and blue noticed stingrays. Many small reef fish.
Siyaba Kecil
Max Depth 22m, Avg Depth 13m, viz 20m, temp 28C
Good reef, sluggish present. A number of the greatest issues to see listed below are the good macro stuff; frogfish, leafy scorpionfish, totally different superb nudibranchs, and scorpionfish. Some blue noticed trevallies, blue noticed stingrays, and small reef fish.
Komodo Dragon Tour
Wonderful price Komodo Dragon Tour – Boat journey from Labuan Bajo exploring the islands of the Komodo Nationwide Park. Trek on the volcanic islands Komodo Island and Padar Island and see the Komodo Dragons. Your boat will do a number of stops to swim and snorkel together with Manta Level and Pink Seaside. Contains resort pickup and drop off.
Finest time to dive Komodo Island
Komodo Nationwide Park experiences a moist season and a dry season. Studying about diving situations in Komodo doesn’t make it simpler with a lot contradicting info, I consider you possibly can dive all yr spherical.
- Our private expertise, in late November, was actually good we had good diving on daily basis and we had been surrounded by loads of mantas at Manta Level. In August we additionally had nice diving, the climate was good, viz good, I noticed a blue ring octopus within the south, however we noticed only a few mantas, solely 2 in per week of diving.
- Diving within the Moist Season
- The moist season typically runs from December till March, Jan/ Feb there’s a number of rain, not all the time nice.
- January to March can have tough floor situations on the northern dive websites.
- The wet season is Manta Season!! You’ll be able to see mantas all yr, however the peak season to see mantas is December to February when you possibly can have greater than 10 mantas circling you
- Visibility is greatest from November to January, in late November we had loads of mantas and good diving situations.
- Diving within the Dry Season
- April to November interval is taken into account a dry season when the climate is at its greatest.
- Might/June & September/October is rated by many as the perfect diving situations.
- July and August can have tough seas within the south and Rinca.
Komodo Island Diving Situations
Water temperatures fluctuate between a minimal of round 80.1°F / 26.7°C within the coldest month of July to a mean water temperature of 80.1°F / 26.7°C within the warmest month of December.
North Komodo has a mean water temperature of 27-28°C (81-82°F), and good visibility within the vary of 15-40m (common 25m), Central Komodo has a mean water temperature of 27-28°C (81-82°F) within the surrounding waters, visibility is within the vary of 7-30m (common 15m), and South Komodo has a mean water temperature of 23-24°C (73-74°F ), and visibility is within the vary of 7 to 20m (common 12m).
Happening a dive journey? – Dive Journey Packing Checklist+Suggestions
Dive {qualifications} wanted for diving in Komodo Nationwide Park
There are numerous websites in Komodo Nationwide Park with various expertise required. Some websites do have robust currents and down currents do generally happen. Expertise is crucial to dive right here. You’ll be able to dive into some lovely spots and see unbelievable issues with an open water qualification (18m max). Your dive operator ought to solely take you on dives suited to your expertise stage. Don’t be shy to debate points round this and group dimension with them earlier than you go on the dive.
Dive Insurance coverage
If you happen to want evacuation or decompression remedy following diving in distant location might be very expensive. For easy and versatile journey insurance coverage in your subsequent dive journey try World Nomads. Get a web based quote right here.
World Nomads
Dive Facilities for Komodo Nationwide Park Scuba Diving
There are numerous dive operators in Labuanbajo, and several other well-known franchise operators are additionally current elsewhere in South East Asia, e.g. Blue Marlin Dive Heart and Scuba Junkie.
We had some nice diving with native operators Komodo Dive Heart and Divers Paradise Komodo at an awesome value.
Attending to Labuanbajo
Flying
Getting from Lombok to Labuanbajo flying in is the simplest, funds airways fly from Bali (Denpasar) to Labuan Bajo (Komodo Airport). Flights are additionally out there from Jakarta to Komodo.
Test right here for Flight Offers – Bali to Labuan Bajo
By Bus
You’ll be able to take a bus-ferry mixture from Lombok or Gili Trawangan. That is the most cost effective approach, however is sort of a protracted journey. See our detailed information on the right way to get from Bali to Flores
By Boat
Taking a 3-day boat journey is well-liked, that is actually funds with the boat cruising alongside for 3 days. I liked this journey, however it’s fairly a hardcore backpacker’s journey on a low funds.
Lodging in Labuanbajo
On a funds – La Boheme Bajo
Medium funds – Golo Hilltop Lodge & Restaurant
Deal with your self – Sudamala Resort, Komodo
Non-diving actions round Labuan Bajo and Komodo
Diving was our essential motive for touring right here, however there are a lot of different issues to do round this lovely space.
- See the Komodo dragons on Komodo and Rinca island
- Go for a day journey to the attractive Padar island and sort out a steep hike to the superb viewpoints
- Go island hopping, spend a day on Kanawa island
- Lease a scooter and drive round Flores, there are some superb waterfalls to see
- Go to Sano Nggoang Lake
- Hike Kelimutu Volcano
- See hundreds of bats migrating from Kalong Island
- See our Full information to visiting Flores and Komodo
South East Asia Diving Sources
The 17 000 islands of Indonesia provide some superb websites and an unreal number of implausible diving. Bali is probably the most touristy island and Nusa Penida is a superb spot to see Manta Rays all yr spherical instantly from Bali. See totally different choices for the right way to get from Bali to Flores
The large island Sulawesi is a superb spot for diving with a few of the greatest muck diving on this planet within the Lembeh strait, some nice diving within the lesser explored Bira, and a implausible off-the-beaten-track island journey within the Togian islands.
For a lesser explored island with good diving, Pulau Weh close to Sumatra is an efficient place to go.
There may be nice diving throughout South East Asia, if you wish to do your open water course or superior try our article on the Finest Dive Faculties on Koh Tao, Thailand. The Perhentian Islands in Malaysia is one other implausible spot for dive coaching, chilling on the seashore with some nice dive spots.
Swimming with the large, mild whale sharks is a bucket listing merchandise for many individuals and the Philippines is among the greatest locations on this planet to go, for our expertise see our articles on Swimming with Whale Sharks in The Philippines and a overview on swimming with whale sharks in Oslob within the Philippines.
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The robust half of Stingy Nomads, a nomadic aquaman that will be pleased to spend all his life within the water diving, browsing and spearfishing however typically has to compromise with Alya and go mountain climbing as a substitute. Campbell is accountable for all our marine adventures and following them with write-ups. He loves touring, braai (BBQ in South Africa), crimson wine and spending the day in a wetsuit.
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