Many say that Indonesia is a very rich country. Not only the resources, but nature is also rich in charm that cannot be denied. Many also say that if you want to know this country, you must know the underwater world is the identity of Indonesia.
Indeed, this Mother Earth is rich in extraordinary marine potential. In fact, in Papua several species only exist in the Papuan oceans. One of the prides is the extraordinary beauty of the sea. Like Bunaken National Park, whose name has long been known as an underwater paradise.
About Bunaken National Park
Before the tourism world was active today, Indonesia had designated Bunaken as a protected National Park. For more or less 27 years, the beauty of the marine life of this area has been very well preserved, where approximately 58 types of coral reefs and 90 species of fish inhabit this place.
Interestingly, in Bunaken National Park, several rare species only exist in Bunaken. One of them is the Hawksbill Turtle. This rare turtle circling and playing around the coral reefs. This turtle usually laughs and laughs with tree damselfish, clownfish, angelfish, and many more.
With about 280 miles, this area has also received a valuable award from UNESCO as a world heritage site. This award is indeed significant considering that some fishermen are still often naughty in catching fish. They can threaten the coral reefs in it.
Bunaken Ecosystem
As it is known that there are many species in Bunaken. The diverse types of coral reefs make this area always the main attack for domestic and foreign tourists. They also did not hesitate to greet the fish and coral reefs that look beautiful like paintings.
Some of the fish that will greet you when you go underwater are gusumi horse fish, ila gasi, yellowtail passi, white oci, goropa, and pseudanthias. This flock can be the object of the photo if it is below. Those familiar with tourists will be happy to style to the rhythm to be immortalized in a photo frame.
In addition to coral reefs, Bunaken also has an exotic coastline where there are mangroves with Rhizophora sp., lumnitzera sp., sonneratia sp., and Bruguiera sp.. A flock of mangroves will greet you and give you the desired charm. Several plants provide coolness and shade, such as palm trees, silar, sago, coconut, and woka. They swiftly give the feel of a wind that will never stop, especially during the scorching heat of the sun.
Several types of crabs are cute but little shrimps, mollusks, several types of birds such as seagulls, sea pigeons, and storks. While on land, there are types of Sulawesi black monkeys, polecats, and deer.
A Brief History of Bunaken
After knowing the beauty of this national park, there is nothing wrong with stepping back for a moment to find out how this area was founded. Bunaken National Park was first inaugurated in 1975. This park can be said to be a remote area. Understandably, at that time, it was still the New Order era where people did not know what a holiday was. Maybe only a handful of people understand the meaning of holidays.
Some divers try to examine the beauty of the Bunaken sea. However, these divers did not immediately dive smoothly. They received instructions from the fishermen not to dive into the sea because of the evil spirit that inhabited it. In the 1970s, it was still famous for its magical elements and myths about spirits and ghost stories. Moreover, before the fishermen dived, there was a fisherman who died. So that what happened is connected with the story that has developed in this circle.
However, the divers did not believe the story a little. They finally dive and find paradise under the sea. These divers also gave their stories to the local government. By coordinating with the central government, Bunaken National Park was formed.
Unforgettable Charm
Bunaken is indeed a paradise for divers, where there are approximately 20 diving spots that can be used for diving. Twelve of them can be found on Bunaken Island itself. The uniqueness of diving here is the visibility that can reach 20 meters. This means that the water conditions are obvious.
At certain times, visibility in this area can reach approximately 35 meters. In addition, there is a giant rock wall that is curved and vertically shaped in this place, which serves to feed the small fish in the sea. Many say that the beauty of the sea in Bunaken cannot be matched because its beauty is extraordinary. All dive points in the world can lose when compared in this area. Therefore, many foreign tourists come to prove their beauty.
Not only the underwater charm that seems very friendly. The residents are also known to be very friendly and smiley. Most of them are smart and fluent in English as one of the languages used to greet foreign tourists. Some of the fishermen who used to take diving visitors were fluent in several languages. They continue to learn to provide the best service so that visitors feel like they are at home.
Address and Route Location
This National Park is located in the Manado area. So, those who want to visit this area can take a plane to Manado city first. Then, from Sam Ratulangi International Airport, the journey continues to Manado City using a taxi as the fastest and most convenient transportation. From Manado, you will be directed to the Marina Blue Banter port, then a boat to Bunaken Island will take approximately 20 minutes. After that, you can have fun in this area.
Price of admission
Well, for the price of admission to this area itself, it turns out to be very cheap, only 5 thousand rupiahs. However, it will be costly for foreign tourists who reach 150 thousand rupiahs. To do snorkeling activities, native friends spend 150 thousand rupiahs renting diving equipment for one hour.
Are you planning to visit Bunaken soon? Find out more about Bunaken and Indonesia by visiting Wonderful Indonesia.
