Thalassa Dive Resort Manado

If it’s weird, you are likely to find it in the Lembeh Strait. Top critters on every diver and photographers wish list include the mimic octopus, Wonderpus, Rhinopias, flamboyant cuttlefish, Ambon scorpionfish, harlequin shrimp, and the very entertaining hairy frogfish. If lucky, you might also come across the delicate Lembeh Sea Dragon. Also, be boggled by the wide array of nudibranch and during night dives, look out for stargazers in the sand and Spanish dancers passing by in the darkness.

At areas like Bunaken and the nearby Bangka, dolphins or pilot whales can sometimes be seen from the surface. Underwater, expect green sea turtles, schools of trevally and colorful reef fish along the many walls. Bangka and Manado Tua also feature a myriad of critters.

If you dive around the Sangihe Archipelago and Talaud Islands, the healthy reefs and volcanic activity yield many colorful reef fish and schools of fusilier, snapper and predators like trevally, barracuda and Dogtooth tuna. Macro life is also abundant and there are pygmy seahorses, crabs and shrimp as well as nudibranch to find at muck dive sites. Look out for pelagic animals which come to feed and clean like manta rays, sharks and even hammerhead sharks.