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On this information to diving in Komodo Nationwide Park, we talk about the most effective 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’ll be able to anticipate to see essentially the most great organisms, from huge manta rays, dugongs, big trevallies, sunfish (mola mola), white tip reef sharks to wonderful tiny critters just like the toxic blue-ringed octopus, the pygmy seahorse, frogfish and spectacular laborious corals. The park is accessed by most from Labuan Bajo on Flores Island. Reaching Labuan Bajo from Bali is straightforward, try our Full Bali Diving Information for every part you should learn 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 consists of three massive islands; Komodo, Rinca, and Padar, and likewise consists of 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 positioned within the Coral Triangle which accommodates among the richest marine biodiversity on Earth, put together your self for unreal diving. Positioned within the Indian Ocean the park is likely one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
Highlights of Scuba Diving Komodo Island
Indonesia might be the most effective 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, thousands and thousands of reef fish of all shapes, colours, and sizes, and loads of huge pelagic fish and sharks searching 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 concerning the massive stuff, however don’t underestimate the macro life within the park, we noticed some wonderful issues; a blue-ringed octopus, seahorse, crocodile fish, pygmy seahorse, and extra.
We’ve spent loads of time exploring totally different islands round Indonesia, and seeing what we expect is All of the Greatest Diving Round Indonesia.
Liveaboard diving or diving from Labuan Bajo?
The Komodo Nationwide Park is positioned throughout the Lesser Sunda Islands and consists of 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 may dive into many of the sights you’ll dive by liveaboard on day journeys from Labuan Bajo, this feature is cheaper.
Why dive into Komodo Nationwide Park from a liveaboard?
- Liveaboard boats dive websites in Komodo Nationwide Park which are removed from Labuan Bajo and troublesome to achieve on day journeys.
- You can be on the dive websites first, whereas tons of 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 usually 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 web site and roll into the water after breakfast!
- Evening dives, every part is totally different at evening and it’s wonderful to have the ability to dive these far-off websites at evening
- It’s superior, what will be higher than residing on a ship for a few days, waking up and diving among 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 guide do analysis and skim opinions on the boats. Listed here are some wonderful Liveaboard choices for diving in Komodo Nationwide Park.
For unbelievable offers on liveaboard journeys in Komodo Nationwide Park in 2023 Take a look at 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 looks like you’re in an aquarium.
Huge colleges of small zebra fish and a wide range of colourful fish swim near the floor. We noticed huge higher barracuda, big trevally, colleges of blue spot trevally, tuna, and a wide range of pelagics searching across the rock.
Trying nearer to the rock there have been hawksbill turtles, moray eels, stone fish, and a wide range of nudibranchs. The rock drops all the way down to 70m in at about 30m when trying down there have been reef sharks and a wide range of massive wrasse, together with an enormous Napoleon swimming round. Good deeper diving for the skilled diver. This dive spot is likely one of the greatest dives to begin your day on a liveaboard journey.
The Cauldron
Max Depth 29m, Avg Depth 11.2m, viz 20m, temp 27C
Wonderful 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, Large 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 likely one of the most dived websites within the park. That is the most effective 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 essentially the most swish of all rays. These cleansing stations are drift dives in shallow waters with some rocky outcrops. On a great day, your dive information will lead you to some nice interactions within the crystal-clear waters of this good spot.
You may see them right here all 12 months spherical, however the most effective season for mantas is from December to February when you’ll be able to have 20 or 30 of those giants circling you! It’s a very flat, shallow web site with small rocks protecting the underside. The present right here will be very sturdy 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 good dive web site in north Komodo. Massive see mound, coated in lovely smooth corals, and laborious corals. Many black tip reef sharks. Big canine tooth tuna. Sturdy currents are frequent, and dive situations are extra fitted to superior divers.
The location with the most effective likelihood to see enormous 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 an alternative choice to the Rinca dragon hike to see the well-known Komodo Dragons. Basic muck diving web site with, flat sandy backside and a few superior distinctive issues to find, one of the best ways to discover this web site is with a great information. We noticed a sea horse and my first blue-ring octopus!
Fortress Rock
Max Depth 27m, Avg Depth 13.9m, viz 20m, temp 27C
Fortress Rock is a big rock coming as much as 4m on the floor. Some of the well-liked komodo dive websites. The dive begins in open water with a fast descent, there are sturdy currents. Loads of white tip reef sharks, gray reef sharks, big trevally, and barracudas. Dolphins are sometimes seen right here. The dive web site is extra appropriate for seasoned divers.
Tatawa Besar
Max Depth 19m, Avg Depth 11.2m, viz 20m, temp 28C
Superior drift dive, lovely laborious and smooth corals. Wonderful reef coated in fish at 10-20m depth, Nice dive, Massive GTs, enormous 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. Among the greatest issues to see listed here are the great macro stuff; frogfish, leafy scorpionfish, totally different wonderful 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. Consists of lodge pickup and drop off.
Greatest 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’ll be able to dive all 12 months 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 may be plenty 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 may see mantas all 12 months, however the peak season to see mantas is December to February when you’ll be able to 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.
- Could/June & September/October is rated by many as the most effective diving situations.
- July and August can have tough seas within the south and Rinca.
Komodo Island Diving Circumstances
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 Record+Ideas
Dive {qualifications} wanted for diving in Komodo Nationwide Park
There are various websites in Komodo Nationwide Park with various expertise required. Some websites do have sturdy currents and down currents do generally happen. Expertise is crucial to dive right here. You may 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 degree. Don’t be shy to debate points round this and group measurement with them earlier than you go on the dive.
Dive Insurance coverage
When you want evacuation or decompression therapy following diving in distant location will 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.
Dive Facilities for Komodo Nationwide Park Scuba Diving
There are various 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 best, finances airways fly from Bali (Denpasar) to Labuan Bajo (Komodo Airport). Flights are additionally accessible from Jakarta to Komodo.
Test right here for Flight Offers – Bali to Labuan Bajo
By Bus
You may take a bus-ferry mixture from Lombok or Gili Trawangan. That is the most cost effective means, however is kind of a protracted journey. See our detailed information on the best way to get from Bali to Flores
By Boat
Taking a 3-day boat journey is well-liked, that is actually finances with the boat cruising alongside for 3 days. I liked this journey, however it’s fairly a hardcore backpacker’s journey on a low finances.
Lodging in Labuanbajo
On a finances – La Boheme Bajo
Medium finances – Golo Hilltop Lodge & Restaurant
Deal with your self – Sudamala Resort, Komodo
Non-diving actions round Labuan Bajo and Komodo
Diving was our essential cause for touring right here, however there are numerous different issues to do round this lovely space.
- See the Komodo dragons on Komodo and Rinca island
- Go for a day journey to the gorgeous Padar island and sort out a steep hike to the wonderful viewpoints
- Go island hopping, spend a day on Kanawa island
- Hire a scooter and drive round Flores, there are some wonderful 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 supply some wonderful websites and an unreal number of unbelievable diving. Bali is essentially the most touristy island and Nusa Penida is a good spot to see Manta Rays all 12 months spherical instantly from Bali. See totally different choices for the best way to get from Bali to Flores
The huge island Sulawesi is a good spot for diving with among the greatest muck diving on this planet within the Lembeh strait, some nice diving within the lesser explored Bira, and a unbelievable off-the-beaten-track island journey in 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 Greatest Dive Faculties on Koh Tao, Thailand. The Perhentian Islands in Malaysia is one other unbelievable spot for dive coaching, chilling on the seaside with some nice dive spots.
Swimming with the large, light whale sharks is a bucket record merchandise for many individuals and the Philippines is likely one of the greatest locations on this planet to go, for our expertise see our articles on Swimming with Whale Sharks in The Philippines and a evaluation on swimming with whale sharks in Oslob within the Philippines.
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The sturdy half of Stingy Nomads, a nomadic aquaman that will be completely satisfied to spend all his life within the water diving, browsing and spearfishing however typically has to compromise with Alya and go climbing as a substitute. Campbell is liable for all our marine adventures and following them with write-ups. He loves touring, braai (BBQ in South Africa), pink wine and spending the day in a wetsuit.
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