Diving & snorkeling

Most of what is worth seeing in these waters is within three metres of the surface, which is why nearly every trip on this page is a snorkelling trip that divers also enjoy rather than the other way round. You do not need a certification for Manta Point, Pink Beach, Kanawa or the Banggai reefs. Bring your own mask if you are particular about fit; the boats carry gear but a leaking mask ruins a good site faster than bad visibility does.

The sites divide into two temperaments. Komodo runs current: Manta Point is a drift along a cleaning station where the tender follows the group rather than the group swimming back, and it is exhilarating rather than relaxing. Sulawesi is the opposite. Labengki and Sombori are sheltered karst water, Kanawa and Sebayur are shallow hard-coral slopes in almost no current, and the Banggai reefs start a few metres off the beach. If someone in your group is nervous in water, book Sulawesi first and Komodo second.

Whale sharks in Saleh Bay deserve a straight answer. They gather around the bagan, the standing fishing platforms, because there is bait there. That is why sightings are reliable and it is also why some travellers would rather not go. We would rather say so than let you find out on the boat.

Season matters more than anything else you can control. April to October is the clear window across Komodo and Flores. Sulawesi is gentler year-round but the crossings still get lumpy in the wet months. Visibility is never guaranteed anywhere and any operator who promises it is selling something.