Bangka Island Diving Holidays: An Overview
This hard-to-reach island lies off the northern tip of North Sulawesi, in the heart of the coral triangle. Thanks to its far-flung location, Bangka Island has been left largely unscathed by mass tourism, despite its reputation for world-class diving and pristine reefs.
Bangka Island is renowned for vibrant soft corals which decorate the area's varied underwater terrain, ranging from gentle sloping reefs to steep drop-offs, to rising seamounts. Some would also argue that diving in Bangka Island potentially rivals nearby Lembeh Strait in terms of critters, thanks to the presence of small species such as harlequin shrimps, sea moths, and blue ring octopuses, as well as both Bargibanti and Pontohi pygmy seahorses.
There are eight fantastic dive sites just off Bangka Island, in addition to six more nearby on neighbouring islands and the mainland. Batu Sahung off the south of the island is one of our top choices. It has a strong current, an abundance of soft corals, and occasionally, white-tip reef sharks taking shelter under table corals. Keen-eyed divers might also spot frogfish and pygmy seahorses.
If you're considering diving in Bangka Island next time you're in Indonesia, our expert team can help you put together your dream itinerary.
