Bunaken marine park
Bunaken is an island covering an area of 8.08 km ² at Manado Bay, situated on the northern island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. This island is part of the city of Manado, the provincial capital of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Bunaken Island can be traveled by fast boat (speed boat) or a rented boat with about 30 minutes journey from the port city of Manado. Around the island there Bunaken Bunaken marine park that is part of the Bunaken National Park. This marine park has marine biodiversity among the highest in the world. Scuba diving attracts many visitors to the island. Overall Bunaken marine park covers an area of 75,265 hectares with five islands within it, namely the island of Manado Tua, Bunaken Island, Siladen Island, Island Mantehage follows several children of the island, and island Naen. Although it covers an area of 75,265 hectares, the location of the dive (diving) is limited in each of the five beaches that surround the island.
Bunaken marine park has a 20 point dive (dive spot) with varying depths of up to 1344 meters. Of the 20 point dive, dive 12 points of which are located around the island of Bunaken. Twelve dive spot is the one most frequented by divers and lovers of the beauty of the underwater scenery.
Most of the 12 point dive in Bunaken Island lined up from the southeast to the northwest of the island. In this region there is a great underwater walls, also called the hanging walls, or walls of the giant rock standing vertically and curved upward. These rock walls are also a source of food for fish in the waters around Bunaken Island.
Bunaken National Park can be achieved through the Port of Manado, Marina Nusantara Diving Centre (NDC) at Molas subdistrict and Marina Blue Banter. From Port of Manado by using cruise ships are available to the tourist area on Bunaken island can be reached within 10-15 minutes. While the NDC from the port to the dive sites in Bunaken island by speedboat.
Bunaken National Park is representative of Indonesia tropical aquatic ecosystem consisting of mangrove ecosystems, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and land / coastal ecosystems.
In the northern part of the island of Bunaken, Manado Tua island, island Montehage, Siladen island, the island of Nain, Nain Small islands, and some coastal areas of Cape Pisok. While in the Southern Cape coast includes some coconut.
Potential land islands national park is rich in species of palm, sago, woka, silar and coconut. Animal species that live on the mainland and coastal regions such as Sulawesi black macaques (Macaca nigra nigra), deer (Cervus russa timorensis), and fitch (Ailurops ursinus ursinus).
Plant species in the mangrove Rhizophora Bunaken National Park is sp., Sonneratia sp., Lumnitzera sp., And Bruguiera sp. This forest is rich with various kinds of crabs, shrimp, mollusks and various types of sea birds such as gulls, herons, sea virgin, and cangak sea.
Types of algae found in this park include the type of Caulerpa sp., Halimeda sp., And Padina sp. Seagrass Montehage dominated mainly on the island, and the island of Nain Thalassia hemprichii, Enhallus acoroides, and Thalassodendron ciliatum. Recorded 13 genera of corals living in waters of Bunaken National Park, dominated by fringing reefs and coral reef barrier. The most interesting is a vertical cliff as far as 25-50 meters.
Approximately 91 species of fish found in the waters of Bunaken National Park, including fish gusumi horse (Hippocampus horse), white OCI (Seriola rivoliana), lolosi yellow tail (Lutjanus kasmira), goropa (Ephinephelus spilotoceps hypselosoma), ila trunk (Scolopsis bilineatus) , and others.
Types of mollusks like giant clams (Tridacna gigas), head of the goat (Cassis cornuta), hollow nautilus (Nautilus pompillius), and tunikates / ascidian.
The best visiting season: May / August each year.
How to reach the location: Bunaken National Park can be achieved through the port of Manado, Marina Nusantara Diving Centre (NDC) at Molas subdistrict and Marina Blue Banter. From Port of Manado to use a motor boat to the island can be reached Siladen + 20 minutes + 30 minutes Bunaken island, island Montehage + 50 minutes and +60 minutes Nain island. From Blue Banter Marina with yacht that is available to the tourist area on Bunaken island can be reached within 10-15 minutes, while the NDC from the port to the dive sites in Bunaken island by speed boat to within + 20 minutes.
BUNAKEN - If you want to travel to the island of Bunaken to Manado departed from, there are two options boat rental place that is "Market Bersehati" and "Marina".
To be more economical, you can join other travelers who also want to enjoy the beauty of the sea. Rates offered per person Rp 50 thousand using traditional boats, but first the passengers had to wait all seats filled, the new ship will depart.
For those of you who do not like crowds, available rentals private boats from Manado to Bunaken Bersehati Markets at a rate between USD 300 thousand - 400 thousand USD. Meanwhile, if the applicable rate of Marina more expensive which is about USD 600 thousand - 800 thousand USD.
The rental price is already including round trips Manado-Bunaken are taken within 30-40 minutes.
Should make sure that the price offered is already covering the entire facility, so that later you will no longer be charged more. Prices are pegged to each visitor is different, it all depends on your skill bargain prices.
Enjoying the beauty of the sea, you have to go through two trips, at first you will be taken by boat to the ship to sea, then you will transit to a glass vessel which was waiting. From here you can see the beauty of Bunaken marine natural panorama on the sea floor.
If you want to see the beauty of Bunaken marine natural attractions are more obvious, you can use the submarine Blue Banter. However, the submarine will operate only during high tides. Sights you can see from the submarine is certainly amazing, because you will immediately be under the surface of the water ..
Some tourists who go there seem very enthusiastic to witness the beauty of this marine park through the glass vessels and submarines. In terms of tariffs, climb aboard the glass is much cheaper than submarines.
There are two villages on the island of Bunaken, the Bunaken village with a population of about 3,400 people and Anung Banua village with a population of about 1000 people the majority are farmers and fishermen were 25% of its work in the field of tourism.
In welcoming event "Manado City Tourism World 2010", Freits Pieter, secretary of the Association of Local Tour Manager stated very optimistic Bunaken Bunaken will become an icon of tourism in North Sulawesi.
"People Bunaken very welcome by tourism activities. With this event, certainly a positive impact for the community Bunaken, as will many local and foreign tourists," said Freits told The Epoch Times.
Various activities can be done to enjoy the Bunaken marine tourism, including diving, snorkelling, underwater photograph, underwater video, rental boats and dolphin tours. You do not need to worry, because the facility equipment to see the charm of Bunaken marine park are all available in there and you can get in Richia's Rental, a rental place in the Coast region Liang Bunaken. 
