Open Water Courses
Diving on Lembeh is available all year long. January to June diving conditions may vary, but mostly they are fine. August sees the poorest visibility but the richest number of sea creatures patrolling the waters. September to October are probably the best months for diving. The water temperatures at Lembeh Strait range between 25-27C/82-88F, the air temperature in North Sulawesi stays around 29-32C/95-104F all year-round.
What to see
Muck diving is all about spotting tiny underwater critters, to be on the lookout for numerous weird but amazing looking species such as the Lion Fish, Giant Frog Fish, Hairy Frog Fish, Mimic Octopus, Blue Ringed Octopus, Banded Sea Snake, Banded Eel, Mandarin Fish, Orangutan Crabs, Manta Shrimps and many other species. Larger pelagics are usually found elsewhere. Sometimes, however, divers may run into a whale shark or a dugong who come to feast on smaller life forms.
The world renowned Lembeh Strait lies off the northern tip of Sulawesi, 1.5 hours from the center of Manado city. Sam Ratulangi International Airport is located in 40 km from it. Lembeh Strait offers a variety of diving including some coral reefs and wrecks. However, the area is best known for the small and difficult to find creatures that inhabit the world of muck. There are about 60 dive sites around Lembeh Island, and most of the dive sites within the Strait are great for muck diving.
On the western side of Lembeh Island there are dive sites with colorful corals and steeper walls. Angels Window and California Dreaming should not be missed if divers want to have a nice colorful dive. Other interesting dive sites include Mawali Wreck, Nudi Retreat, Magic Rock, Hairball 1.
