Trip base · Indonesia
Bunaken and Lembeh
Three sites from Manado in North Sulawesi. Bunaken has steep coral walls with many turtles, while Manado Bay and the Lembeh Strait are muck dives for unusual critters. All three are Intermediate.
Good fit for July
Mantas
- Strength: 3 of 3 sites are in season in July
- Strength: Calm seas on almost every day
- Strength: Water 28–29°C in July
- Trade-off: Rain on about half the days
Pack a shorty or 3 mm wetsuit for July.
Why this match: 37 + 9 + 19 + 9 = 74
- Season37 / 38
- 3 of 3 sites are in season in July; calm on almost every day.
- Interests9 / 31
- Mantas: possible in July.
- Your level19 / 19
- No level picked, so all 3 sites count.
- Weather9 / 13
- Rain on about half the days; no real storm risk.
Month by month
Season: best April to November. Marine life uses the same scale (Best = reliable, Good = likely, Possible = possible, Off = not seen; ? = we don't know yet). Water and rain are 1991–2020 averages.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | January: Off season | February: Off season | March: Off season | April: Best | May: Best | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Best | October: Best | November: Best | December: Off season |
| Mantas | January: Possible | February: Possible | March: Possible | April: Possible | May: Possible | June: Possible | July: Possible | August: Possible | September: Possible | October: Possible | November: Possible | December: Possible |
| Whale sharks | January: Possible | February: Possible | March: Possible | April: Possible | May: Possible | June: Possible | July: Possible | August: Possible | September: Possible | October: Possible | November: Possible | December: Possible |
| Hammerheads | January: Possible | February: Possible | March: Possible | April: Possible | May: Possible | June: Possible | July: Possible | August: Possible | September: Possible | October: Possible | November: Possible | December: Possible |
| Reef sharks | January: Likely | February: Likely | March: Likely | April: Likely | May: Likely | June: Likely | July: Likely | August: Likely | September: Likely | October: Likely | November: Likely | December: Likely |
| Turtles | January: Reliable | February: Reliable | March: Reliable | April: Reliable | May: Reliable | June: Reliable | July: Reliable | August: Reliable | September: Reliable | October: Reliable | November: Reliable | December: Reliable |
| Dolphins | January: Likely | February: Likely | March: Likely | April: Likely | May: Likely | June: Likely | July: Likely | August: Likely | September: Likely | October: Likely | November: Likely | December: Likely |
| Water | 29° | 28° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° |
| Rain days | 29 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 19 | 27 | 29 |
| Calm days | 31 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 |
| Storm risk | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Rain days: days with 1 mm or more in the ERA5 grid cell (about 30 km across); over tropical seas it counts more light-rain days than a local rain gauge would. Calm days: waves under 1.5 m and wind under 25 km/h. Storm risk: share of years with a named storm within 250 km that month (– means under 5%).
Dive sites here
3 sites on Divetip. Today's Dive scores are for reference only: live scores cover the next 48 hours, not your trip month.
Getting there
Fly to Manado (MDC). Boat from Manado to Bunaken, or road to Bitung and a short boat to Lembeh: about 1 h 30 min.
Day boat only.
What diving costs
A day of diving from about €82
A day of diving
Two Fish Divers Bunaken: IDR 1,650,000 for 2 dives (about €82)
2 morning dives; includes tanks, boat, guide, water and snacks on the boat; excludes equipment rental (full set Rp 250,000/day); Bunaken Marine Park entrance fee Rp 150,000 pp listed separately.
Two Fish Divers Lembeh: IDR 1,650,000 for 2 dives (about €82)
2 morning dives in the Lembeh Strait; includes tanks, boat, guide, water and snacks on the boat; excludes equipment rental (full set Rp 250,000/day); Lembeh fee not mentioned.
Prices as published by each operator (a few by a named booking agent), read on 8 November 2026. Euro amounts at the ECB reference rate of 6 November 2026. Park fees, permits and equipment are often extra. Prices change, so check with the operator before you book.
Non-divers: snorkeling from the shore and by boat
In Bunaken Marine Park you can snorkel off the beach near Siladen Resort, and resorts in both Bunaken and Lembeh let snorkelers join the morning dive boats for a small fee.
Sources: siladen.com, twofishdivers.com
Book your Bunaken and Lembeh trip
- Find Bunaken dive trips on Klook (partner link, opens in a new tab)
- Search flights on Aviasales (partner link, opens in a new tab)
Partner links: we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Partners never change the ranking.
Where this comes from
- Water temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1 daily sea surface temperature, 1991–2020.
- Storms: NOAA IBTrACS tracks, 1991–2020. Rain, waves and wind: ERA5 reanalysis, 1991–2020. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
- Coral heat stress: Bleaching Watch (The water is warmer than its usual warmest month, NOAA's lowest heat-stress level. Satellite data, highest level in the 7 days to 7 November 2026.) Coral bleaching: NOAA Coral Reef Watch daily 5 km Bleaching Alert Area (7-day maximum), checked twice a day.
- Seasons by site: our dive site pages. Getting there: transfer source.
Marine life sources (6 species)
- Mantas: divezone.net
- Whale sharks: oldsite.twofishdivers.com, scubaboard.com
- Hammerheads: dive-the-world.com
- Reef sharks: divezone.net, oldsite.twofishdivers.com, dive-the-world.com
- Turtles: oldsite.twofishdivers.com, dive-the-world.com, divezone.net
- Dolphins: murexresorts.com, dive-the-world.com, oldsite.twofishdivers.com
Typical values are 1991–2020 averages and our site seasons. Always check local conditions with your dive centre. Spotted something wrong? Report a correction.