Bunaken is an island of 8 km², part of the Bunaken
National Marine Park. Bunaken is located at the northern tip of the island
of Sulawesi, Indonesia. It belongs administratively to the
municipality of Manado. Scuba diving attracts many
visitors to the island.
Bunaken National Park extends over an area of 890.65 km² of which only 3% is
terrestrial, including Bunaken Island, as well as the islands of Manado Tua,
Mantehage, Nain and Siladen.
The waters of Bunaken National Marine Park are up to 1,566 m deep in Manado
Bay, with temperatures ranging between 27 to 29 °C. It has a high diversity
of - corals, fish, echinoderms or sponges. Notably, 7 of the 8 species
of giant clams that occur in the world, occur in Bunaken. It also claims to have
seven times more genera of coral than Hawaii,[1]
and has more than 70% of all the known fish species of the Indo-Western Pacific.[2]
Oceanic currents may explain, in part, why Bunaken National Marine Park has
such a high level of biodiversity. Northeasternly currents generally sweep
through the park but abundant counter currents and gyros related to lunar
cycles are believed to be a trap for free swimming larvae. This is
particularly true on the south side of the crescent-shaped Bunaken Island, lying
in the heart of the park. A snorkeler or
diver in the vicinity of Lekuan or Fukui may spot over 33 species
of butterfly fish and numerous types of groupers, damsels, wrasses and gobies. The gobies, smallish fish with bulging eyes and
modified fins that allow them to attach to hard surfaces, are the most diverse
but least known group of fish in the park.
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