Bunaken Channel Drift
Dive site
The tidal channel running between Bunaken Island and Manado Tua compresses fast-moving water into a natural drift corridor that sweeps divers past enormous sea fans, barrel sponges the size of bathtubs, and mid-water aggregations of fusiliers and rainbow runners. At full flow the current reaches 2 to 3 knots and divers cover the entire channel in a single tank, watching whitetip reef sharks patrol the channel floor below. The briefing matters: entry and exit timing are tied to the tide window and the pick-up boat must be ready.
Conditions
Depth
8 to 30 m
Open water and up
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
15 to 25 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
27 to 30°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
| Vis (m) | 10 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 10 |
| Current | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Moderate | Strong | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Moderate | Strong |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Rainbow runner
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Whitetip reef shark
Photo: Craig Fujii · CC BY-NC-ND
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Giant gorgonian sea fan
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Schooling bigeye trevally
Photo: Mark Rosenstein · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Field journal
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