Molas Beach
Dive site
Molas Beach is the closest shore dive to Manado city and one of North Sulawesi's most reliable macro addresses. A gently sloping reef of mixed coral and rubble runs from knee-deep shallows to 25 metres, and the sea fans and hydroids that cluster at mid-depth host a near-permanent population of pygmy seahorses. Robust ghost pipefish, frogfish in at least two colour morphs, and an exceptional nudibrach diversity round out a site that rewards slow, methodical searching. Ideal for photographers who prefer air conservation over adventure.
Conditions
Depth
3 to 25 m
Open water and up
Current
Variable
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
12 to 20 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) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Current | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Bargibant's pygmy seahorse
Photo: Julian Hsu · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Painted frogfish
Photo: Marine Explorer (Dr John Turnbull) · CC BY-NC-SA
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Chromodoris nudibranchs
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Robust ghost pipefish
Rare
Now and then
Field journal
No sightings recorded here yet.
Upload the first sightingDived here recently?
Your sighting helps us track reef health at this site in real time.
Submit a sightingPlanning to dive Molas Beach?
Your underwater photos help scientists track reef health here in real time.
What to photograph: fish and marine life, coral (especially anything pale or unusual), anything unexpected.
How to capture it: shoot JPEG, keep location on, note your depth and the date.
Dived Molas Beach recently?
Your photos help track reef health.
Up to 10 photos · JPEG or PNG · max 20 MB each
📷
Drag photos here, or tap to select
GPS in your photo will auto-detect the dive site
Gear