Pulau Manuk
Manuk is a small, uninhabited, still-steaming volcano roughly 100 km south of the Banda Islands. Its black-sand slopes, hard-coral reefs and gorgonian-covered ridges are famous for large numbers of curious olive sea snakes and banded sea kraits; warm water and gas bubble out of the sand in places. Huge barracuda schools, fusiliers, Spanish mackerel and dogtooth tuna pass by, hammerheads, mobulas and eagle rays are seen fairly often, and a muckier side even has mandarinfish.
Facts
- Region: Banda Sea & Ambon
- Area: Remote Banda Sea
- Level: advanced
- Current: moderate
- Type: reef, wall, muck
- Coordinates: -5.536, 130.305 (approximate)
- Highlights: olive sea snakes, banded sea kraits, volcanic gas bubbles and warm sand, barracuda schools, hammerhead sharks, mobula rays, eagle rays, dogtooth tuna, Spanish mackerel, gorgonians, barrel sponges, mandarinfish
- Tips: Sea snakes are curious but not aggressive — stay calm and don't touch them. Early-morning dives give the best hammerhead chances. Only reachable by liveaboard in calm weather.
Sources
- https://cloudfront.masterliveaboards.com/website-docs/Indonesia/Itineraries/Banda-Sea-Ring-of-Fire-Itinerary.pdf
- https://divehappy.com/indonesia/manuk-the-other-island-of-the-sea-snakes/
- https://divehappy.com/diving-banda-sea-podcast-part-2/
- https://www.dive-the-world.com/diving-sites-indonesia-banda-islands.php
- https://www.mermaid-liveaboards.com/itineraries/biodiversity-special-ring-of-fire-ambon-banda-sea-alor-maumere/