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:: Why is diving so great in South East Asia?
::
Why
do we – as well as a lot of other people around the world –
tend to highlight SE Asia as the prime diving region of the world? Why is
especially Indonesia and Philippines great?
The distribution of coral reefs
First
of all, many people want coral reefs on their dives due to the fact that
corals support an extraordinary biodiversity. Dives without coral reefs
tends to be rather boring if you’re not on a wreck. Nevertheless, the
distribution of coral reefs is restricted to certain places on our globe as
it live in tropical waters with a low nutrition level. In this respect, SE
Asia account for around 1/3 of all coral reefs found in the world.
As it is, the Indo-Pacific region account
for 91% of all corals
The Coral Triangle
Not
many people have heard about the Coral Triangle. Nevertheless, the Coral
Triangle is the global epicenter of marine species diversity. The triangle
harbors more than 300 species of reef-building coral, about 75% of all
known coral species, more than 3.000 species of reef fish, nearly 75% of
the world’s mangrove species, over 45% of all sea-grass species, 58%
of tropical mollusks, 5 species of sea turtles and 22 species of marine
mammals.
To
sum up: An incredible level of diversity concentrated in less than 1% of
the world ocean’s surface area!
Many
of the species are not found elsewhere; 97 reef fish species are endemic to
Indonesia and more than 50 in the Philippines.
This classic picture of
the Coral Triangle has recently been modified
The
picture above illustrates the “classic” Coral Tiangle, but it
has recently been modified. In broad geographical terms, the Coral Triangle
encompasses East Timor, Indonesia, Sabah (Malaysian territory), Papua New
Guinea, Philippines and Solomon Islands. In this list, Indonesia and
Philippines tighter account for 77% of the regions coral reefs. In this
respect, people really interested in diving should really visit these two
places rather than Thailand (Koh Tao), which educate the most divers in the
world. Koh Tao sucks compared with Indonesia and Philippines.
The Coral Triangle
The
above picture illustrates the Coral Triangle. The triangle can be
decomposed into 11 marine eco-regions, which are among the best places in
the world to dive. Many divers agree in this, even though a few people
really visit theses places.
11 marine eco-regions
of the Coral Triangle
The
picture above shows the 11 marine eco-regions of the Coral Triangle. In the
following, we will list the regions and briefly highlight the most famous
dive sites in each region and describe where we have been.
Western Coral Triangle
1.
Central & Eastern Philippines
The Luzon, Visayas and
Mindao in the Philippines. Two famous dive sites are Apo Island (off the
coast Negros) and Apo Reef (off the coast of Mindoro). It’s not the same place as the two sites
are located 350km from each other. We have dived Apo Island in 2005.
2.
Palawan & North Borneo
All of Palawan, Sabah
(Malaysian Territory), The Sulu Archipelago (Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan),
The Sulu Sea and some of Central-East Kalimantan’s atolls. Three
famous dive sites are Coron’s ship wrecks (in the Busuanga
Archipelago in Norh Palawan), Tubbatha Reef (in the Sulu Sea) and Sipadan
island (in East Sabah). We dived in the Busuanga Archipelago in 2005.
3.
Sulawesi Sea & Makassar Strait
The coast from Sulamata
to the North tip of Sulawesi as well as the Sangir and Talaud Islands. Two
famous dive sites are the Bunaken Island National Park and the Lembah
Strait. Anders has dived in Bunaken Island in 2006.
4.
Northeast Sulawesi
The Gulf of Tomini in
Central Sulawesi and diving in the Togan Islands, but also the Banggai
Islands in the Gulfo of Tolo. Anders was in the Togean Islands for one week
in 2006 and did numerous dives there.
5.
Halmahera
Halmahera, the largest
island in the Maluku Islands. Were undeveloped diving possibilities (live
aboard) and the waters surrounding Halmahera is begging to be explored. We
have not been there yet.
6.
The Banda Sea
The Sea of the South
Maluku (Banda Islands, Ambon, Seram, Saparua, Leese Islands, Tanimbar
Islands and Kai Islands), but also the South Sulawesi’s archipelagos
(Taka Bone Rate Islands and Tukanbesi Islands). Especially the Banda
Islands, Taka Bone Rate Islands and Tukanbesi islands are famous, but we
haven’t been there yet. Especially Jakob is keen on these places, and
will probably go there in the near future.
7.
Lesser Sunda
Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa,
Komodo, Rinca, Sumba, Flores, the small islands in East Nusa Tenggara
(Solor etc.), Sabu, Roti and Timor, but also Wetar, Kisar and Leti. Some of
the most famous dive sites are Pulau Menjangan and Nusa Penida (both in
Bali), the Gili Islands (off the coast of Lombok) and Labuanbajo in Flores.
We have dived various places in Bali and the Gili Islands in 2004 and 2005.
8.
Papua
All the waters and
islands surrounding Papua. Well-know places count Raja Ampat, Pulau Biak
and the Centerwasih Archipelago. All the places remain to be discovered,
maybe in a very near future.
Eastern Coral Triangle
9.
Bismarck Sea
Manus, New Ireland and
New Britain in Papua New Guinea. The only famous place is Kavieng in the
very north of New Ireland.
10.
Solomon Archipelago
All of the Solomon
Islands and Puapu New Guinea’s Bougainville Island. Two famous places
are Gizo Island and Rennell Island. We have not been diving there yet.
11.
Solomon Sea
All the islands between
Papua New Guinea’s south-eastern peninsula and New Britain. One
famous dive site is the Trobriand Islands.
Some simple implications
·
If you really want to experience good diving
go to some of the above-mentioned places in the Coral Triangle.
·
If you want to experience average diving and
get drunk with you friends go to Malaysia, e.g. Pulau Tioman or the
Perhentian Islands, or the Andaman Sea in Thailand, e.g. the Phi Phi
Islands.
·
If you want to experience lousy diving and
get really drunk (or get a cheap diving certificate) go to Koh Tao or
alternatively Koh Samui or Pang Ngan in Thailand.
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