photo credit: NeilsPhotography

Selayar Island is Maybe One of the Few Remaining Exotic Diving Paradises in the World

Selayar Island lies in the flores sea between Sulawesi Island and Flores Island. A mountain range runs along the eastern side of the island rising to about 600 meter and dropping to over 2500 meter below the surface. There is a chance to see everything that the tropical under water world has to offer at Selayar Island. The Selayar Island is a narrow Island which is rising 4000 meter from the Banda sea. The interesting highlight diving site is about 3,000 meter long house reef consist of pristine coral slopes and walls are thickly covered with hard and soft corals,where drift diving can be done.

Marine Life can be sighted here include reef fish, turtles, barracudas, reef shark, pelagic fish, etc. Just southeast of the Island is largest coral atoll/Taka Bonerate Atoll in this area. The atolls rise abruptly from a deep oceanic trench and offer an amazing wall diving. Here has variety of coral growth and sea grass on this atolls, fringing and barrier reef. The reefs that surround east side of Selayar Island are mostly steep walls that are full of overhangs and small caves.

Since 2000 this area has been put under protection by Indonesia Government as marine park to preserve island’s natural resources on land and in the surrounding sea. Selayar Island can be reached either by boat from Bira cape, which lies at the southeastern tip of South Sulawesi Province and about 5 hour drive from Makassar/ capital of South Sulawesi Province or by plane. Interesting. So Come here and discover it yourself.

Author: Anto Kasan – EzineArticles Expert Author

More inspiration about diving during island vacation here.

photo credit: NeilsPhotography