Karimunjawa Diving
Karimunjawa Archipelago is one of the favorite dive sites in Indonesia. There are several
dive sites that are in good to excellent condition for all
sorts of divers, from novice to very experienced. The marine area around the archipelago
offers varies types of diving spot such
as fringing reefs, atolls and wrecks. Drift diving is popular here as currents
are often strong.
Karimunjawa is the place of beautiful coral reefs; there are a number of submerged
reefs around the islands such as Karang Kapal, Torpedo Reef and Ezdir Reef which
offer good coral growth and sea lifes such as bumphead parrotfish, jacks and the
odd whitetip shark. A good variety of species can be found here including some
rarer ones such as Crocodile fish and Leafy Scorpion fish and whale sharks if
they are passing through.
The shipwreck around the island of Batu Kunci, Karang Kapal, Karang Ketel and
Batulawang also give the divers a thrilling experience. After many years on the
ocean floor, they naturally become home to the reef fishes. There is also an interesting
point on Menyawakan Island where divers will have
the opportunity to get close-up with the graceful marine turtles. Shortly, diving
lovers will have a lot of amazing experience in this archipelago.
Some of spectacular diving spot in Karimunjawa:
- The wreck of A pinisi freighter that lays 26 depth under the water surface.
It sank immediately after her captain tried to put it up on the reef to save the
cargo.
- The famous wrecks of Indonoor
A Dutch steamship with more than 30 meters long and 12 meters height which sunk
in February 1960 after the captain mistook a fire on the beach for the lights
of Semarang and hit the reef. The wreck started from 3 meter until 17 meter depth.
The huge steel plates and riveted steam boilers playing home to all manner of
reef fish does make a great dive. However, diving into this wreck is not recommended
for novice divers because of the compartment are narrow and dark, with a lot of
sediment at its bottom.
- The wreck of Biblis
A wreck with its bronze propeller still intact. This wreck has been on the ocean
floor for many years, so the coral life is
amazing. Several big groupers are nearly always spotted on this wreck. Possibility
to penetrate for trained wreck divers.
- Karang Kapal
is a very big submerged reef, where we from time to time find new drop-off. This
reef is so big, that there is still much to be explored. This dive site is home
to very big Bump head Parrotfish, and the occasional
White tip reef shark.
- Taka Menyawakan
An exciting dive site, with spectacular coral cover which exceeds more than 250
different species, plentiful Bat fish and the wrecks of two ships! One of the
wrecks is a Pelni ferry which sunk in the 50s. You will also see schooling Barracudas,
Skipjack Tuna, Hawksbill turtles, Lobsters
and Giant clams. Usually a strong current sweeps this reef, giving you an exciting
ride all the
way around it.
- Ezdir Reef
This dive site is named after one of our frequent diver guests. It was discovered
mid/late 2000. The quality and variety of corals are extremely good, so good that
one group
of divers did three dives on this site in one day, and it was the first site they
wanted to visit when they returned to the resort again.
- Hawksbill Point
conveniently located on Menyawakan, this spot gives you the opportunity to come
face to face with Hawksbill turtles and quite often Octopus too. Usually Crocodile
fishes and Scorpion fishes are seen on your smooth drift back
to the Resorts jetty.
- Torpedo Reef
One of our most remote dive sites, but well worth the boat trip since it is one
of the high lights of the archipelago. The exceptionally healthy Torpedo Reef
has remnants of torpedoes and grenades
scattered across the ocean floor. Beside the torpedoes and the grenades, the reef
has a good variety of pelagic
and the blooming soft corals are nothing less than fantastic!
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