Bunaken · Indonesia · Wall · Drift
Mike's Point
An amphitheatre-shaped wall worked by reef sharks
Photo: Christian Gloor from Wakatobi Dive Resort, Indonesia · CC BY 2.0
Mike's Point is a Bunaken wall that curves back on itself in the shape of an amphitheatre, covered with coral and dived in light current. Angelfish and tilefish hold on the face, whitetip sharks and eagle rays pass along it, and large silvertip sharks are reported here as well. The site can be dived all year, and visibility often runs past 30 metres.
Where it is and how deep
1.6368° N, 124.7397° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive follows the curve of the amphitheatre, working the face in one direction rather than out and back, because there is enough flow here that the site is sometimes classified as a drift dive even though the currents are light. Normal diving depth is 10 to 25 metres, and visibility reaching 30 metres and more lets you watch well out from the wall as you go.
Angelfish and tilefish work the face itself, whitetip sharks and eagle rays pass along it, and large silvertip sharks are reported here as well, so it pays to look out into the blue as often as at the coral. The site can be dived all year, so it sits in the rotation whatever month you visit, and it is reached by boat from Manado or from the resorts on the Bunaken islands.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Eagle rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Bunaken: May–October dry season gives the clearest water; some rain and runoff November–April.
Know before you go
- The dive works a vertical face with open water below, so agree a maximum depth before you drop rather than following sharks or rays down over the edge.
- Currents are light but the site is sometimes run as a drift, so confirm which way the flow is going before you enter and plan the pickup with it.
Photos from Mike's Point
Christian Gloor from Wakatobi Dive Resort, Indonesia · CC BY 2.0
Jean-Paul Boerekamps · CC0
Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0
Dive videos
Tauchen in Bunaken - Schicksal an Mike´s Point "Canny´s nasses Grab" 4K/60FPS ☠️ Sulawesi 2019 · Ollywood - Dive & Travel on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Are there sharks at Mike's Point?+
Whitetip sharks and eagle rays are the regulars along the wall, and large silvertip sharks are reported here too. Angelfish and tilefish work the face itself.
How deep is Mike's Point?+
Normal diving depth is 10 to 25 metres along a wall shaped like an amphitheatre, in light currents and with visibility that can run past 30 metres.
Sources
- Mike's Point dive site — Divezone
- Diving Bunaken, Manado — Divezone
Photo credits
- Red soft coral in the foreground with a diver trailing bubbles over the reef by Christian Gloor from Wakatobi Dive Resort, Indonesia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Diver silhouetted against blue water beside a lionfish on the wall at Mike's Point by Christian Gloor from Wakatobi Dive Resort, Indonesia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Catch bowl coral head in blue water on the reef near Mike's Point by Jean-Paul Boerekamps, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pink tunicate colony and black sea urchin on the reef at Mike's Point by Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
- Where to see reef sharks on your first divesBig animals · 14 min read
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