Cenderawasih Bay · Indonesia · Wreck · Sand slope
Manim Island
Seven-plus landing craft on one sand slope, sharks when it runs
Area photo: Rogistira · CC BY-SA 4.0
More than seven WWII landing craft lie together on a white sand slope at the northern outer edge of Cenderawasih Bay, coral-grown and spread from 5 metres to beyond 40. When current runs along the slope the wrecks draw big fish: grey reef sharks and whitetips, barracuda, tuna, jacks and large groupers working the same water.
Where it is and how deep
1.0946° S, 134.7852° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
One slope, many wrecks. The landing craft are stacked down a white sand incline that runs from 5 metres to more than 40, so the dive is normally worked as a descent to the deepest hull you plan to visit and a long, steady climb back through the rest of them. There are more than seven of them, and they are decorated with coral, which makes the shallow end as much a reef dive as a wreck dive.
The fish life keys off the current. When it is running, the slope attracts grey reef sharks and whitetips, barracuda, tuna, jacks and big groupers, and the hulls give something to tuck behind while you watch. On a still day the same ground is a quieter potter over sand and steel, which is a fair trade given how much of the wreck cluster sits in comfortable depths.
Because the shallowest craft sit at 5 metres, the ascent and the safety stop happen over the wrecks rather than out in open blue, which is a useful place to spend the last part of the dive with a camera once the deep end of the profile is behind you. The site is at the northern outer edge of Cenderawasih Bay, off Manim Island, and is reached by liveaboard.
The wreck
- Vessel
- More than seven WWII landing craft
- Type
- WWII landing craft
- Cause
- Not recorded in available sources
- Lies
- Scattered down a white sand slope from 5 to over 40 metres, coral-grown
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Barracuda
- Tuna
- Trevally & jacks
- Groupers
| 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 Cenderawasih Bay: Whale sharks are present at the bagans year-round; May–October dry season gives calmer crossings.
Know before you go
- Current along the slope can pick up quickly and is what brings the big fish in; drop in up-current and keep the slope in reach rather than swimming out over sand.
- The slope runs past 40 metres, deeper than the recreational limit; agree a maximum depth before the dive because the wrecks continue below it.
Questions divers ask
How many wrecks are at Manim Island?+
More than seven WWII landing craft sit on the same white sand slope, spread from 5 metres down past 40, so a single dive can take in several of them.
What big fish are seen at Manim Island?+
Grey reef sharks and whitetips, barracuda, tuna, jacks and large groupers are drawn to the slope, particularly when the current is running.
Sources
- Cenderawasih Bay Diving Sites — Dive The World
More dive sites in Cenderawasih Bay
Wreck
A well-preserved PBY Catalina airframe with glassfish inside
Pelagic & blue water
Whale sharks feeding under lift nets, all year round
Three P-38 fighters in two metres of water
Wreck
A 120 m Japanese transport on her side, blast holes and all
Similar dives elsewhere
A dive boat on the sand at 37 m, a kilometre off Alona Beach
A 125 m cargo ship on a sand slope 30 m off the beach
The seaplane crane still stands out on a hull at 35 m
A 145 m provisions ship with its deck areas at 28 to 35 m