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A large grey pufferfish covered in dark spots rests on a rounded coral head, with small fish in the blue-green water behind — Maumere Bay

Maumere Bay · Indonesia · Reef · Drift

Pangabatang South

A drift past huge sea fans and sponges on an island coral slope

Area photo: Rachel Crane · CC BY 4.0

Pangabatang South is a coral slope off Pangabatang, the small island that, with Tanjung Darat opposite, forms the entrance to Maumere Bay. The slope carries huge sea fans and sponges, and there is usually some current, which turns the dive into a drift.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Pangabatang South: typical dive to 30 m (to 100 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit30 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

8.4828° S, 122.4611° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The dive follows a slope covered with corals, huge sea fans and sponges, with the usual current carrying divers along it. At 30 m a sandy area forms a plateau before the reef drops deeper. The end of the dive is often calmer, which leaves time to search the coral garden for smaller creatures.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Pangabatang South
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairPrimePrimePrimePrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodGood

Season follows Maumere Bay: April to October is the calmest and clearest window; January to March brings rougher crossings, though the sheltered inner bay still dives.

Know before you go

  • There is usually some current along the slope, so the dive runs as a drift rather than an out-and-back.

Sources

  1. Pangabatang South — ScubaGo
  2. Diving - Santai Divers Maumere — Santai Divers

More dive sites in Maumere Bay

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Maumere Bay's one fierce current, squeezed between mainland and island

10–30 madvanced

Wreck

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