Coral Triangle · Indonesia
Morotai
Reef sharks a short boat ride out and WWII bombers on the deep slopes.
Photo: Rickard Zerpe · CC BY 2.0
Morotai, in North Maluku, pairs reef-shark diving with WWII history. Day boats from Metita Island reach around 70 sites: sloping coral banks where sharks circle at about 18 m, the steep walls of the island's southern tip, the sunken reef of Karang Buho-Buho rising to 5 m, and mobulas at GaloGalo. For deep-certified divers, two Bristol Beaufort bombers and two Mitsubishi Zero fighters lie between 35 and 50 m, one Zero still largely intact.
About diving in Morotai
Diving runs on day boats from Metita Island, just off the southern tip of Morotai, on two purpose-built boats carrying oxygen and first aid. The outer edge of the reef is a 2-minute boat ride away, where sandy plateaus slowly descend and sharks glide past at around 18 m in the current. The sites run from the south-eastern coast at Pandanga to the steep walls of the southern tip, and west to Dodola Island and GaloGalo. Day trips cross to the Halmahera mainland around Tobelo for an underwater volcano and muck sites. More sites are still being found and named.
Around Metita the reefs are sloping coral banks with plenty of reef sharks. On the sloping edges of Karang Buho-Buho, giant trevallies, Napoleon wrasse and blacktip and whitetip reef sharks gather, and Kasar Wall has turtles and reef sharks. Deeper down lie the remains of the war: two Bristol Beaufort bombers from the Australian Air Force, trucks and jeeps from the same era, and two Mitsubishi Zero fighter planes.
Shark-point day trips take any certified diver. The WWII wrecks are for experienced divers with deep certification; they are challenging because of depth and occasional low visibility, and run only under strict supervision when the dive team judges conditions right. Help is far away: insurance covering emergency evacuation and decompression chamber treatment is mandatory, and chamber treatment means evacuation to Manado or Darwin.
Best time to dive Morotai
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair |
The year splits into two seasons. Rain comes from November to March. Mobulas visit GaloGalo on the west coast between February and May, so the last rainy months still have a draw on the western sites. The dry season runs from March to November with calm water, mostly sunny weather and better diving conditions. Sea temperature sits between about 28 °C in August and 30 °C in May.
Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September, October
Dive types & marine life
Mobulas visit GaloGalo between February and May. The Halmahera walking shark, discovered in 2013, is easily found at night in shallow sandy or broken coral areas, and the Metita house reef night dive has high chances of meeting one.
- Reef
- Wall
- Drift
- Wreck
- Reef sharks
- Mobula rays
- Napoleon wrasse
- Trevally & jacks
- Sea turtles
Best dive sites in Morotai
- 1
Bristol Plane Wreck
Two Bristol Beaufort planes, jeeps and tyres on a sloping reef to 45–50 m; deep certification needed.
- 2
Susi Wreck
Confiscated fishing vessel sunk in 2019 within recreational limits; suits all certified divers.
- 3
GaloGalo
West-coast site with the chance of diving with mobulas between February and May.
- 4
Karang Buho-Buho
Sunken reef rising to 5 m with giant trevallies, Napoleon wrasse and reef sharks on its edges.
- 5
Kasar Wall
Drift dive along a richly adorned wall.
- 6
Dodola Island
West-coast island dive known for its corals.
- 7
Lopong Utara Shipwreck
Deep shipwreck whose shallowest point sits at 30 m.
Site guides
An extended family of blacktip reef sharks on the slope off Metita Island.
Wreck
Two Australian Bristol Beaufort bombers among jeeps and tyres off a South Morotai village.
How to get to Morotai
The quickest route is the Wednesday flight from Ternate to Morotai Island. Overland, a car runs from Sofifi to Tobelo on Halmahera in 3 to 3.5 hours, then a speedboat crosses to Metita Island in 1 hour. A second dive operator is based at the ferry port in Juanga, south Morotai.
Photos from Morotai
Rickard Zerpe · CC BY 2.0
Rickard Zerpe · CC BY 2.0
Rickard Zerpe · CC BY 2.0
Dive videos
DIVE MOROTAI - Shark frenzy · Indonesia Dive Safaris DC on YouTube
Diving Morotai - Wreck dive and blacktip shark point · Wet Traveler on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification do the Morotai WWII wrecks need?+
The Bristol Beaufort and Zero wrecks lie between 35 and 50 m and need a deep diving certification. They are run under strict supervision because of depth and occasional low visibility. The Susi Wreck, sunk in 2019, stays within recreational limits for any certified diver.
When can divers see mobulas at Morotai?+
Mobulas visit GaloGalo on the west coast of Morotai between February and May.
What is the best time of year to dive Morotai?+
The dry season from March to November brings calm water and mostly sunny weather. Rain falls from November to March, though February and March overlap the mobula season at GaloGalo.
How do divers get to Morotai?+
The quickest way is the Wednesday flight from Ternate to Morotai Island. The overland alternative is a 3 to 3.5 hour drive from Sofifi to Tobelo and a 1-hour speedboat to Metita Island.
Where is the nearest decompression chamber to Morotai?+
Treatment would be in Manado or in Darwin, depending on where the diver's insurer arranges evacuation.
Sources
- https://metitaresort.com/diving-in-morotai/ — metitaresort.com
- https://malailloliveaboard.com/north-halmahera-morotai/ — malailloliveaboard.com
- https://www.metitaresort.com/the-resort/faq/ — metitaresort.com
- https://www.metitaresort.com/news/how-to-get-to-morotai-and-metita-island-travel-guide/ — metitaresort.com
- https://www.seatemperature.org/asia/indonesia/tobelo.htm — seatemperature.org
- https://www.gorangomorotai.com/fundive — gorangomorotai.com
- https://www.gorangomorotai.com/ — gorangomorotai.com
Photo credits
- A yellow and blue striped surgeonfish swims over branching coral against a dark green background by Rickard Zerpe, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A small fish with a pale yellow head, long first dorsal fin and red tail hovers over a colourful rubble reef by Rickard Zerpe, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A mottled brown cuttlefish rests on grey sand with two arms raised by Rickard Zerpe, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A pale puffer fish with brown curved stripes faces the camera among green seagrass by Rickard Zerpe, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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