Sangihe · Indonesia · Coral garden · Reef
Coral Garden – Kahakitang
Shallow invertebrate reef in a bay boats overnight in
Area photo: Neverjudge · CC BY-SA 4.0
The coral garden off Kahakitang is a shallow invertebrate dive in five to twenty metres of water, on an island whose sheltered bay is where charter boats spend the night. Crabs, nudibranchs and other invertebrates are the point of the dive rather than anything large, and the same bay is used for night dives. The current runs hard enough that divers are told to take care.
Also known as Toleng Kina.
Where it is and how deep
3.1833° N, 125.5333° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
This is a shallow dive, worked between five and twenty metres along the reef off Kahakitang. There is no deep section to get out of the way first, so the whole dive is spent in the zone where the light is good and the invertebrates are: crabs, nudibranchs and the general spread of small marine life the site is documented for, rather than anything large out in the blue.
The complication is water movement. The current off this stretch is described as running hard enough that divers are specifically told to be careful, so the sensible plan is to work with it rather than across it and let the boat pick you up down-current. The same bay is sheltered enough for boats to lie overnight, which is what makes the after-dark dive here practical — the same shallow reef, with the crabs and nudibranchs easier to find under a torch.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Sangihe: Mar–Sep is the settled window for the crossing north from Manado; the north-west monsoon closes the chain from December to February.
Know before you go
- The current off Kahakitang is described as running hard; on a shallow site that mostly means being swept off the reef, so stay with the guide and carry an SMB.
Questions divers ask
Can you night dive at Kahakitang?+
Yes. The island has a sheltered bay where boats spend the night and where a night dive can be made, on the same shallow reef that holds the crabs, nudibranchs and other invertebrates.
Sources
More dive sites in Sangihe
Summit of an active volcano, 5 metres below the surface
Seamount
Vertical seamount wall dived at 25–30 m in swirling current
Coral garden
Coral garden and seagrass meadow at 10–15 m in clear water
Coral garden
Coral, Montipora and sponge garden from 2 m down to 20 m
Reef
Coral at 10–15 m with 20–25 m visibility between two islets
Coral garden
Montipora stands at 20 m off an uninhabited coral islet
Seamount wall from 24 to 40 m with a wreck and twin anchors
Wall
Swim through submerged doorways and tunnels at about 25 m
Similar dives elsewhere
A calm coral garden at 5–20 m, the island's easiest dive
Healthy coral garden from 3 m down to 18 m off the village
A coral plateau at 18 m, swarmed by fish and turtles
Temple, cabbage and mushroom coral in 15 m of water