Sangihe · Indonesia · Reef · Coral garden
Mendaku–Dakupang
Coral at 10–15 m with 20–25 m visibility between two islets
Area photo: Neverjudge · CC BY-SA 4.0
The reef between the islets of Mendaku and Dakupang is a shallow coral dive, with everything documented between ten and fifteen metres and visibility reported at twenty to twenty-five metres. Indonesian sources rate it as within reach of divers at beginner level, while noting that the current across it runs harder than the depth suggests.
Where it is and how deep
3.3614° N, 125.5782° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Everything on this site sits between ten and fifteen metres, which makes for an unusually simple profile: descend, level off on the coral, and stay there for the length of the dive. The reef is described as a coral garden of mixed growth in clear water, and with visibility reported at twenty to twenty-five metres you can generally see the shape of the reef ahead of you and pick a line rather than follow the guide's fins.
The one thing that makes this more than a training dive is water movement. The Indonesian account that gives the visibility figure also notes that even at ten to fifteen metres the current tends to run fairly strongly, so the practical version is a drift along the reef between the two islets with the boat following, rather than an attempt to hold position over one patch of coral. Air lasts a long time at this depth, which is the site's real advantage.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| 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 between the two islets runs harder than the ten-to-fifteen-metre depth suggests, so treat the dive as a drift and keep the boat in sight of your bubbles.
Questions divers ask
Is Mendaku–Dakupang suitable for beginners?+
The depth is: the whole site sits between ten and fifteen metres, and local sources describe it as within reach of beginner-level divers. The current is the caveat, since it runs fairly strongly even at that depth, so it is best dived with a guide.
What is the visibility at Mendaku–Dakupang?+
Reported at twenty to twenty-five metres, which on a reef that tops out at fifteen metres means you can usually see the run of the coral ahead of you.
Sources
- 14 Wisata Bawah Laut di Kepulauan Sangihe Ini Bikin Pangling Wisatawan — Kompas Travel
- Menikmati Keindahan Hamparan Pasir Pulau Mendaku di Kepulauan Sangihe — Good News from Indonesia
- OpenStreetMap: Pulau Mendaku — OpenStreetMap
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
Shallow invertebrate reef in a bay boats overnight in
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
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
Reef, mini wall and coral garden from 12 m down to 30 m
Coral gardens on a gentle slope, with the best of the reef above 18 m
Shallow 12-15 m reef that links across to Pinnacle 2
Three to fifteen metres over the corals off Logbon Island