Aer Banua 1 - Sulawesi
Aer Banua 1, off Sulawesi, offers a look at a fairly typical Indonesian reef. We’ve found a mix of hard and soft corals here, providing shelter for the usual reef fish and some smaller critters if you take the time to search. It’s a good spot for a relaxed dive, especially if you’re looking for something gentle between more energetic drift dives. Suits photographers who like to move slowly.
- Location
- Sulawesi, Indonesia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 1.878784, 125.082664
Marine Protected Area: KK Minahasa Utara
Best Time to Dive in Sulawesi
The warmest water temperatures in Sulawesi occur in November, averaging 30.4°C. The coolest conditions are in September at 28.7°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 29.5°C
- February: 29.4°C
- March: 29.8°C
- April: 30.3°C
- May: 30.3°C
- June: 29.7°C
- July: 29.1°C
- August: 28.8°C
- September: 28.7°C
- October: 29.5°C
- November: 30.4°C
- December: 30.2°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Sulawesi
- 45 Bananas - 10-30m (reef)
- Aer Bajo 2
- Aer Banua 3 - 5-25m (reef)
- Air Prang
- Alung banua - 15-35m (wall)
- Angels Window Bukabuka Isl. - 15-40m (reef)
- Angels Window Bukabuka Isl. (reef)
- Angel Window (cave)
- Annie point
- Apollo
- Apollo (reef)
- Apollo - 15-30m (wreck)
- Apollo (reef)
- Aringkambin - 5-25m (reef)
- Artemis (cave)
Nearest Dive Centres to Aer Banua 1
Marine Life in Sulawesi
Home to 252 recorded species including 162 reef fish, 53 hard corals, 9 seagrass & algae, 9 sea snails & nudibranchs, 6 clams & mussels, 4 sea cucumbers.
Notable Species
- Species code: Ea (Enhalus acoroides) - Seagrass & Algae
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
- Staghorn coral (Acropora cerealis) - Hard Corals
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Boring Clam (Tridacna crocea) - Clams & Mussels
- seagrass (Halophila ovalis) - Seagrass & Algae
- Branch coral (Acropora florida) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora caroliniana) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora hyacinthus) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora indonesia) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora humilis) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora solitaryensis) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora selago) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora austera) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora tenuis) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora acuminata) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora yongei) - Hard Corals
- Table coral (Acropora clathrata) - Hard Corals
- Pink anemonefish (Amphiprion perideraion) - Reef Fish
- cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
Recommended Packing List for Aer Banua 1
Based on average water temperature of 29.7°C, currents 4 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 30°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories