Cela Cela - Sulawesi
Cela Cela is one of those places you end up talking about for months afterwards. We hit it on a morning tide, and the current was just enough to give us a gentle drift along the wall. The reef here is a masterclass in coral health, with massive thickets of staghorn stretching out like underwater forests. You’ll spot schools of sapphire demoiselles flitting between the branches, a shimmering blue cloud against the coral’s muted greens and browns. We loved the sheer number of whitetip reef sharks patrolling the deeper sections. Not shy either, just cruising by, looking for an easy meal. Keep an eye out for the smaller stuff too; we found a few wasp pygmy gobies tucked into the crevices, barely visible against the rough coral. This site is great for anyone who appreciates a vibrant, healthy reef with good chances of seeing larger pelagics and a decent drift to take it all in. Definitely one of our favourite dives in the region.
- Location
- Sulawesi, Indonesia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 1.610286, 124.768340
Marine Protected Area: KK Kota Manado
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 1
- 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)
Nearest Dive Centres to Cela Cela
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 Cela Cela
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