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Turtle City

Turtle City. The name alone gets us excited. We've spent many hours here, and it's always high on our list when we're in Sulawesi. It’s a gentle drift over sprawling beds of staghorn coral, the kind you rarely see so healthy these days. And yes, the turtles are abundant. Green sea turtles and hawksbills cruise by, sometimes so close you can hear their powerful fin strokes. But it’s not just the turtles. Keep an eye out for the smaller stuff in the coral branches. We've spotted pygmy seahorses clinging to gorgonians and tiny seastar shrimp camouflaged on - you guessed it - seastars. The currents here are usually mild, making it a relaxing dive, but they are enough to bring in the occasional whitetip reef shark patrolling the edges of the reef. We prefer diving it mid-morning, just as the sun really starts to hit the shallows, making the colours pop. If you're into slow, appreciative dives with plenty of macro and megafauna, Turtle City is a fantastic choice.