Muck Diving in Macro Heaven

Lembeh Strait, Muck Scuba Diving in Macro Heaven

Like many people, when I started scuba diving, I wasn’t interested in tiny critters. I had never heard of macro or muck diving. Big stuff like manta rays, sharks, turtles and whales were the order of the day. 

Don’t get me wrong. I still love all that stuff! But, now I`m happiest with my head stuck in the muck looking for critters the size of a grain of rice. Then, taking ten thousand photos of each one.

Enter Lembeh Strait.

Where is it, and how do I get there?

Lembeh Strait is a short stretch of water between the northeastern tip of Sulawesi Island’s Minahasa Peninsula and the small island of Lembeh, Indonesia.  

Yep, it is pretty remote. Oh, but it is glorious if you are a macro freak like me! Getting there is an adventure, but not too much trouble! 

Flights from Singapore with Silk Air, arrive daily at Manado international airport. Domestic flights from Jakarta, Bali, Makassar and Sorong arrive regularly throughout the day. 

From the airport, it is about a 2-hour ride to Bitung, followed by a 15-30 minute boat ride. Depending on where you plan to stay. 

Why muck diving there? 

I get a kick out of visiting places that, to me, are wild and remote. I guess it comes from watching too many naturalist documentaries and Indiana Jones movies as a kid, and it doesn’t get much wilder than this! 

Did I mention it is macro heaven? 

Renowned for macro life, this stretch of water has a huge variety of rare, weird and outright ridiculous-looking critters. They are everywhere! Furthermore, the local guides, dive centres, and resorts have set themselves up to accommodate the droves of muck diving enthusiasts.

The guides are impressive. Armed with a range of increasingly smaller “pointy sticks” and an in-depth knowledge of the creatures’ names. Their ability to spot tiny, well-camouflaged critters seems supernatural. 

Most resorts provide purposely built camera set up and cleaning stations. Alongside, shelves full of critter identification books. So, you start to understand why it’s a macro lovers’ dream! 

Dive Conditions 

The Lembeh Strait is most famous for muck diving. But, there are some beautiful coral reefs to explore and even a very cool wreck! The topography is mainly black volcanic sand and muck, yep muck! Strangely enough, there are also some white sand dive sites. 

It’s an equatorial climate, so diving is possible all year-round. 

The water temperature doesn’t change much. Usually, staying at a uniform 25°- 28°C. It peaks between October and March and ebbs to its lowest during July and August. 

There are two seasons rainy and dry. The rainy season is from November to March. Typically January and February have the highest rainfall. Some of the northernmost sites might not be accessible due to rough seas during this time.

Visibility ranges from about 5-25 meters. It is best from October to December and worst during the warmest months of January and February.

In June, when the south-east monsoon winds start, the water can be choppy, and the current can run. Luckily, the protected dive sites ensure it is not much of a problem. The guide will know where to go and when. 

Be aware that the waters are not the cleanest in the world. You will likely see trash on the bottom or floating past with the current. Surprisingly, it’s not uncommon to find cool critters have made their homes in and around it.

Dive Sites

There are 55+ dive sites and dozens of dive operations at the time of writing. Fortunately, the dive community work together for the most part. They even set a regulation allowing only a limited number of divers on a site at any time, so the sites don’t get overcrowded.

The depths range from 5-30 meters. This means the dive sites are suitable for both beginners and more experienced divers.

Some people say it is unsuitable for beginners, but I beg to differ. Plenty of the dive sites are suitable for entry-level training and new divers. So long as they steer clear of the sites and areas where they could damage the delicate macro creatures.

I’m in! Take me muck diving. What am I going to see?

Do you have all day?

Let’s start with cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish and squid). There are loads of different types like the blue ring, long arm, coconut and mimic octopus. Reef, pygmy, golden and flamboyant cuttlefish. Reef and bobtail squid.

Then we have the crawlers, various nudibranchs, sap-sucking, head shield and wart slugs. Too many to name, and each is as outrageous as the next.

Moray, ribbon and snake eels. Bobbit and flatworms. Bent stick, banded and striped pipefish. Regular and pygmy seahorses and the infamous Lembeh sea dragon. A teeny-tiny pipe-horse resembling a piece of gooey string with a seahorse’s head. Fantastic!

Do you like crustaceans? If so, you are in for a treat! An endless supply of crabs, shrimps, and lobster awaits. Peacock, pink eared and spearing mantis shrimps. Coral and pom-pom crabs, squat, slipper, and painted lobster. The list goes on and on.

Picture a reef full of the usual reef fish. Now add frogfish, mandarin fish, filefish, puffers, triggers, and cardinalfish. Anemonefish, a lot of them with tongue parasites, flounders, razorfish and scorpionfish. You get the picture!

Add a plethora of coral, sponges, hydroids and sea squirts. Now, finally, add a shipwreck and some trash, and you’re halfway there.

Don’t believe us? We have proof! Check out our social media for photos and videos.

There is always plenty to see when diving Lembeh. Though, critters are slightly more abundant between July and August. Sightings are due to reproductive cycles more than anything else.

Our favourites.

What will I bring?

• Respect for the environment
• Camera, lights and an extra battery
• Memory cards and somewhere to back up your images
• Old dive gear (the guides always appreciate donations)
• Tip money (they absolutely earn it)
• A book

Wrapping it up!