NORTH SULAWESI– TO DIVE Sulawesi offers a number of dive operators to choose from and depending upon your dive style, you'll be able to find one that will suit your needs. Many cater to a wide variety of divers, from the less-experienced divers on up … and there are dive sites that will accommodate all experience levels as well. Some dive operators cater to smaller groups of four or less, while others have larger boats to accommodate more divers. Many dive operators are affiliated with resorts so your room and dive boat are conveniently located.

For a PADI dive shop in North Sulawesi, go to padi.com and search Indonesia dive shops for those located in the Sulawesi area. Batu Mandi: A sheer wall smothered in filter-feeding sea fans, encrusting sponges and crinoids as far as the eye can see, and complete with tons of critters, including ghost pipefish, mantis shrimps and many nudibranchs. Famous for the many sea fans.

Goldfish Bowl: A rare, pristine field of staghorn coral speckled with hundreds of anemones of varied colors and clownfish of various species.

Mandolin: Drift dive. This corner of Bunaken Island is packed with an abundance of colorful soft coral, large sponges, sea fans, red ship corals and a gorgeous reef top. Check out the turtles, seasnakes, sharks, rays and wrasses that frequent here.

Sahaong Dua: A narrow pinnacle in the lee of Bangka Island. Dive the top for jam-packed soft corals. Here you'll find green and golden brown soft corals, giant elephant ear sponges, green cup corals and table corals. Dive deeper to find a cleaning station for giant bumphead parrotfish.

Lembeh Strait: Well-known as one of the most diverse dive sites for underwater photographers worldwide, you can't help but see unusual and rare marine life. It's hard to settle on a best Lembeh dive, as it changes often. Just get there! Ask the dive guides which sites are hot that week — they'll know.

Molas Shipwreck This is the wreck of a Chinese commercial iron ship resting on a muddy slope in about 98 feet of water. Here you'll find a sleeping nurse shark during the day along with black corals, gorgonians and nudibranchs.

Tanjung Pisok A flat reef sloping to about 50 feet, alternates with sandy slopes. Here there can sometimes be a strong current, however, this allows divers to see some of the larger species like Napoleon wrasses, big groupers and eagle rays. Also abundant are butterflyfish, triggerfish and parrotfish.

Barakuda Point As the name implies, here you'll be treated to a large school of blackfin barracuda. While admiring the namesake marine life, check out the dogtooth tuna, bumphead parrotfish, and the occasional grey and hammerhead sharks. Keep in mind that there are often strong currents, but be sure to appreciate the many massive corals as you note the variety of marine life that passes by.

Manado Tua This site offers huge table-top corals, giant barrel sponges, black coral, winding canyons and small caves and crevices. It's wall diving at its best with masses of fish including butterflyfish, parrotfish, anglefish and many anemonefish. Also a good spot for seeing turtles, seasnakes, sharks, and schooling batfish.