Diving Donggala - Central Sulawesi
Dongala and Tanjung Karang have become famous thanks to the Prince John Dive Resort.
This trip connects Saronde Island Resort with the dive spots around Dongala.
Along the way, we visit Pulau Raja, Napo Kima, and Toli Toli before spending 3–4 diving days around Dongala.
The trip starts at Saronde Island Resort (Gorontalo Airport) and ends in Dongala (Palu Airport).
Pulau Raja and Napo Kima are dive spots discovered by Blue Bay Divers and are sometimes visited by Saronde Island Resort on day trips.
Toli Toli lies in a bay with several small islands just off the coast of Sulawesi mainland.
Pulau Lutungan, Pulau Kabetan, Pulau Makolong, and Pulau Bolle offer us crystal-clear water, coral reefs in good condition, marine turtles, whitetip reef sharks, and visibility up to 30 m.
Dive sites like “Traffic Jam” near Sabang‑Tende and other spots at Kabetan and Bolle offer calm, clear-water reefs.
In front of Lalos Beach, dugongs can be seen grazing in the seagrass meadows.
Around Dongala and the house reef of the Prince John Resort, you can find sweetlips, snappers, fusiliers, anemonefish, nudibranchs, seahorses, leaf fish, ghost pipefish, octopuses, and scorpionfish.
Night dives are especially rewarding: stonefish, Spanish dancer nudibranchs, cuttlefish, decorator crabs, lionfish, and more.
The Outer Reefs:
- Anchor Reef and Natural Reef (~10 min by boat): Sandy areas, rays, moray eels, occasional sharks such as blacktip or whitetip reef sharks, and schools of bumphead parrotfish.
- Pasi Series (Kawe, Utara, Ujung) and South Atoll (~30–40 min by boat): Excellent coral cover, frequent close encounters with sharks, rich macro life, yellow frogfish, nudibranchs, and cuttlefish during egg-laying.
- Batu Suya and Enu I & II (north side of the bay, 30–40 min by boat): Impressive walls with gorgonians and soft corals, depths exceeding 70 m. Sometimes you can spot schools of trevallies, Napoleon wrasse, bumphead parrotfish, and elusive hawkfish.
Donggala Route Map
