DIVE LOG AUSTRALASIA FEB 2025 ISSUE 410

FANTASTIC NORTH SULAWESI WRECK & DIVE TRAVEL ADVICE I f there is such a thing, I guess I must have been having “shipwreck diving withdrawal” I needed a fix and began looking for somewhere to quell the cravings. Fritz Herscheid . text and photos by Fritz Herscheid Author of Salvage Pirates

I wanted somewhere nearby, not wishing for another long flight like my recent trip to the WW1 Gallipoli wrecks. Also, I had a new friend I was keen to introduce to the water—a new Lefeet P1XR scooter, which Lefeet rushed to me for my pending trip. Now, what wreck dives are close to Cairns? New Guinea, yes, but been there done that. Bali, a direct flight, was just 4.5 hours away and relatively cheap. But the USAT Liberty wreck at Tulamben just wasn’t worth the trip. I knew there were quite a few other WW2 wrecks scattered around Indonesia. Nth Sulawesi looked promising with 3 recorded wrecks. Better still, Manado, the capital, is only 2 ½ hours via a direct flight from Bali, so the die was cast. The two most exciting shipwrecks were a large intact WW2 Jap freighter in Lembeh and an unknown Dutch ship of some 1,000 tons in Manado. It was enough to get me excited. There were three smaller shipwrecks in Lembeh, one a Japanese freighter of approximately 900 tons and two large fishing trawlers of some 400 tons each. Thanks to Mr Google, I quickly discovered that Lembeh Strait is a top-rated destination for muck divers and critter photographers. Several exclusive dive resorts lined the Lembeh straits, so getting a dive on the wrecks should be child’s play….wrong. I contacted three dive resorts and a couple of local dive operators in Bitung (close to Lembeh Island) to my disbelief, none were interested in taking me to the wreck. Their explanation was “too dangerous”. I couldn’t believe it. However, not being one to give up easily, I contacted some dive operators in Manado. A couple didn’t speak English, and one didn’t even bother to respond. Then I happened upon Manado Scuba Divers . What a blessing that was. Communication with the owner, Mr Katiman, was excellent. He assured me that diving the Manado wreck was not an issue, and they also regularly dived the Lembeh Strait. And now, with the new freeway, it was less than an hour’s drive. With the diving sorted, the next hurdle was accommodation. It turns out there are quite a few good hotels and dive resorts in Manado. Compared to Australia or Bali, the accommodation rates are dirt cheap. For convenience, I booked a stay at the NDC Dive Resort, where Manado Scuba operates. The choice couldn’t have been better. From a diver’s perspective, the rooms are large and well appointed, with a comfortable bed, good aircon, and excellent breakfast. The dive operator is a few yards away.

Getting to Manado from Bali is simple. There are many flights throughout the day, but the best is a direct 2.5-hour flight with TransNusa Airlines. I found the check-in and domestic airline security process quick and easy. In our case, just an hour before departure was enough time. Sam Ratulangi International Airport is a modern terminal that makes Cairns Airport look like it is 3 rd world. It’s only a 30-minute drive from the airport to Manado or the NDC resort. The hotel or Manado Scuba can arrange for you to be picked up from the airport. To experience the best that Manado offers outside of diving, like restaurants, etc., it’s best to be mobile. I chose a scooter because it’s the easiest way to zip around traffic jams (Make sure you have your international driver’s licence with you; if you get caught without it, you can look forward to a hefty fine).

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Dive Log Australasia issue 410 Feb 2025

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