Wakatobi National Park Dive

Wakatobi National Park Dive

Wakatobi (an acronym for the main islands Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko), is a renowned dive destination, featuring pristine and diverse reefs. The main islands have fringing coral reefs. It is located on South East Sulawesi, Indonesia. Wakatobi National Park has very high marine resource potential, in terms of both species and uniqueness, with enchanting submarine landscapes. In terms of configuration, the marine waters of the park generally start flat and then slope seawards, with sheer precipices in some parts. The water depth varies, the deepest parts reaching 1,044 metres with sand and coral at the bottom. This Park has 25 chains of coral reefs, and the total circumference of the coral islands is 600 km. The National Park includes an area of 1,390,000 hectares.

reef:
- Karang Kapota situated ca. 20 km Southwest of Wangi-wangi (ca. 20 km long
and 8 km wide),
- Karang Keledupa situated ca. 20 km Southwest of Kaledupa and Tomia (ca. 60
km long and 20 km wide),
- the atoll-like reef situated just Southwest of Tomia Island that includes Lintoa
island (ca. 15 km long and 15 km wide).

A number of smaller reefs, mostly atolls, are situated in the open waters of the Southeastern part of Wakatobi. The Park is inhabited by ca. 85,000 people, whereof about half live in Wangi-Wangi. Many of these people depend on fisheries, but a significant portion also makes a living as inter-island traders and seafarers. Fishing is common throughout the Park, and there are frequent reports on destructive fishing practices being used. There are two main tourism hubs in the park namely, Tomia Island and Hoga in Kaledupa Island.

The national park authority, PHKA, expressed a commitment to conserve these reefs by declaring the 1.39 million ha of waters around the islands as a protected area, Wakatobi National Park (TNKW, Taman Nasional Kepulauan Wakatobi) on July 30 1996 (Surat Keputusan Menteri Kehutanan No. 393 / Kpts-VI/1996). There is an endorsed zoning plan (Surat Keputusan Direktur Jenderal Perlindungan Hutan dan Pelestarian Alam No. 198/Kpts/DJ-VI/1997) that includes core zone, protection zone, use zone, traditional use zone, and rehabilitation zone. TNKW plans to revise the zoning plan to allow for socio-economic dynamics To date, Park management has not been effective because of problems faced by most Parks in Indonesia: lack of funding, lack of experience with marine conservation, and Indonesia’s social, economic and political crisis.

Wakatobi Island paradise Sea Bottom

Wakatobi National Park has the potential of natural resources of the sea level value, and both types of keunikannya, with panoramic sea bottom stunning. In general, the configuration of marine has even started to incline towards the sea, and there are some areas that the bertubir steep. Water depth varies, the terdalam reaches 1044 meters with the most basic of the sand and relaxing.

This national park has 25 units with a group of coral reefs around the coast of the coral islands along the 600 km. More than 112 coral species from 13 families, among Acropora Formosa, A. hyacinthus, Psammocora profundasafla, Pavona cactus, Leptoseris yabei, Fungia molucensis, Lobophyllia Robusta, Merulina ampliata, Platygyra versifora, Euphyllia glabrescens, Tubastraea frondes, Stylophora pistillata, Sarcophyton throchelliophorum, and Sinularia spp.

Fish species richness of the national parks are 93 species of fish trade and fish consumption among decorative spot Argus (Argus Cephalopholus), takhasang (Naso unicornis), pogo-pogo (Balistoides viridescens), napoleon (Cheilinus undulatus), red fish (Lutjanus biguttatus ), baronang (Siganus guttatus), Amphiprion melanopus, Chaetodon specullum, Chelmon rostratus, Heniochus acuminatus, Lutjanus monostigma, Caesio caerularea, and others.

In addition, there are several types of sea birds such as swan-stone brown (Sula leucogaster plotus), kettle wilt (Charadrius peronii), king prawn erasia (Alcedo atthis); there are three types of turtle are often landed on the islands in the national park that is shell turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), crock turtle (Caretta caretta), and the cracked turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea).

Native communities living around national parks in the sea or tribe called the Bajau tribe. According to ancient Chinese records and the European explorers, said that boating is a man who is able to explore the human Merqui Islands, Johor, Singapore, Sulawesi, and the Sulu Islands. Of the entire human boating in Southeast Asia that still have a boating culture is traditional Bajau tribe. See their day-to-day is interesting and unique, especially to the sea floor dives without equipment to spear fish.

Hoga Island (Kaledupa Resort), Island Binongko (Resort Binongko) Tamia and Resort is an interesting location to visit, especially for diving, snorkeling, nautical tourism, swimming, camping, tourism and culture.

Visit best season:
April s / d in June and October until December each year

How well a location:
Kendari to Wanci using aircraft
Kendari to Bau-Bau with regular fast ship every day with two long trips, or five hours each day with a timber ship for 8 hours.
Kendari Wanci to use every day with a long wooden boat trip about 8 hours
Wanci is a gate to enter the first area of Wakatobi National Park.