Murex Dive Resorts Manado

Murex Dive Resorts has been a cornerstone of the North Sulawesi diving scene since the 1980s. As pioneers in the region, they played a vital role in the establishment of the Bunaken Marine Park and were the first to set up operations on Bangka Island. The resorts are family-run, providing a consistent and professional approach to diving in one of Indonesia's most biodiverse provinces.

The resorts operate through a unique 'Passport to Paradise' programme. This allows you to experience the distinct personalities of Manado, Bangka, and Lembeh with seamless transfers and a dedicated dive guide who accompanies you throughout your journey. Whether you are looking for the massive walls of Bunaken or the specialized macro life of the Lembeh Strait, the transition between locations is handled with logistical precision.

Operating as a PADI 5 Star Dive Centre, Murex maintains a high standard of instruction and guiding. The dive guides are highly trained professionals with specific expertise in marine biology, species identification, and underwater photography. This ensures that even when scanning a reef for a tiny pygmy seahorse or a camouflaged frogfish, you have an expert eye to assist you.

Safety and personalization are central to the operation, with dive groups kept to a maximum of 4 divers per guide. This small ratio allows for a more tailored experience, whether you are working on a buoyancy course or exploring a new wreck. The team is multilingual, with staff speaking English, Indonesian, German, and French to assist international divers.

The resorts are also deeply involved in local conservation efforts. You will find initiatives focused on coral farming through partnerships with Ocean Gardener, as well as sea turtle rescue and regular beach and river clean-ups. This commitment to the environment is reflected in their daily operations and sustainability practices.

Murex offers a comprehensive range of PADI courses, catering to everyone from those looking for an Introductory Dive Experience to professional Divemasters. For those looking to build their skills, they provide the PADI Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver, and Rescue Diver courses, alongside Emergency First Response training.

Specialty training is extensive, with courses such as PADI Enriched Air Diver, Deep Diver, Night Diver, and Peak Performance Buoyancy available. For those interested in the technical side of the hobby, they also offer Digital Underwater Photography. The centre is well-equipped to handle the eLearning components of these courses, allowing for efficient training schedules.

The dive boats are designed for comfort and utility, featuring cushioned seating and dry storage areas for your camera housings and personal belongings. To make boarding easier, the vessels are equipped with long boarding ladders. On board, you will find refreshments including drinking water, coffee, tea, and fresh fruit.

Safety is a priority on all trips, with boats equipped with first aid kits and emergency oxygen. The boats facilitate a variety of dive profiles, including morning two-dive trips, afternoon dives, and dedicated night or blackwater dives. For those staying at the Bangka or Manado resorts, the boats provide the necessary transport to reach the various dive sites across the region.

The dive centres are fully equipped for both recreational and professional divers. Full kit hire is available on-site, and the resorts provide dedicated facilities including freshwater wash tanks, drying spaces, and individual gear lockers to keep your equipment organized.

For photographers, Murex provides dedicated camera rooms at both the Manado and Bangka resorts, offering a secure place to manage your gear. Nitrox is available for use, and the centres maintain emergency oxygen on-site for safety. Both the Manado and Bangka resorts also offer house reefs that are accessible for unguided shore diving once you have completed an initial orientation with a guide.

The region is renowned for its spectacular pelagics and reef life. You can expect to encounter green sea turtles, hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), eagle rays (Aetobatus), and various shark species, including reef sharks (Carcharhinus) and blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus). Large schools of fish, such as jack (Carangidae), barracuda, and various snappers (Lutjanus), are common, alongside Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) and bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon).

The hard and soft coral structures provide a vibrant backdrop, with giant gorgonians, sea fans (Gorgoniidae), and various sponges (Porifera) coating the walls. In the shallower reef flats, you will find colourful reef fish, including butterflyfish (Chaetodon), parrotfish (Calotomus), and various wrasse (Labridae).

For macro enthusiasts, the Lembeh Strait and Manado Bay offer world-class opportunities. The sandy bottoms and muck sites are home to an incredible array of small creatures, including flamboyant cuttlefish, mimic octopus, wonderpus, and coconut octopus. You can also search for various species of nudibranchs (Chromodoris, Coryphillina exoptata, Nembrothas), pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti), and pontohi pygmy seahorse.

Specific critters to look for include the hairy frogfish, Lembeh hairy frogfish, Ambon scorpionfish (Scorpaenidae), Ornate ghost pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus), and various species of pipefish and ghost pipefish (Solenostomidae). Other highlights include the blue-ringed octopus, macro shrimp, and various species of seahorses (Hippocampus kuda).

Diving in Bunaken, Bangka, and Manado Bay generally offers easy conditions with little to mild currents. However, divers should be aware that strong currents can be encountered at Pangalingan on the northern side of Manado Tua.

In the Lembeh Strait, conditions are typically easy, though some drift and current can occur at the reef sites. Blackwater dives are also conducted, which are designed to attract plankton and the larvae-stage critters that feed on them.