Dive Indonesia - 14 Photos To Inspire You To Go To Indonesia Now

When I want to see beautiful things in crystal clear water, my choice is to dive Indonesia. Hands down, the Indonesia islands are my favorite destination for a diving holiday.

To date, I’ve been diving in the following places in Indonesia:

Bunaken National Park
Komodo National Park
Tulamben National Park
Raja Ampat – (and how to get there)
The Gili Islands
Lembongan

Indonesia is also where I learned to dive. Raja Ampat, Indonesia is one of the best places to dive in Indonesia and it’s also where I learned to take underwater pictures.

If you’re looking for a wonderful diving vacation, I highly recommend it with the following warning:

Once you dive there, you may not want to dive anywhere else!

If you’re like me though, being in the water is the most important part of diving. I just love the sound of silence, interrupted only by the bubbles from my regulator.

Here are some of my favorite Indonesian diving photos. I hope they inspire you to gather your gear, book a plane ticket, and either dive in Indonesia or anywhere else.

All these photos were taken with a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV in a Fantasea FRX100 V Housing. It’s an excellent camera.

Indonesia’s water is crystal clear

Seriously, in most diving areas in Indonesia, you can look into the water and, in many cases, see right to the bottom.

It’s that clear!

Dive Indonesia - Two boats in Manado. The water is so clear, you can see all the way to the bottom — Near our dive resort, Thalassa Dive center – Manado, Indonesia

Indonesia is nudibranch heaven

In all my diving, I’ve never seen so many nudibranchs. A close second would be in the Sea of Cortez, but the nudibranch diversity in Indonesia is simply stunning!

Raja Ampat Liveaboard - nudibranch — A very colorful Nudibranch

Clown fish in Indonesia

If you’re a fan of Finding Nemo, you’re not going to have any problems finding him (or her) in Indonesia.

There are clownfish everywhere. You’ll see them!

Wobbegongs in Raja Ampat

One of the endemic species in Raja Ampat is the Wobbegong.

It’s a shark. It doesn’t look much like a shark, but a wobbegong is a shark. They just lay there. Waiting. For something to get too close.

Dive INdonesia - Wobegang shark — Wobbegongs rest during the day and hunt at night – photo by Michal Wronski: used with permission

More nudibranchs

Again with the Indonesian nudibranchs! When you go diving in Indonesia, they’re not hard to miss!

Raja Ampat Liveaboard - White nudiobranch — A nudibranch, chillaxin’ on a rock.

Schooling fish in Indonesia

Everywhere you dive in Indonesia, especially in Raja Ampat, you’ll see huge schools of fish.

Sometimes, the schools are so big that they block out the sun! And where there are schools of fish, big animals are sure to follow.

Raja Ampat Liveaboard - me surround by millions of fish — My friend, Rafael, surrounded by millions of fish.

Dive Indonesia to see millions of fish

Seriously. There are millions and millions of fish in some of these schools. Often, you’ll see mobulas picking them off in a feeding frenzy!

Me, surrounded by bait fish and mobula rays — Me, surrounded by fish and mobula rays – photo by Michal Wronski: used with permission

Napoleon Wrasse’s in Indonesia

One of my favorite fish is the Napoleon Wrasse – sometimes called the humphead wrasse.

These large fish eat crustaceans, like crabs. Their mouths open very wide and it sometimes looks quite scary!

This one was about 5 feet long!

Raja Ampat Liveaboard - Napoleon wrasse — Napoleon wrasse

Pygmy seahorses in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is the only place in the world where you’ll find a pygmy seahorse. I don’t have a great eye for tiny stuff like this.

Fortunately, my friend Patrick does!

A small red pygmy seahorse — If you look real hard, you’ll find pygmy seahorses! Photo by Patrick Stossel: used with permission

Marble Rays

I found this marble ray through sheer luck! We were at the end of our dive. The divemaster told us to turn around.

But I wanted to see what was just over the edge of the reef wall.

This is what I found. It was worth the extra minute or two!

Raja Ampat Liveaboard - Marbel ray — Marble Ray – sometimes called a Black Blotched Fantail Ray

Epaulette sharks – only in Indonesia

One of my favorite sharks in the world is the Epaulette Shark – often referred to as a walking shark.

Why?

Because they literally walk on their fins! You only see them at night when they are hunting. And they are very sensitive to light.

Snap your picture quickly, then leave them alone.

Raja Ampat Liveaboard - Walking shark — Walking Shark (Epaulette Shark) – Only in Raja Ampat

Hermit crabs

Before I went diving in Indonesia, I’d only seen hermit crabs on beaches in Canada and the US.

In Indonesia, these hermit crabs were much larger and far more colorful than any I’ve seen before!

Raja Ampat Liveaboard - Hermit crab — Hermit Crab. Amazingly beautiful

Indonesia is part of the Coral Triangle

The Coral Triangle includes the tropical waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.

Here, you’ll find over 500 species of coral, including my favorite – bubble coral!

There are over 17,000 Indonesian islands

I often make fun of Halef, who is from Indonesia, by saying that an island counts in Indonesia if you can balance on it on one foot!

But it’s true! Indonesia has over 17,000 islands. And, along with that, hundreds of cultures and languages!

Some islands in Raja Ampat, Indonesia — Indonesia has over 17,000 Islands – Photo by Rafael Novielli – used with permission

Being part of the coral triangle makes Indonesia’s diversity unmatched. It’s the most fantastic place I’ve ever had the pleasure of diving.

For underwater photographers, to dive Indonesia is to dive on some of the most photogenic sites on the planet.

So find a deal and go!

For More on Indonesia: When we travel, we use Lonely Planet. By buying a book at one of the Amazon.com links below, we get a small referral fee at no additional cost to you.

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