Bunaken National Park

Bunaken National Park is a special area in the sea near the north of Sulawesi Island in Indonesia. It is close to the middle of an important place called the Coral Triangle.

This area is home to many sea creatures. It has many kinds of coral, fish, shells, sea snakes, and some sea mammals.

The park became a national park in 1991. It is one of the first sea parks in Indonesia. The park covers a big space of 890.65 square kilometers. Most of it—about 97%—is underwater. The rest, just 3%, is on land. It includes five islands: Bunaken, Manado Tua, Mantehage, Nain, and Siladen. The park also reaches part of the coast at Tanjung Kelapa.

Geology

North Sulawesi is a young area. It formed between 5 to 24 million years ago. Strong volcanic activity happened there from 1.5 to 5 million years ago. This created the unique landscape we see today.

Manado Tua, an inactive volcano, is the highest point in the park. It stands over 600 meters above sea level. Bunaken Island and Nain Island also came from volcanoes. Mantehage Island is flat and seems to be slowly sinking. Siladen is a low island made of coral sand. The area does not have a continental shelf. The sea drops quickly from the coast. It reaches depths between 200 and 1,840 meters between the islands.

Flora and fauna

Bunaken National Park is full of colorful sea life. The park has many kinds of coral, including tall coral walls that grow up from the sea floor. You can also find seaweeds and seagrasses.

The park is home to many types of fish, including the emperor angelfish and the spotted seahorse. Marine mammals, reptiles, mollusks, and birds also live here. On the land, you can see plants like palms and coconuts, and animals such as the Celebes crested macaque and Timor Deer. The mangrove forests are rich with crabs, lobsters, and many kinds of sea birds.

Human habitation and tourism

The area around Bunaken National Park is home to about 35,000 people living in 22 villages. Many of these people work as fishermen or grow crops like sweet potato, banana, and seaweed. Others help tourists as dive guides, boat operators, or work in small hotels.

Tourism is very popular in the park, with many visitors each year. People come from all over the world to scuba dive and snorkel in the clear waters. There are many places to stay, from simple cottages to large resorts.

Conservation and threats

Bunaken National Park was created in 1991 and is one of Indonesia's first marine parks. In 2005, Indonesia asked UNESCO to think about adding the park to the World Heritage List. Even though it is protected, the park has problems like damage from fishing, diving, and trash.

Groups like the World Wildlife Fund help keep the park safe. In 2024, people in Manado worked to stop plastic from getting into the park.