Few places in the worldâs oceans can claim to be truly unique. New Zealandâs Poor Knights marine reserve is one exception. Another is the 20km stretch of water that separates Lembeh Island from mainland Sulawesi in Indonesiaâs northern region. This intensely volcanic area is at the epicentre of marine bio-diversity and is a Mecca for marine biologists, naturalists and underwater photographers. But it isnât pristine reefs and teeming fish life that draws them here. In fact, hard corals are rare and soft corals tend to grow in clumps like oasis in the desert. Rather, they are drawn to this tide swept strait to study and photograph arguably the worldâs most concentrated collection of weird and wonderful sea creatures. Lembeh Strait is muck diving at its very best. Islands of filamentis algae and forest debris cover the black volcanic sand, disguising a world of exotic beauty and extreme evolutionary adaptation. Along the shoreline, lava rock formations create headland promontories festooned with encrusting ascidians, sponges and soft corals that in turn shelter an overwhelming array of bizarre creatures. Over the past four years we have organised several expeditions to this region, taking small groups of adventurous divers with us from New Zealand. As well as exploring the wonders of Lembeh Strait we also dive the pristine reefs and drop-offs of the Bunaken/Manado-Tua Marine Park on the other side of the North Sulawesi peninsula. The stunning walls and teeming fish life provide the perfect contrast to the volcanic weirdness of Lembeh Strait.
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