Coral Eye is the new sister resort to Siladen Island Resort, and is located just around the corner from Siladen, relatively speaking, on Bangka Island, just off the tip of northern Sulawesi. The buzz around this new boutique resort in the snorkeling community has been huge, and had it not been for my busy schedule, I would have paid Coral Eye a visit much sooner. After waiting the better part of a year for my opportune moment to jump on a plane and jet off to Manado, I have now finally been able to see what all the chatter that I'd been inundated with was really all about. As many of you have already visited Siladen as part of one of our snorkeling safaris that stops in North Sulawesi, I don't think I need to elaborate too much on what this means in terms of service, the food, the accommodation, and, of course, the snorkeling at Coral Eye. If you haven't had the pleasure of visiting Siladen yet, you will have no doubt heard of this award-winning resort's outstanding reputation. As one of Indonesia's oldest and most well-regarded resorts, Siladen sets the tone for other resorts to follow. Now, with over twenty years of experience behind the Siladen/Coral Eye team, this new resort could very well be the resort that raises the bar a notch higher when it comes to the entire experience. Coal Eye is on the southwestern edge of a little island called Banka, just thirty minutes from the mainland of Sulawesi. We access the resort via a one-hour drive from the Manado Airport, followed by a thirty-minute boat ride in one of the resort's comfortable boats. Alternatively, as Siladen is just 'around the corner' from Coral Eye, we can also access it via a boat ride from Siladen
Coral Eye is the new sister resort to Siladen Island Resort, and is located just around the corner from Siladen, relatively speaking, on Bangka Island, just off the tip of northern Sulawesi. The buzz around this new boutique resort in the snorkeling community has been huge, and had it not been for my busy schedule, I
These weird and wonderful creatures are always a treat and cool to see. Real crowd pleasers. Probably the closest thing we have to aliens on earth. With the ability to change colours, Shape, and texture makes them fascinating to watch. Living predominantly on the reefs, we are lucky to find them on most of our tours. The most common species we see are the Octopus, Cuttlefish, and squids. Cephalopods can be characterised by their arms and tentacles, incredible camouflage and impressive level of intelligence. Octopuses or octopi, squid and cuttlefish are the most well-known members of the Cephalopoda class of animals. They have all evolved from a common, hard-shelled ancestor (more similar to a nautilus). The word “cephalopod” comes from Greeks and means “head foot,” which perfectly describes animals that have eyes just above their many limbs. Octopus There are around 300 species of octopus and they are found to be in every ocean. known for their high intelligence and their amazing ability to blend into their surroundings. They are some of the most fascinating creatures to observe. The octopus is equipped with three hearts: one that pumps blood through the body (including the 8 arms), and two that pump blood through the gills. It is an interesting fact to know that the octopus does not have tentacles. They are in fact arms. Octopus are the only marine animals, apart from the Cetacean family (Whales & Dolphins), that demonstrate primitive problem-solving and pattern recognition skills. But whatever kind of intelligence they possess, it's different from the human brain, probably closer to a cat. The skin is covered by three types of specialised skin cells, these can quickly change their colour, allowing them to easily blend in with its surroundings. While it is very intelligent they can also be very inquisitive.
These weird and wonderful creatures are always a treat and cool to see. Real crowd pleasers. Probably the closest thing we have to aliens on earth. With the ability to change colours, Shape, and texture makes them fascinating to watch. Living predominantly on the reefs, we are lucky to find them on most of our
Here in Indonesia we are very lucky to find 6 out of the 7 species of sea turtle. Green turtle (Chelonia Mydas) Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys Olivacea) Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys Coriacea) Flatback sea turtle (Natator Depressus) Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta Caretta). The Leatherback sea turtle is the largest of the species, reaching up to 2.75 metres length and 600 - 900 kilograms weight, while the smallest sea turtle in Indonesia is the Olive Ridley weighing around 50 kilograms. The most commonly encountered species we come across almost every trip are the Hawksbill and Green turtle, both on the endangered list. Despite the abundance of sightings during our trips with the high numbers we see on our trips it's hard to believe. This is due to the great work of the Indonesian government and conservation efforts in making the trade in turtle products illegal, and designated national park areas. Which is why we are so lucky to go to some of the best destinations to see them. Our Snorkel Venture trips run to - Komodo Resort is on the Komodo National park, Siladen resort in Bunaken. Papua Explorers in Raja Ampat and of course Misool Eco resort in the Misool sanctuary. Making any one of these trips gives you the best chance for a great turtle interaction. Green Turtle Green turtles are one of the largest sea turtles and the only herbivore among the different species. The name is due to the greenish colour of their cartilage and fat and not their shells. In the Eastern Pacific, a group of green turtles that have darker shells are called black turtles by the local community. Green turtles are found mainly in tropical and subtropical waters. Like other sea turtles, they migrate long distances
Here in Indonesia we are very lucky to find 6 out of the 7 species of sea turtle. Green turtle (Chelonia Mydas) Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys Olivacea) Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys Coriacea) Flatback sea turtle (Natator Depressus) Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta Caretta). The Leatherback sea turtle is the
Photography workshops, more specifically photography workshops for snorkelers and freedivers, can be extremely helpful for anyone wanting to improve their underwater images, no matter the skill level or type of camera. These types of tours provide you with constant exposure (no pun intended) to beautiful marine subjects, all while being led and assisted by accomplished underwater photographers. Not only that, with the jaw-dropping destinations and luxurious resorts and liveaboards we select specifically for these tours, you can rest assured that it will be the trip of a lifetime and you'll have the photos to prove it. Here's a little look into what a Snorkel Venture snorkeling photography workshop looks like and also what you can expect to learn from one. What is a Snorkeling and Freediving Photography Workshop As the description says, a snorkeling and freediving photography workshop is a photography workshop that caters specifically to snorkelers and freedivers. Snorkel Venture has a select team of professional photographers who are not only accomplished with a camera, but also well versed in the locations we'll be traveling to and will be your group leader for the duration of the photographic tour. These tours will be based in locations where sea conditions are mild, but also home to some of the world's most beautiful reefs where exciting encounters with some of the ocean's most photogenic marine inhabitants are guaranteed. As with all of our snorkeling safaris, the resorts and liveaboards who will be hosting us are well equipped for tours such as these so you can expect five-star service and accommodations with the added benefit of tailor-made camera rooms and media centers. How a Photo Workshop Runs Our photo tours will run in a very similar fashion to our normal snorkel safaris, however, the guide will also be a professional underwater photographer
Photography workshops, more specifically photography workshops for snorkelers and freedivers, can be extremely helpful for anyone wanting to improve their underwater images, no matter the skill level or type of camera. These types of tours provide you with constant exposure (no pun intended) to beautiful marine subjects, all while being led and assisted by accomplished
Sulawesi is a large and varied island in the north of Indonesia. The international airport in Manado makes this island accessible and relatively developed. Snorkeling Sulawesi offers spectacular healthy reefs, abundant with turtles, schooling fish, soft corals of various colors and species and generally clear calm waters. Sulawesi offers opportunities to explore and combine stunning highland jungle treks, volcanic crater lake visits and incredible wildlife viewing, with interesting cultural interactions and stunning offshore islands. These islands are the real snorkeler's paradise. Stunning white sand beaches surrounding the small green islands provide incredible views, while the waters are full of various tropical fish species and healthy corals. To the North, Bunaken National Park offers some of the healthiest reefs in Indonesia. Known for its abundance of soft corals, snorkeling Bunaken should be on every snorkelers bucket list. This area also has a large resident turtle population and one can reasonably expect to see these animals almost every time one enters the water. This is considered some of the best Snorkeling in Indonesia. The islands of Siladen, Gangga, Manado Tua and Bangka provide secluded bays perfect for snorkeling and enjoying a quite lunch or surface break. We love a few of the island resorts in this area, including Siladen Island Resort and Gangga Island Resort. We try to always include a few days in the Minhasa highlands of Sulawesi where there is a lot to explore, like Tangkoko National Park, Linow Lake (a colourful sulphuric lake which is quite a spectacle) and Mount Mahawu, a dormant volcano offering s lovely walk and stunning views from the crater rim.
Sulawesi is a large and varied island in the north of Indonesia. The international airport in Manado makes this island accessible and relatively developed. Snorkeling Sulawesi offers spectacular healthy reefs, abundant with turtles, schooling fish, soft corals of various colors and species and generally clear calm waters. Sulawesi offers opportunities to explore and combine stunning
We use cookies to optimise our website and our service.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
We use cookies to optimise our website and our service.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.