Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan

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Indonesia Facts

Area: 1,904,569 sq. km

Population: 237,424,363

Language: Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)

Time: GMT + 5-8 hours

Electricity: 230v, 50Hz, 2 pin plug

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All of Indonesia’s remote locations mean that dive sites are rarely crowded, marine life is abundant with an almost water tight guarantee of seeing something new each day. East Kalimantan offers that rare combination of big and small underwater life.

The Derawan Islands are in the province of East Kalimantan in Indonesia. They include Derawan, Sangalaki, Kakaban, Maratua, Panjang and Samama Island and submerged reefs and islets. They are located in the Sulawesi (Celebes) Sea, on the coastal shelf of East Kalimantan.

Located in a biodiversity hotspot, the Derawan Islands feature 872 species of reef fishes, 507 species of coral, and invertebrates including protected species such as giant clam, two different sea turtles and coconut crab. Some of the islands harbour the largest green turtle nesting sites in Indonesia. Travel between the months of September - November for increased likelihood of seeing larger species.

MARATUA ISLAND

Situated in Maratua Atoll itself, the namesake island features specular outer and inner reefs, fast channels and calming drifts. Barracuda abound in the right currents and thresher and grey reef sharks have been spotted, if you can take your eyes off the turtles and eagle rays.

Kakaban Island

Situated in the interior of Kakaban island and one of only two non-stinging jellyfish lakes in the world, this is a must dive, or snorkel if you prefer. The strange experience of diving in near motionless, brackish water with these strange medusa (not one, but 4 species!) remains a very unique experience in the diving world. The site is reached with a 15 minute walk inwards from shore (not in your dive kit).

The outer perimeter of Kakaban island, as you would expect, offers a handful of dive sites with great coral growth and pelagic sightings.

Sangalaki Island

A so far reliable spot for seeing manta rays, this island has ‘mobile’ feeding and cleaning stations shifting in line with the currents. If these marine giants are not cute enough for you, the island also runs a government managed turtle nursery where a visit may be organised locally for a small fee.

Derawan Island

Derawan Island itself offers a selection of fantastic sights, offering that wonderful mix of drift dives or muck dives!

Enjoy a refreshing swim and snorkel just a step from your door.

As this is Indonesia, it goes without saying that macro fanatics will not be disappointed. Some recent spots are satomi pygmy seahorses, a variety of ghost pipe fish, blue ring octopus and frogfish.

How do I get there?

Singapore Airlines, into Balikpapan via Singapore. On arrival in Balikpapan, a wait for a couple of hours in the airport’s comfortable lounge, or an overnight in a local hotel, may be required so that the connecting internal flight can meet all the arrivals.

Internal flight, Balikpapan to Berau - 45 minutes. Here you're met on arrival and transferred to a nearby jetty, the 2-3 hour boat journey is scenic as it passes settlements, plantation and jungle before crossing the Celebes Sea to reach the resort. Your feet will get wet on arrival!

Alternative flights via Kuala Lumpur or Jakarta may be available.

Extra Divers Virgin Cocoa

The experienced and reputable team of Extra Divers, perhaps more familiar to some from their long-standing operations in Egypt, Oman, and Bali, welcome you to experience some of the best diving of your life.

The diving centre uses speed boats for the full and half-day trips, while smaller 'water taxis’ will provide access to the extensive house reef. Diving is guided in very small groups, wherever possible.

The house reef is a 4-kilometre stretch of outer reef rich with life, this can be dived dawn into the night. It's possible to see anything from pygmy seahorses and leaf fish to sharks, rays, turtles and jacks. Macro fans can enjoy a variety of nudibranchs, blue-ring octopus and frogfish.

The close-by sites in the Maratua Atoll feature colourful walls and racing channels. The famous site “Big Fish Country” is a short 25-minute boat ride from the resort, where it's possible to see huge schools of barracuda, a variety of sharks and the odd eagle ray. Virgin Cocoa's outstanding location offers the chance to see mantas and thresher sharks close to Sangalaki Island, while Kakaban Island is home to the inland lake filled with millions of non-stinging jellyfish.

Dive Pack Prices

A package of 10 house reef dives, including a guide, typically costs £440, there's then a local supplement if you wish to go further afield on a half or full day boat trip. Extra Divers Cocoa Virgin have both 10L and 12L tanks, Nitrox is complimentary for qualified divers. Equipment is available to rent and the dive centre can conduct a variety of scuba courses.

Extra Divers Nabucco

Extra Divers Nabucco have the famous Big Fish County channel right on their doorstep. The fully-equipped dive centre is positioned on its own jetty and offers up to four boat dives per day from one of three comfortable fibreglass boats. The welcoming and experienced team are ready to share some of the best dive sites in the Celebes Sea.

Divers visiting the area may see various species of sharks, huge schools of barracuda, manta rays, eagle rays, leopard sharks, and turtles. If luck is with you, it’s also possible to spot hammerhead sharks, tuna and elusive sailfish. For macro enthusiasts, the dive sites around Kakaban Island should deliver with colourful reefs, seahorse, nudibranch, and frogfish.

Dive Pack Prices

A package of 10 boat dives, including a guide, typically costs £465, there's then a local supplement if you wish to go further afield on a half or full-day boat trip. Extra Divers Nabucco have both 10L and 12L tanks, Nitrox is available at supplement cost. Equipment is available to rent, and the dive centre can conduct a variety of SSI courses.

Climate

Mid January - June are semi dry
July - August southerly wind, can be choppy
September, October and mid November are said to be the best months to travel
Mid November to Mid January rainy

Time

East Kalimantan is GMT / BST +7 or +8 hours

Currency

Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) in used in East Kalimantan.

Land Clothing

If you are venturing any further, we recommend modest dress with loose fitting clothing. Natural fabrics are more comfortable.

Flights

International:
Best flight option into Balikpapan is with Singapore Airlines

Internal flight:
Balikpapan - Berau flights: 45 minutes

On arrival, there may be a wait in Balikpapan’s comfortable lounge or an overnight in a local hotel. This is the same for the return journey.

Passports and Visas

When travelling to Indonesia, you should have at least 6 months validity on your passport. British nationals and nationals of nearly 100 nations are eligible for a 30-day visa for Indonesia, which you can access this on arrival, but the most efficient way is to apply online beforehand. Pay and receive your QR code, which speeds your entry process. An online customs declaration is also required; again this can be completed in the days before you arrive, speeding up your flow through the airport.

Vaccinations

There are no compulsory vaccinations but standard protection against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and polio is advisable. Always confirm current recommendations with a travel clinic or GP and take advice concerning malaria. Remember that your stay in Raja Ampat will take you away from major healthcare centres. Ensure you have the medications that you need, and consider taking emergency supplies of medications if you are prone to specific ailments.

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Derawan Dive Lodge

Amazing Trip: 77 days, 3 island groups and 133 dives!

"As this was to be my first visit to Indonesia, I was a little unsure as to what to expect. I had read about how good the diving can be, but thought that I should keep an open mind and just enjoy the adventure. As it happens I enjoyed every single dive that I made (133). There was always something different to see, from mantas and fast drift diving at Derawan Island to wall diving at Manado, muck diving at Lembeh to unspoilt coral gardens and fish life at Cape Paperu resort on Saparua Island.

The transfers and ground arrangements were excellent, though at first I thought them to be rather ambitious; 77 days; 3 island groups; 3 overnight hotels; 4 resorts; 6 ground transfers; 4 water transfers and 11 flights, something was bound to go wrong. In the end, apart from a 20 minute wait for a vehicle at Berau Airport, all transfers and ground arrangements went according to plan.

The accommodation varied from fairly basic to luxury (In my eyes); every room that I stayed in had a ceiling fan and air-conditioning, which after a day’s diving, was really appreciated. For me, making the best of what was available at each of the resorts was all part of the ‘experience’.

Not being the sort of person who expects high cuisine, I found all of the meals that I was offered more than adequate, sheets and towels were all changed on a regular basis, and the rooms were clean and tidy.

I like diving; just being in the water is a pleasure for me, and I can always find something of interest to look at. Because of the amount of time I spent at each resort it was inevitable that I would visit a dive site more than once, which in some ways was good because I knew where to spend time looking for things of interest.

I found all of the dive centre staff, and in fact all of the Indonesian people that I met and talked to, to be very helpful, cheerful, and it was a pleasure to be amongst them.

I have so many wonderful memories of my trip, but a particular highlight was one of the first drift dives that I made while staying on Derawan Island. At the dive site, after hooking on to the reef and floating off the bottom in the current, I was slowly engulfed in a huge school of Barracuda, so close I could have reached out and touched them. I was completely surrounded by them on either side, below and above me. The school was so dense that it was as though the sun had gone in and clouds had darkened the sky.

I was extremely happy with Regaldive; you answered all of my queries promptly and were most helpful in every way. I will certainly book with you again."

Tony G - Yorkshire

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Derawan Dive Lodge

Derawan - Superbly Organised!

"Our trip was superbly organised by Regal and everything went to plan (reassuring when you consider we had to have 3 flights, a 3 hour road trip and boat ride!) Although getting there took 2 days it's all part of the experience from flying over jungle, driving through to the stay in Balikpapan.

Let's start with the main reason for visiting - the diving. There are 4 main dive locations to visit.
1. Maratua - has the best dive in my opinion, Barracuda Point. A reef hook is required but the sheer number of Barracuda make this dive site with the hundreds (up to 2,000) of fish seen in the shoals on both our dives here
2. Kakaban - a good variety of wall dives and another location to see a shoal of Barracuda though not in the numbers of Maratua. The Jellyfish lake is worth the visit during a surface interval
3. Sangalaki - the place for Mantas and we were lucky enough to see a number on one dive but they are by no means guaranteed and we did not see any on the other 6 dives we did at this site, look elsewhere if Mantas are a must see.
4. Derawan - lots of interesting small stuff - frogfish, pygmy seahorses, sea dragons, blue ringed octopus - also seen on some of the other dive sites

Overall Derawan is a worthwhile dive location; added to the fact that not 1 other diver was seen while we were in the water on our dives. Other than the sheer number of Barracuda and Turtles there is not an abundance of any one fish life simply rather a huge variety of different things to see both large and small, even Dolphins from the dive boat.

All the 3 main islands are on average an hours boat ride from Derawan. Dive guides, boat operation, nitrox availability are all excellent. Some of the coral reefs and walls are simply stunning with very large soft and hard corals, unfortunately the effects of the previous local practice of dynamiting can be seen in places but the reef is recovering and should not deter you visiting.

The Dive lodge is located on the beach and is simple, it's all about the diving. The rooms are clean and functional, there is plenty of background noise from the local Mosque to the numerous roosters but a nights sleep is usually confirmed as the diving ensures you are tired!

Food - Lunch and Dinner very basic and consisting of rice / rice and more rice accompanied usually 3 dishes (chicken pieces / diced beef and fish) which though tasty after a few days does get very repetitive, the soup starters were excellent. Breakfast is sticky rice, rice (occasionally noodles) with tinned frankfurters and fried tomatoes but there was always toast available though the measly 2 slice toaster ensured a wait as nearly every guest wanted toast.

The lack of a kettle (just a hot water function on the water dispenser) is a downside as hot drinks were never quite hot enough. The cold drinks of beer, sprite and coke were reasonably priced though frustratingly they did run out now and then.

7 days was about right for the length of stay and if you have time a 2/3 day mainland bolt on side trip to experience the jungle, see the wildlife and orangutans would be prudent.

Overall highly recommended, it is a very cost effective location with a wide variety of underwater life and reefs to see. "