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 Text and photos by: Adi & Mala Gehri
Vol 4 No 1 www.abcdivers.com
As we caught our first glimpse of Gangga Island, one word came into mind – exotic. The contrast of colours, ranging from the colourful flags adorning the jetty, to the blue ocean, pure white sands and lush tropical vegetation, swamped our senses.
Gangga Island Resort
The resort can be reached within two hours of landing in Manado. Despite being one of the newer resorts in Sulawesi, Gangga Island Resort and Spa is fast gaining fame among holidaymakers and dive enthusiasts alike. Much of this is attributed to the tireless work of resort managers, husband and wife team, Gaspare & Hanne. Their experience as professional hoteliers is reflected in all corners of the resort. 
  We were impressed with the level of personalised service - it’s everywhere. Whether enjoying the comfort of your room, lounging at the restaurant, or enjoying your dive, it envelops you, making your stay unforgettable.
The wooden Minahasa style rooms are not only equipped with fans, air conditioning and hot showers but have satellite TV, complimentary coffee and tea facilities, a minibar, and spacious verandas. Upon entering our room, we noticed the attractive flower arrangement and fruit basket. It is these minute details, coupled with the warmth of the staff that has guests returning to Gangga.
Dining here is a culinary delight. Adi and I enjoyed the novelty of being served five course a la carte lunch and dinners on a resort island. Definitely a preferred choice to that of buffets. We’re convinced that the cook is a magician. Our taste buds tingle, just remembering meals enjoyed here.
The diving
Gangga Island is the first of the Sanghie Islands. Cunningly located, it is a mere hour away from Sulawesi’s premier dive sites, Bunaken National Park and the Lembeh Strait. However you don’t need to go that far to experience Sulawesi’s rich bio-diversity. Nearby Bangka and Sahaong islands benefit from the currents that sweep through its famous neighbours, creating an interesting mix of marine life.
 The dive boats are wooden and extremely comfortable. Towels are already onboard, with refreshments such as fresh coconut juice, for your surface intervals. Our gear was always set up ready to go. A big bonus the dive centre provides is your personalised dive log and dive map containing all relevant information at the end of the holiday. Diving with such attentive dive masters and boat crew was a pleasure indeed.
Local Diving
a) Bangka & Sahaong Islands
Relatively unexplored, these islands are well worth the visit. We were enthralled by the variety of soft coral and large gorgonian sea fans among the thriving coral gardens. Shoals of fusiliers, jacks and snappers were common.
 Busa Bora and Efrata quickly became our favourites. These sites have excellent coral growth and other marine life. The sheer number of species present is astonishing. Take for example the frogfish (Antennariidae), our dives here brought us the giant frogfish, the painted frogfish, the clown frogfish, the hairy frogfish and the warty frogfish. An impressive array.
With Dolphi and Ivan (our dive masters) at our side, we enjoyed swaying pygmy sea horses, shrimps and a variety of nudibranchs. The local dive guides have so much to offer divers: a great knowledge of local fauna & flora, sharp eyes and great companionship.
b) Mainland
Diving along the mainland offers a mix of muck diving and sloping reefs among black volcanic sand. Paradise Reef stands out for the number of unique marine species sighted on one dive. Starting the dive under the jetty, we spotted the promised giant yellow frogfish that previous divers here had mentioned on the boat. Colourful nudibranchs were easy to spot against the black sand. This was quickly followed by a pair of ornate ghost pipefish and flounders.
As we pulled away from the jetty, the show continued with a parade of pipefish (ringed, banded and alligator) among sea grass. Trying hard to conceal his excitement, Adi pointed out a minute juvenile flamboyant cuttlefish. Then a flash of arms as a mimic octopus cleverly concealed itself from us. Cuttlefish are abundant here as well. Even the safety stop was entertaining as we watched the antics of a juvenile octopus hiding in a shell.
Pulisan is another dive site we enjoyed, both during the day and at night. Darkness brought out an array of smaller reef creatures like spider crabs, stumpy-spined cuttlefish, bobtail squid, marble shrimps and arrow crabs. Numerous file and pufferfish dozed in the dark while lobsters and decorator crabs foraged on the reef.
c) Lihage Island
 This small island is located just in front of Gangga Island. It is ideal for snorkelling and open water training. Divers can enjoy dusk dives with the numerous harems of mandarinfish found among the rubble slopes. To glimpse these tiny but beautiful fish, divers must be patient and practice being still in the dark. Is it worth it? Definitely, as Lihage has so many harems you are sure to see them, unlike other places that may only have just one spot.
Day trips
A three dive daytrip, including lunch, takes you to Sulawesi’s best-known sites.
 a) Lembeh Strait The Lembeh Strait is located 50-minutes southeast of Gangga Island, it is full of surprises. Divers around the globe come here to see the bizarre, weird and unusual creatures that live in and on the black, volcanic sand. An hour spent underwater seem like mere minutes, as frogfish, stonefish, demon stingers, sea horses, pipefish, hairy crabs, sea moths, cuttlefish, banggai cardinalfish and many more, appear before us. This is a macro heaven.
b) Bunaken National Park
The diving in Bunaken National Park consists of mainly steep drop-offs (up to 600m; 1970ft) and sloping reefs. Located an hour west and south-southwest of Gangga, it gave us the opportunity of using wide-angle lenses again. All year round visibility ranges between 15-30m (49-98ft). Below the surface, beautiful walls, encrusted with tunicates, feather stars, huge sponges, black coral bushes and gorgonian sea fans awaited us. Currents can prevail, bringing larger, pelagics such as chevron barracuda, sharks and rays. Bumphead parrotfish and Napoleon wrasse were also present. Gangga Island Resort and Spa is also a member of the North Sulawesi Watersports Association. The organisation is committed to protecting the local reefs and developing eco-friendly projects for local communities, thus creating sustainable tourism activities.
It is these varieties of underwater scenery and marine life that make diving from Gangga Island so delightful. You can experience colourful coral gardens, muck diving in black volcanic sand and drifting along the impressive walls of Bunaken, all from one destination.
Other Tours
Enjoy Sulawesi’s people and nature by going on a guided tour of the nearby villages and mainland. The beauty of Minahasa highlands with its volcanoes, lakes and rice paddies will leave you breathless. Coming this far you ought to visit Tangkoko National Park. Here we glimpsed the smallest primate in the world: Spectral Tarsier. Besides this we were lucky to observe interesting animals like the black macaques, civets and dwarf buffalos.
 Turtle Unlimited
Gangga Island Resort and Spa works closely with the communities from the nearby villages of Gangga Satu and Gangga Dua. Besides providing employment, the resort has implemented various development projects for the villages. Through various education programs, the villagers are learning the importance of protecting the marine ecosystem that is their livelihood.
One such project is ‘Turtle Unlimited’. Joining forces with Bali’s group of nature lovers, the resort will devote time to protecting marine turtles. Under expert guidance, the resort’s staff and locals will learn to breed and release hatchlings produced, in an effort to boost the local turtle population. Nurturing sick and misplaced turtles is also on the agenda. Villagers, especially children, are encouraged to join these activities.
 Pasung Spa
After six fantastic days of diving it was time for me to indulge myself at the resort’s spa. What a great way to end a dive holiday! The spa has a range of treatments derived from Balinese and Minahasa family traditions. Treatments are focused on maintaining balance of mind, body and spirit, through the natural healing powers of aromatic oils. My masseuse, Stevie, gave me a relaxing foot bath, which was followed by an aromatic body massage.
As the scented oil relaxed my senses, I found myself reflecting on the past days. The warmth and personal service, excellent dining, beautiful surroundings, and rich marine bio-diversity make Gangga Island Resort and Spa second to none. Come and experience this exotic resort for yourselves but be aware you may never want to leave! Contact
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More than just bubbles with ABC DIVERS Santiburi Resort, Samui.
 Waypoints
Manado
Nearest International Airport
Jakarta
Dry season
November to June
Electricity
Constant 220V
Local Currency
Indonesian Rupiah
Country Dialing Code
+62 |
