Lembeh, North Sulawesi

Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi is known as the world's muck diving capital, with unparalleled macro biodiversity. Mention Lembeh scuba diving to any serious underwater photographer and their eyes come over all misty and distant. No place on the planet gives tourists the chance to see more shy critters such as the mimic octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, harlequin shrimps, skeleton shrimps and innumerable nudibranchs. The fish also include the usual tropical reef suspects, but also the more bizarre: Ambon scorpionfish, snake eels, stonefish, sea robins, stargazers, devil fish and even the weedy scorpionfish. There are also beautiful seahorses including pygmies, pegasus, mandarinfish, ghost pipefish and the endemic Banggai cardinalfish. Lembeh Strait dive resorts have a higher than average rate of return customers as enthused first-timers return year upon year, never tiring of the wonders of this undersea paradise.

There is a myriad of the best dive sites in Indonesia that belong to these diving places, but it is difficult to imagine a better place in the world for critter hunting or muck diving. No more than a few breaths go by between one bizarre and exhilarating sight and the next. If tourists have tired of night dives, then try one in Lembeh - they are simply fantastic. Including the wrecks and more traditional reefs, there are over 30 sites to choose from, all within 6 or 7 kilometers of the dive resorts, or just a few-minute boat ride across these calm, lake-like waters. It's easy to understand why the dive site Lembeh Strait has a reputation that's hard to beat among discerning divers that want easy and convenient access to exceptional diving opportunities with bizarre marine life that tourists simply can not see in other destinations and it is listed in the top best dive sites in Indonesia.