The waters surrounding North Sulawesi Island are home to two of Indonesia's top dive destinations. Bunaken Marine Park is known for spectacular hard coral reefs and big walls. Lembeh Strait is one of the world's premier muck diving destinations. Midway between these two scuba meccas is Bangka Island and the Coral Eye Marine Outpost.

Coral Eye is located on a long stretch of undeveloped beach.

Bangka Island is a small, forested oasis located just off the northeastern tip of North Sulawesi, in the heart of the Coral Triangle, the global epicenter of marine biodiversity. It offers white-sand beaches, mangrove-lined shores, and pristine forests. Coral Eye was originally founded in 2009 as an outpost for marine studies. The location was chosen for its diversity of underwater environments, which mix muck diving sites similar to Lembeh Strait with hard-coral reefs and pinnacles like those found in Bunaken.

The resort center was designed to blend into the surroundings and provide a welcoming gathering place for guests.

The outpost was soon expanded with the addition of a diving center and opened its doors to dive tourism with a collection of guest accommodations. Revenue from visiting divers now allows the facility to finance environmental projects, offer scholarships to students and better support local communities.

The Resort

The Coral Eye resort facility centers around a central building crafted from local materials and designed to integrate into the natural environment with a minimal ecological footprint. Six guest rooms with ensuite baths are incorporated into the center. The resort grounds include 9 stand-alone Garden and Sea View Villas with private outdoor terraces. All accommodations are designed to promote natural airflow, while also providing the option of air conditioning. Cool stone and rich hardwood interiors are furnished with premium bedding. Villas include convertible sofa beds to accommodate families, and there is a two-bedroom Villa to accommodate groups.

A signature feature of the resort restaurant is a communal table for guests who enjoy a communal dining experience.

The on-site restaurant serves a mix of international and local cuisines based on fresh and organic ingredients. The resort’s chefs can accommodate guests with special dietary preferences or requirements. All guests enjoy a full-board menu with three meals daily plus snacks. An adjacent bar offers a full cocktail menu and stocks a variety of local and imported beers and wines. In 2020 Coral Eye added a day spa that provides a range of massage and treatment options, including traditional Indonesian healing programs.

The dive center is centrally located to support shore diving activities.

The Diving

Coral Eye's dive center provides each guest with personalized service and ample spaces for gear management, cleaning and storage. Divers are provided with a choice of 12 and 15 liters aluminum cylinders, late-model Scubapro equipment is available for rent, nitrox is available and there is a dedicated air-conditioned camera room with stabilized power outlets for charging, a dedicated rinse tank, air gun and secure drying stations.

The resort jetty provides easy, secure access to the house reef in all tide conditions.

Coral Eye focuses on small group diving experiences, with a maximum of four guests per guide to ensure a personalized experience. The resort's dive boats are hand-crafted by local artisans and configured for stability and passenger comfort. A majority of dive sites visited by resort boats are within 5 to 20 minutes of the dive center. In addition to morning two-tank schedules, the center also offers afternoon one-tank excursions and night dives. The house reef is always available for shore diving. On request, the dive center can also arrange for day trips to Lembeh Strait and Bunaken.

Coral Eye focuses on small group diving experiences, with a maximum of four guests per guide to ensure a personalized experience.

The waters surrounding Bangka Island offer a variety of diving experiences. Areas of black volcanic sands and coral-encrusted rocks are ecologically similar to the seascapes of Lembeh, and offer similar opportunities for macro life viewing. Slopping reefs are dominated by hard corals that oats a high level of biodiversity. Volcanic pinnacles and steep walls add colorful growths of soft corals and sponges. For a change of pace, divers can venture into tidal mangrove estuaries and seagrass meadows where grazing dugongs are sometimes spotted.

Hard coral reefs support a wide variety of marine life.

Macro subjects like frogfish are found in abundance.

In addition to diving and snorkeling, guests can enjoy water sports, walk the beach to visit a small fishing village or explore the forests and hills of Bangka Island. The island has no roads, and the undeveloped interior is home to parrots, tarsiers, cuscus, and monitor lizards. The resort can also organize day trips to North Sulawesi to visit the Tangkoko National Reserve or hike into the volcanic landscapes of the Minahasan Highlands.

Volcanic sands hold a treasure trove of unique species.

Afternoon boat dives may visit coastal mangrove forests.

Caradonna Adventures partners with Coral Eye Marine Outpost to offer a range of one-week and extended visits, as well as combined itineraries that include time at Bangka and sister resorts at Lembeh Strait and Bunaken.