Tompotika Dive Lodge, Central Sulawesi

Tompotika Dive Lodge is on one of the most undiscovered diving sites in Sulawesi. It is located on the east coast of Central Sulawesi at the tip of the Balantak Peninsula, close to the Togian and Banggai Islands. A unique resort in a region chosen for its diving potential and the beauty of its landscapes, it offers thirty dive sites of great quality for macro, walls, slopes, and reef formations.

The Lodge

The resort consists of 5 bungalows nestled on the beach in a small Indonesian village. All bungalows have a private bathroom with hot water, air conditioning and a mosquito net.

Facilities

• 24-hour electricity
• Free WIFI (intermittent connection)
• A restaurant on the beach
• A diving center (NITROX available)
• Trekking: Discover the largest colony of the very special Maleo bird
• Rent a motorbike or a mountain bike to discover the surroundings.

Diving

The diving on the peninsula are mostly rocky reefs that is rich with marine life. The reefs are structured with large rocks covered by corals such as; black coral bushes, gorgonians and colourful soft corals. The sites offer various types of diving; along the coast are “muck” dives, sandy slopes, and reefs, these sites are home to diverse macro creatures that made the reputation of Sulawesi, such as frog fish, ghost pipe fish, and mimic octopus to name a few. The rocky peaks offer dive sites that are more exposed to currents, with many schools pelagic fish; surgeon fish, trevallies, barracudas, tunas, and reef sharks that feed on the myriad of reef fish. Eagle and mantas rays are also often present on these sites. The average visibility during the dive is between 15 and 20 meters, but can sometimes go down to 10. The sites are located between 10 and 30 minutes from the lodge by boat. Our boat has length of 6.5 meters which can accommodate 4 to 5 divers + 1 guide. Most sites are around the two small Islands in front of the lodge (Pulo Dua), and just in front of the bungalows you will find black sandy slope for unlimited “muck” dives (frogfish, hairy frogfish, blue-ringed octopus, ghost-pipe fish, are among the species frequently spotted).

Conservation

Conservation of the area is very important. That is why Tompotika Dive Lodge decided to build the bungalows within the village, so that our guests have the opportunity to see the villager’s day to day activity and interact as well. We collect a fee (included in the rates) to support the conservation program which partly funds the expenses of the boat patrol around the dive sites and provides necessary support to the villagers. Tompotika Dive Lodge vision is to help the area reach a legal status from the government which is “KKLD” Kawasan Konservasi Laut Daerah or protected coastal area.

Tompotika Dive Lodge works together with Alto (Alliance for Tompotika Conservation), an NGO dedicated to the protection of the Maleo birds in the area since 2006. Tompotika Dive Lodge also launched a conservation project for protection of the turtle eggs on the beaches. Maleo Bird reserve is located on a beach about 20 km away from the resort which can be accessed by boat or by road. The best time to see them is during the morning. This very special bird lives in the forest and comes to the beach to lay eggs on the very same beach they were hatched, digging big holes in the sand that will ensure a constant temperature for the incubation of the eggs. The hatchling will dig themselves out of the sand and fly away in to the forest, until it is time for them to return and repeat their life cycle. If you like birds, you can also see many interesting species on the trees surrounding the brackish water lagoon only a few km away from the resort.