Dive Sites

Sanctum Una Una offers 4-5 dives every day, 7 days a week, 12 months a year.

We have professional diving team made up by instructors and divemasters, both local and from abroad.

We prefer to dive in small groups, with a maximum of 5 people per guide.

Most dive sites are just a 5-10 minutes boat ride from the resort.

One of our best dive sites, Pinnacle 1, is right in front of Sanctum, featuring massive dogtooth tuna, Napoleon wrasses, schools of fussiliers, jacks, eagle rays, and whitetip sharks.

We also offer a half-day trip to Apollo Reef, famous for its barracuda tornado, which is located in the south of Una Una island. During the trips to Apollo, we have two dives in different dive sites, and we enjoy a nice break at the beach in between.

Be among the first to dive these amazing dive spots. Do it with Sanctum!

Jam

Jam, also known as our house reef, is an exceptional dive site located directly in front of Sanctum. It’s named “Jam” because of the incredible density and variety of fish down there, making it feel like a traffic jam.

The reef begins at 14 meters, after a brief 5-10 minutes swim over sand at a depth of 5-15 meters. In the sandy area, you will most likely spot various species of nudibranchs and flatworms, which are less likely to be found over the reef itself. So keep your eyes open!

Upon reaching the reef, you will be amazed by the large, untouched corals, both soft & hard, and enormous sponges. Most dives here range from 15-20 meters, making them suitable for all divers, with only very mild currents encountered occasionally.

At Jam, you can witness Green and Hawksbill Turtles, Napoleon Wrasses, Dogtooth Tuna, Spanish Mackerels, Herds of large Bumphead Parrotfish, and sometimes even a Blacktip Reef Sharks. There is also a high chance of spotting Cuttlefish, Ghost Pipefish, Shrimps, and Nudibranchs. Large Eagle Rays often gracefully glide through the waters passing the deep reef.

Visibility at this site varies based on the tide, time of day, currents, and other factors. Jam is a favorite dive site among staff and is definitely a must-see dive spot. It will set high expectations, and rightly so, as other dive sites here are equally fascinating in their own unique ways.

Pinnacle is consistently ranked among top 100 dive sites in the world according to various sources. The amount of fish you will see here is truly breathtaking, especially at the Northern Tip. Throughout the dive, your path will be constantly crossed by huge swarms of fish passing you by.

The site ranges from wall to slope, since it is a mountain rising from the sea bed. A massive schools of Jack Fish often circles around the area, forming shimmering silver walls as they light up in the sunlight, creating awe-inspiring displays.

On the Eastern Wall, Eagle Rays are a common sigh, often providing close encounters to the divers. You can also see many Spanish Mackerels, Wahoos, Napoleon Wrasses, Reef Sharks, Green and Hawksbill Turtles, Great Barracudas, Bumphead Parrotfish herds, and Giant Groupers, all thriving in Pinnacle’s healthy reef system.

The corals here are incredible dense, covering every inch of the sea bed, just as they do at all our sites.

Hong Kong is a densely populated underwater metropolis. It bustles with an incredible number of fish, hence the name of this site. Hong Kong is made by two separated reefs that are rather shallow, so it is a great dive option after Apollo. The corals here are extremely healthy and the sunlight blasting through the water lights it up like fireworks. During the dive, you can expect to come across Napoleons, Turtles, Cuttlefish, Octopus, Pipefish, Nudibranchs, and many other creatures. Visibility at this site varies from average to just awesome.

Greta’s place is an exceptionally serene site with the wall heading northerly. The wall is covered in large soft and hard corals, often being bigger than an average person. Gorgonian Sea Fans exude light like in children’s book, they rise from the wall, each forming its own little ecosystem. Cone shaped hard corals, larger than you could ever imagine, litter the wall every few meters. Eagle Rays fly past on the Eastern Side of the wall, Blacktip and Whitetip Reef Sharks scout in the deeper areas of the wall. The monstrous Napoleon Wrasses inspect various areas of the wall and some are even resident to the area. Dolphins sometimes swim by, so cross your fingers. Occasionally, currents can be a concern to keep in mind at Greta’s Place, thus we will give you a deep thorough briefing before the dive. Visibility is generally top notch at 20-30 meters.

Here at Una Una, Apollo is a must see dive site. You will have an exceedingly high possibility of encountering an enormous school of Blackfin Barracuda, easily numbering in the thousands. Enormous age-old Green Turtles peacefully rest on the sea bed, and it almost feels like they’re making an eye contact with you in a strangely captivating way. Eagle Rays whizz swiftly over the deep reef, while Dogtooth Tuna, Spanish Mackerels, Bumphead Parrot Fish, Reef Sharks and other fish often visit to enjoy the perks of this reef. Here, you will feel like you are in an aquarium, as the amount of fish will block your view, leaving you wishing you could stay longer.

The reef begins at 22 meters and continues down to 35 meters, but typically the whole dive is conducted at around 25-30 meters to maximize bottom time while staying within the no decompression limits. So there is no need to worry, since we we will soon head towards the Lunar Landscape, a black sand desert with rolling sand mounds sculpted by waves into parallel lines. Scattered coconut trees provide shelter for fascinating Macro Life, like Pipefishes, Shrimps, Crabs, and possibly Seahorses. Visibility here is exceptional at 30-40 meters. While currents can be a concern, your guide will thoroughly discuss them with you before the dive.

Kingston’s Wall is an impressive wall reef that drops down to more than 50 meters. Typically our guided dives hover around 15-25 meters, though deeper dives can be arranged upon request. The wall is adorned with large Gorgonian Sea Fans, some even big as you (keep an eye on pygmy seahorses nestled within), and Tube Sponges rising like skyscrapers. This site is truly unique to the coasts of Central Sulawesi. Towards the end of the dive, you will explore coral gardens in shallow waters at the top of the wall, where sunlight filters through and illuminates abundant corals. At Kingstons Wall, there is a good chance that you will encounter Eagle Rays, Napoleon Wrasses, and Bumphead Parrotfish. Visibility is typically top notch at 20-30 meters, and currents are generally mild, rarely affecting the dive.

FROG FISH ON UNA UNA, TOGEAN ISLANDS

Menara II is a mesmeric wall dive with a cave and overhangs scattered on all parts of the wall. The coral formations along the wall are incredible and on the reef top the corals are glorious. The wall drops to a massive depth, so keep your eyes on the blue, as this is a great site to spot Pelagic fish and Eagle Rays. So far as we know, Menara II is the only dive site with a cave on Una Una island.

Jungle is a mysterious site and is considered as a semi-muck dive, with large parts of it being over sandy bottom. The dive goes from a slope to a wall to a flat sandy bottom. Visibility is generally low as the sea bed is quite silty. But there is nothing to worry. Macro life is the main reason for this dive so be ready to squint your eyes, prepare your magnifying glass, and behold the magic hidden there. Turtles and Napoleons casually swim by the reef on a regular basis.

Jack Wall, named for its wall-like structure, is another prominent dive site here on Una Una. Jack wall is the farthest dive site on the northern part of Una Una and some people consider it as the best site on the island because of its splendid corals. Lush coral gardens stretch as far as the eye can see, leading to a massive drop-off. While the site ranges from a wall to a slope, the main highlight of the dive is exploring alongside the underwater wall.

“As an Indonesian diver, I could personally say that Una-Una have got to be one of the best dive sites in Indonesia.”

This dive site earned the name Alcatraz due to its mysterious large rock formations resting silently and ominously on the sandy seabed.

“We saw Napoleon fish almost during every dive, schools of jacks, rays, turtles, and the friendliest school of barracudas, not to mention the healthiest and abundant coral. We even got the chance to witness the bioluminescence plankton on our night dive, which was amazing.”

“Fantastic Resort! Best in Togian!”

CUTTLEFISH AT HONGKONG DIVE SITE

“We have been to the Togean Islands three times, and Emmi and Andri’s place is without doubt the best place to stay.”
– Fanny, Denmark