Going gaga for Gang Island

from Scuba Diver ANZ Issue 20

by scubadivermag

The Maldives

Lena Kavender and Byron Conroy immerse themselves in a watery world full of weird and wonderful critters when they stay at Gangga Island Resort and Spa in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi

PHOTOGRAPHS BY BYRON CONROY

Close your eyes and picture a warm tropical island with white beaches and coconut palm trees, surrounded by turquoise waters and coral reef. That is Gangga Island (www.ganggaisland.com) for you. A real-life dream destination where you can dive some of the most-pristine coral reefs in the world, and an hour later relax in a hammock on the beach with a cocktail in your hand.

On arrival, we were greeted by Debbie, who gave us an introduction to the island and the resort - all while we were enjoyed some truly delicious coconut/strawberry milkshakes served in fresh coconuts, along with sandwiches and fruits - before being shown to our room. All rooms are sea-view bungalows with a large terrace including sunbeds and drying rack. The resort is well planned and although it has a capacity for 50 people, it never feels crowded.

During the welcome briefing with dive centre manager Paulus, we learned that Gangga Divers offered a unique variety of dive sites. Bangka Island stands for the best local diving in the area, while you can also choose to dive the famous walls of Bunaken National Marine Park, and do critter spotting in Lembeh Strait. A real treat for underwater photographers to get access to some of the world´s best wide-angle and macro, all without having to move resort. Gangga Divers also offer nitrox fills at no additional charge for all divers with relevant certifications.

Lena checks out a large bunch of soft coral Expect a riot of colour on every dive

Sahaung has a reputation of having some of the mostcolourful and beautiful soft coral reef in North Sulawesi, and after diving it we dare to say even in the world

Anemonefish

The walls are adorned in coral growth

THE BEAUTY OF BANGKA We spent three days diving around the stunning Bangka Island, a 25-minute boat ride from Gangga. The dive sites Batu Gosoh, Batu Tiga and Busa Bora made it a real challenge for an underwater photographer to choose between wide-angle or macro. The reef was covered in beautiful soft corals, large schools of glassfish, yellow snapper, batfish and sweetlips were spotted on every dive, and there was also a reasonably good chance of seeing dugongs during the safety stops in the shallows. At the same time, the macro at these sites was also astonishing. In one single gorgonian fan, we found no less than eight Bargabanti pymgy seahorses, just to find another five of them in the next fan along.

SOFT CORAL HAVEN SAHAUNG On the fourth day we had the pleasure of visiting a site that we had heard so much about. Sahaung has a reputation of having some of the most-colourful and beautiful soft coral reef in North Sulawesi, and after diving it we dare to say even in the world. The colours you get to see on these walls are simply stunning. Blue, pink, red, yellow and orange soft corals are literally covering the dive site, along with an abundance of marine life such as yellow snapper and tons of reef fish.

The reef is extremely healthy Topside at Gangga Island

GETTING HOT AT YELLOW COCO Another very cool and fascinating site was the Yellow Coco Satu next to Bangka Island. It is a white sandy slope with coral reef in the shallows. As we descended down the slope I was thinking to myself that this must be the most quiet site so far, with not too much going on. That was until we hit a depth of 20m and I found myself swimming straight through a massive halocline with hot fresh water pumping up from the ground. We had reached the highlight of this dive, the Hot Spring. This hydrothermal vent pumps 90° C hot silica-rich fresh water into the surrounding ocean water. On the otherwise relatively empty sandy bottom, a community of sponges in particular but also other marine life such as whip gorgonians have evolved around the vent. We spent the remaining bottom time exploring this captivating area before it was time to surface. Hydrothermal vents within recreational dive limits are a rare phenomenon, and we were very lucky to experience this site.

COCONUTS AND SUNBEDS ON THE BEACH Even though the diving is definitely the highlight of this area, Gangga Island is also the perfect location for relaxation, sunbathing, swimming and snorkelling. The white sandy beach surrounding the resort could have been taken from any dream holiday advert or postcard. Each guest has their own allocated sunbed on the beach, perfectly shaded by a nearby coconut palm. Anyone fancying a swim can do so in the ocean or in the huge swimming pool with a truly luxurious design.

A REAL TREAT No relaxation day is complete without a traditional Indonesian massage. On our last day before check out, Byron and I treated ourselves to a couple´s massage at the Gangga Spa. The treatment rooms have a whole wall of floor-to-ceiling windows facing the ocean. This gives you the impression of laying on the beach, but with the comfort of being in an air-conditioned room with soft Indonesian music playing. The feeling of relaxation is complete and while at Gangga, a visit to the Spa is a must-do.

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On the otherwise relatively empty sandy bottom, a community of sponges in particular but also other marine life such as whip gorgonians have evolved around the vent

FUELLING UP Breakfast, lunch and dinner is included for all guests at the Gangga Resort. In addition to this a snack with coffee, tea or hot chocolate is served by the swimming pool each afternoon, accompanied by acoustic guitar songs performed by a lovely member of the staff.

The meals in the restaurant are served either from an a la carte menu or buffet style. While my partner is a real meat lover, I tend to prefer vegetarian options and fruits and vegetables. Both of us found the food delicious, with lots of options and variety pleasing our different tastes. The service at the restaurant and at the whole resort is outstanding, you will never wait long to get your glass refilled, or to receive the next dish.

LIFE IS EASY AT GANGGA ISLAND As a guest at Gangga Island, you will be really well looked after and thoroughly spoiled throughout your holiday. Both from a diving aspect and at the resort in general. Everything is taken care of by the professional and friendly staff. All you have to do is to show up for your dives and for the meals, which gives you lots of time to relax and to enjoy this tropical dream destination to the fullest. n

Porcelain crab

Idyllic beach scene

PHOTOGRAPHY © GERALD RAMBERT

Fly direct from Brisbane to Munda weekly! Dive Munda is a multi-award winning SSI Instructor Training and Extended Range Resort in the Solomon Islands committed to sustainable dive eco-tourism. Scuba dive, freedive and snorkel unexplored reefs, WWII history, Kastom culture, hard and soft coral, cuts and caverns along with pelagic life and shark action, all in one of the last wild frontiers left on planet ocean.

DIVE MUNDA, AGNES GATEWAY HOTEL, MUNDA, SOLOMON ISLANDS LANDLINE : +677 62156 CELLPHONE : +677 789 6869