When I first arrived in Bunaken I was stunned by the peacefulness of the place.
A boat ride across from Manado along crystal blue water and rolling, lush green mountains, and flashes of the reef from below.

The first wall dive was phenomenal. The top of the wall only around 5 metres from the surface and the sheer drop of the wall reiterated how vast the space beneath the water was.
Within the wall was teaming with life. School’s of butterfly fish, wide-eye trevally whipping past, and snoozing amongst the small , sleepy-eyed turtles, slowly going about their day.
Closer inspection amongst the wall brings up the tiny minute marine life that are extraordinarily hard to distinguish. Tiny mantis shrimp hanging on to branches of coral. Itty bitty porcelain crabs hiding amongst the anemonies. Pygmy sea horses no bigger than your pinky nail with their tail curled around a piece of weed lest they get swept with the current.
This dive was particularly memorable as it made you take note of you place in the world. How small you are compared to the vast ocean, yet reminding you that there is still whole universes with so many different organisms living their lives in a space no bigger than the palm of you hand.
This place is stunning, I will give you a further update about my dive master course in a few days.
Yours,
Jade