Bangka is one of several islands off the northern end of North Sulawesi, offering marvelous diving and luxurious lodgings. In part two of this two-part chronicle, Brandi Mueller tells of her trip to Bangka Island with her non-diving mother on their Indonesian adventure.
False clownfish in anemone. Photo by Brandi Mueller.
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Last fall, my mother and I ventured to Indonesia in search of relaxation, diving and just spending time together. We chose two locations in North Sulawesi: Coral Eye on Bangka Island and Siladen Resort and Spa on Siladen Island, sister resorts that are special in their own ways, but mirror each other in service, luxury and commitment to environmental and social responsibility, plus excellent diving. Our first stop was Siladen (read part one in issue #138), and after a week that flew by all too fast, we were on a boat heading to Bangka.
The sister resorts make it extremely easy to visit both, allowing guests to combine two sides of North Sulawesi, diverse diving and two fantastic resorts into one trip. Transfers between the two can be done by boat, and it is possible to dive special sites along the way. This makes it easy to pack, too. While we put our dry things back into our suitcases, my dive gear and camera gear were moved onto the boat, just like on a normal dive day, and then transferred to Coral Eye on arrival. We got to the second resort in time for lunch, and I even had the option to do an afternoon or night dive.
Marine outpost
Created for researchers and now upgraded for travelers seeking incredible diving and elegant surroundings, Coral Eye brings people together to share their passions and create a unique travel experience. In 2009, the passion and vision of four marine biologists created Coral Eye. The concept was to have a place where people from around the world could gather to do research, exchange ideas and support the ocean. Local and foreign university professors, researchers and students could work together while also educating and sharing information with the community.
Located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, Bangka Island is an opportune destination, and one that faces many threats. Pressures on the local area, such as plastic pollution, make it a perfect place for irreplaceable education and research opportunities.
Later, accommodations and a dive shop for tourists who wanted to take part were added. This win-win situation means tourists get to dive with researchers, hear presentations and have the opportunity to communicate directly with the scientists. Tourism helps finance some of the projects and better support the local communities, while letting tourists participate, observe and learn from these projects, potentially becoming donors as well.
In 2022, Coral Eye and Siladen Resort and Spa began a partnership to bring a new level of luxury to Coral Eye guests, while still functioning as a marine outpost. The new partnership has increased tourism and raised standards to mirror the service and luxury found at Siladen, but without degrading the original dream and plans of the marine outpost. It is also allowing for the expansion of support for researchers, students and local education opportunities.
Design
My mother and I arrived at Coral Eye’s iconic and photogenic jetty, which seemed to stretch out forever from the beach, and were escorted to the beautiful main building for a welcome briefing. Unique architecture was everywhere you looked at this boutique resort. Modern European design merged with Indonesian techniques, all while keeping the environment in mind, leading to a stunning property.
The original main building was a fantastic, open-air, two-story structure with an arched roof. It was planned to maximize air flow from the ocean breeze, with the use of sustainable materials and minimal negative effects on the surrounding landscape. In the center of the first floor, a large, sunken table, perfect for group meals and meeting new friends, invited conversation and collaboration. Small rooms lined the edges, including a stylish bar, several rooms with tables for dining and rooms with books, desks and couches for watching presentations. The breeze passed through the building, keeping it cool, and its warm wood structure gave it a very relaxing feel.
Upstairs, on the second level, Superior rooms lined three sides with single or double beds and bathrooms with showers. The side facing the water had an open terrace with comfy lounges, tables and a lovely view. This was my favorite go-to spot in the mornings to enjoy a coffee and wake up listening to birds and the gentle wave sounds. My mother and I settled into our room, which had two beds and large windows facing the jungle.
Since the start of its partnership with Siladen, Coral Eye has been expanding. New additions include a garden, a pool and beach villas, which are absolutely gorgeous. These villas give one the feeling of being in a lush garden, a private sanctuary, with cozy furnishings and comfortable beds. They each have open-air bathrooms, and attention to elegant details can be seen throughout.
Keeping the environment in mind, single-use plastic is virtually unknown at this resort. The villas have hot and cold drinking water dispensers and tea and coffee bars. The same can be found on the second floor of the main building for those in Superior rooms, as well as throughout the property. Bathroom amenities are in ceramic containers and include locally handmade soap.
A new beach pavilion has just been completed, which will serve as the new restaurant. Stylish Italian design has created a gorgeous bar, restaurant and gathering area with a pool, right on the beachfront.
First dives
After an excellent lunch, I went diving. The staff had transported all my gear and my camera directly from Siladen, so I did not even have to set up anything. I did make a quick stop in the camera room to drop off my chargers and spare parts. Individual stations lined the room, so each photographer had their own space, towels and charging area. I stopped by the dive shop, which also had spacious cubbies to store and dry gear, but the staff had already moved my gear to the boat.
It was a picturesque afternoon. We could see fish swimming below the jetty as we boarded the boat and went to our first dive site off Bangka Island. From my first glance underwater, I could see the variety of marine life. There was sand for muck-diving critters, and also patches of diverse and healthy coral with many colorful reef fish. Highlights on our first dive included a charming white seahorse and a solar-powered nudibranch.
Bringing scientists and guests together
On my last trip to Coral Eye, I became fascinated with the marine outpost’s dedication to the environment and scientific research, as well as the staff’s goal to make these things accessible to the community and resort guests. However, my previous stay had been short, so I did not get a chance to see it in action.
The next morning, during the surface interval, I was enjoying a hot tea and skewers of fresh watermelon, papaya and pineapple while gazing at all the cameras (each in their individual carrying crates for protection and ease of carrying). I like to check out what everyone is shooting with. I noticed that one DSLR camera with a macro port did not have strobes or lights. This struck me as a bit odd because when shooting macro, most people want some external light to bring out colors.
The camera’s owner must have noticed my stares and came over to chat with me. We spent the rest of the surface interval talking about his research. He was a university professor from Europe who had been visiting the marine outpost for many years, often several times a year (sometimes bringing student groups, and other times just for research with a few assistants).
The professor’s research was all about fish. He and his team would take photos of every fish they saw on a dive to document which species were being found, where and when. He was working on identification photos of how each fish appears to the naked eye—hence, the lack of strobes on his camera.
This clicked and made sense to me. My brightly lit images often looked nothing like how I actually saw the fish at depth due to color loss, so it would be hard for someone else to find that fish based on my images. But the professor’s images showed how each fish appeared at depth, without artificial lighting. These identification photos help his assistants and other researchers better identify the fish they are observing. It is a great identification resource for divers, too. The professor also puts the images into databases to help train AI for fish identification, among other things.
Returning to the resort, I could not wait to tell my mother all that I had learned, and it dawned on me that this was exactly what the resort was trying to do—bring people together so we all can learn more and be better stewards of the ocean. The staff has created a place for researchers to do their science and an audience to learn from them, who then go back home and tell others.
Forestry engineer Baba Dioum’s quote always rings true: “In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.” [1] Knowledge is one of the best ways to help protect the ocean and the environment. The professor I met at the resort would also be giving a few talks about his projects in the evenings while we were there, and I was looking forward to attending.
The second dive had more exciting sightings: a cuttlefish, a leaf scorpionfish and a tasseled scorpionfish inside a barrel sponge, which, at first glance, blended in so well I almost did not see it. There were also anemones and clownfish of every type and color. I can never get enough of these charismatic fish.
Locally sourced dining
Back at the resort, my mother and travel buddy had been fulfilling her mission of checking out the spa. She had nothing but good reviews about her first massage, and we met for lunch to discuss our mornings. Menus at the resort were ever-changing, depending on locally sourced, seasonal options. A blend of Indonesian and Mediterranean traditions created healthy and delicious options.
Commitment to sustainability and reducing waste was evident, even during meals. Three-course meals were offered at lunch and dinner, selected from a menu that changed daily, with several options for each course. By ordering ahead, the chef had a better idea of how much food to prepare, reducing food waste. In no way did this decrease the quality of the outcome. The food was fantastic. I chose the sashimi appetizer with vegetable pasta, and we both saved room for the homemade mango ice cream, which would become our go-to dessert for most of the trip.
Bonfire dive
I decided to skip the afternoon dive and join a bonfire dive after dark. With similarities to a blackwater dive, a bonfire dive takes place in shallower water, with lights on the seafloor. Lights are set up on a tripod to attract plankton, larvae and juvenile fish. This is a great place to start for people who want to do blackwater dives but are not quite sure of buoyancy or being in open water. Many of the same cool creatures show up to the bonfire, and if it is a slow night, you can still do a normal night dive.
We waited until after sunset and back-rolled into the dark. Our guides mounted the lights, and while things were “heating up”, we wandered around the area on a normal night dive, spotting the eyes of shrimps and crabs peering out of the hard coral. In the sand, my dive guide found a bobtail squid and a peacock mantis shrimp.
Moving back toward the lights, we floated in the water column at around 40ft, where juvenile fish and a few squid showed up. A flounder larva was seen, but it was shy and kept swimming away from our cameras. When the dive guide signaled it was time to ascend, I was not too sad to go because back at the resort, it was almost time for the evening presentation.
No Trash Triangle
My mother and I got ourselves cocktails at the bar and showed up early to get a good seat for a presentation on the No Trash Triangle Initiative (NTTI). An initiative born at Coral Eye in 2017, the project is going stronger than ever. Bangka and all the islands around North Sulawesi (and, really, all of the ocean) suffer from plastic pollution.
The project began with marine biologists working with Sam Ratulangi University in Manado to study biodegradable plastic in tropical seas. They saw that plastic pollution was a huge problem and teamed up with Coral Eye for further research. They found out that 70 percent of the waste that washed up on Bangka was recyclable and had economic value; however, there was not enough value to offset the cost of transporting the trash to the mainland. The NTTI was created to manage this problem. With donations and support from local resorts and other partners, the initiative has been able to fill the gap to cover the cost of getting trash removed from the islands and recycled or reused whenever possible.
The initiative does more than just that. NTTI keeps the beaches clean by conducting regular cleanups involving locals, tourists, students and volunteers. The NTTI team believes education is key. They design and teach environmental education, while also supporting research and funding student scholarships. Hopefully, the scholarship recipients will spread the word to their parents, families and neighbors and grow up to be environmental stewards.
The NTTI team reaches out to big business, too, speaking at conferences, trying to connect with people at all levels. The NTTI team’s goals include implementing waste collection and management, raising local community awareness, supporting research and innovation and encouraging corporate responsibility—not to mention setting a standard for what can be done in so many other places that face the same issues.
The NTTI is creating local, dignified jobs with fair salaries, stable contracts and health insurance. River barrier systems that catch plastic and other garbage have been created and installed, where employees collect and sort that trash, taking what can be recycled to the recycling center and shipping what cannot be recycled to Jakarta for co-processing, preventing tons of plastic waste from being sent to a landfill. It thus stops garbage from going directly into the ocean in the first place.
The program has also expanded to include other islands. An issue I had never considered was where resort trash goes. There was no trash pickup on any of the islands around North Sulawesi. NTTI has since gotten boats and employed boat drivers and workers to go from island to island, picking up trash, sorting it and recycling it. Many resorts have joined the project, making financial contributions and having their trash removed in a responsible way with the help of NTTI.
In just one year, NTTI has collected over 100 tons of plastic, preventing it from going into the ocean and Bunaken National Park. Coral Eye is a base for NTTI, where tourists, locals, students, scientists, divers, volunteers and friends can meet for education, research, realizing ideas and putting plans into action. This is an endeavor anyone can support via the NTTI website.
Batu Sahaung
After hearing where we would be diving the next morning, I switched out my macro lens for a wide-angle. Sahaung has two large pinnacles absolutely covered in marine life. I remembered the site from my last trip and was excited to return. The dive boat took us to the southern tip of Bangka Island, and after a quick current check, we plunged into the blue and immediately started swimming toward the first pinnacle.
Purple and orange anthias danced around the first, coral-covered peak, and we started to slowly circle it, descending down to the sea floor. A red octopus was well-camouflaged with its surroundings until it moved just a little, and we spotted it. A giant frogfish held its ground as we circled by. Moving to the second pinnacle, a large school of bluestripe snapper seemed to nearly connect the two pinnacles, and red squirrelfish almost created a wall on one side. There were so many fish!
Back on the boat, the crew passed out warm towels soaked with a minty aromatherapy, which soothed my sinuses. While we waited for our next epic dive, the boat crew was singing and playing guitar, making for an excellent surface interval, which also included coffee or tea and snacks.
The next dive was continuous action. I found two wrasses fighting (or mating), circling one another, then going jaw-to-jaw with their mouths extended, impacting each other, only to break away and do another bit of a circle dance before returning to engage the other wrasse. My dive guide also found a glorious, reddish-colored rhinopias scorpionfish.
More than just diving
At the resort, there is so much more to do than just diving. Stand-up paddleboards and kayaks are available to take out anytime, and there is even a guided kayak tour through the mangroves, which is great for birding and photography. There are no roads on Bangka Island, but lots of forest paths to hike, which lead to fishing villages and viewpoints. Or, one can just simply relax on the numerous beach lounge chairs. A few nights each week, there is a beachside Happy Hour with cocktails and snacks on the beach.
Coral Eye, like Siladen Resort, can also arrange tours of the mainland. Tangkoko Nature Reserve is just a short boat ride away, and visitors can see primates, such as the tarsier, as well as cuscus and birds. There are also highland tours and other excursions available. I never find enough time to partake in all of these activities, so there is always something to come back for.
On our last evening at the resort, there was a presentation by the professor (whom I had met earlier in the week) and a fellow researcher concerning their work. My mother and I attended and learned so much about the fish life in the area. These presentations were such an added value. It was great to be able to find out more about the place you are diving, and be able to ask questions and interact with the scientists.
Ghost nudibranch
Over the course of my stay, a few Instagram posts alerted friends to where I was, and three different people reached out to ask if I had seen the rare ghost nudibranch that was commonly seen around Bangka. I asked at the dive shop if these rumors were true and if it would be possible to go to that site. It worked out on my last morning of diving, and we went in search of the almost invisible nudibranch.
This nudibranch is a huge bucket-list item for nudibranch lovers. It is nearly translucent with pinkish vein-like lines that sort of outline its otherwise imperceptible body. My dive guide swam us over to an area of similarly pinkish xenia soft coral and motioned for me to slow down. I was searching like crazy, but how do you find something that is invisible? Well… my dive guide did. A few minutes later, he was pointing and outlining the shape of the nudibranch’s body to help me see it. My eyes adjusted, and there it was, the elusive ghost nudibranch. Not a bad way to end my diving for this trip.
The pier
From the day we arrived, I had “snorkel the pier” on my list of things to do. Divers and snorkelers have almost unlimited access to the area right in front of the resort. Sometimes, at other locations, the house reef may be a little boring, but this resort’s house reef is anything but. On my previous trip, it was not on my radar until one day at lunch, divers were talking about a huge school of barracuda and healthy coral with lots of fish. I decided to check it out and loved it, diving it twice more and also snorkeling it on my last day.
With so many other activities, dives and the spa, the week flew by, and I still had not gone out for a snorkel. On our last day, when my “no-diving-before-flying” clock started, I decided to forgo the afternoon nap I was considering and went for a snorkel. It is possible to enter the house reef from the pier steps at any time, but when the tide is high enough, you can walk in from the beach, too. After consulting with the dive shop, I grabbed my gear and walked right in.
After white sand, there was almost a straight line that broke away to big, healthy, hard corals. As I continued swimming, it slowly got deeper, and the corals bigger. Moving closer to the pier, the pillars were coated in colorful sponges and bright sea fans. The stairs at the end of the jetty were stunning. I absolutely loved that they were encrusted with marine life, and, in my mind, seemed somehow enchanted, like they were King Triton’s stairway to another world. They looked so mystical.
There was a massive school of fish around the pier, several colorful anemones and a few juvenile batfish that were clearly morphing into adulthood but still had their orange stripes.
After one last beautiful breakfast of avocado toast, coffee and a turmeric shot to keep healthy, it was time to get on the boat once more to go to the airport. Our dual trips to Bangka and Siladen Islands were nothing but perfect, the calm waters and blue skies bidding us farewell… until we start planning our return trip. ■
Read part one about Siladen in issue #138 online or the PDF.
Sources: coral-eye.com, no-trashtriangle.org
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/baba_dioum
