Machiko Point, Bangka, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Site Overview
Dive Centres
Site Type: Scenic Reef with lots of soft coral
Depth: Top: 5M Median: 11M Bottom: 20M
Location: On the tip of North Sulawesi adjacent Bangka Island

Machiko Point or Machiko’s Point is amazing in its variety. It is a fine tapestry of marine life woven densely together. Every little vista contains a myriad of species of plants, corals and animals. In almost every photo below you will see several species literally on top of each other.

Massively colourful reef with sponges and featherstars diving Machiko Point near Bangka Island at Thalassa Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia Diveplanit 6824 &Banner

This is typical of the seascape at the Machiko divesite, adjacent Bangka Island.

As well as the fantastic diversity of soft corals, large numbers of hard corals are also represented.  Some housing featherstars,

Lettuce coral stack with green featherstars diving Machiko Point near Bangka Island at Thalassa Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia by Diveplanit

Some housing something else – like this small scale scorpionfish lying in a coral vase.

Small scale scorpionfish lying in a coral vase diving Machiko Point near Bangka Island at Thalassa Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia by Diveplanit

There are large numbers of featherstars around this site.

Cluster of featherstars on a coral mound diving Machiko Point near Bangka Island at Thalassa Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia by Diveplanit

And plenty of holes where you might find an undulated moray.

Undulated moray - bright green with his mum's blue eyes ;) diving Machiko Point near Bangka Island at Thalassa Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia by Diveplanit

There are nudis a-plenty,

Nudi - White with blue stripes (race car) diving Machiko Point near Bangka Island at Thalassa Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia by Diveplanit

I also spotted my first Armina nudibranch (I’m not actually a nudi kind of guy – but you can’t avoid spotting them up here there are so many).

Armina Nudibranch diving Machiko Point near Bangka Island at Thalassa Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia by Diveplanit

There are plenty of reef fish on the reef, as well as boxfish, like this female black boxfish,

Female black boxfish diving Machiko Point near Bangka Island at Thalassa Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia by Diveplanit

And a scribbled pufferfish.

Scribbled Pufferfish diving Machiko Point near Bangka Island at Thalassa Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia by Diveplanit

Other interesting fish, as well as the usual Butterflies and Angels were the scalefin anthias.

Scalefin Anthias diving Machiko Point near Bangka Island at Thalassa Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia by Diveplanit

The water is crystal clear and quite a lot of natural light filters down (we dived with Thalassa around midday), illuminating these soft blue corals.

Blue soft corals diving Machiko Point near Bangka Island at Thalassa Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia by Diveplanit

Every piece of the reef appears to be decorated with some form of colourful life or other.

Beautiful softcoral seascape diving Machiko Point near Bangka Island at Thalassa Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia by Diveplanit

If you were a Dwarf Hawkfish – I don’t think you’d find a nicer part of the ocean to make your home.

Blotched or Dwarf Hawkfish diving Machiko Point near Bangka Island at Thalassa Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia by Diveplanit

It’s nice to know that tranquil scenes like this are there – even when we’re not.

Peaceful reef scene diving Machiko Point near Bangka Island at Thalassa Dive Resort North Sulawesi Indonesia by Diveplanit