Togean Islands – Central Sulawesi
The Togean island group(Kepulaun Togean area an archipelago of 56 islands and inlets, located in the Tomini bay just south of Gorontalo, North Sulawesi and is a 100,000 ha proposed marine reserve
The islands are not volcanic and sit on a plateau no deeper than 200m. On land there a re also interesting animals to see like many rare birds (Hornbill, Parrots) and other animals such as; Babi Rusa (endemic wild pig), Macaque Togeana (endemic species of monkey for Togean island).The reefs and larges coastal mangrove areas are habitat and breeding areas hawksbill turtle, the green turtle and the dugong.
1995 some scientists discovered that a few marine species occur nowhere else in Indonesia, for example 3 endemic coral species. The Tomini gulf is cut off from the primary ocean currents than run north south on either side of Sulawesi.
There are always some anemone fish, specially the spine cheek anemone fish (prema’s biaculeatus). Also can be found leaf fish, Pegasus, hawk fish and several ghost pipe fishes, and eagle ray for a very short time, There is also theory that, the Togean islands were a refuge for species isolated by the low sea level during the ice age.
Around Walea there are some nice walls diving (some of them quite deep 50m-the crack), but also coral gardens and sea mounds and a dive site on the volcanic island of Una-Una (day trip). Currents can be strong at some dive sites on the point of the island. A lot of fish, also some sharks, eagle rays, barracuda, and jack. There are very large sponges in abundance and many gobies and blennies. Around the inner islands calm water with visibility about 20m
Night Dives
There are plenty or really interesting animals there; Twin spot lion fish, Spanish dancer, Stone fish (lying beneath a coral block just at the entrance to the resort, many cuttlefish and small nearly transparent octopuses, lobster and decorator crabs and much more
