Derawan

The island is the practical hub for the Derawan archipelago in East Kalimantan. The underwater profile features gentle coral slopes and seagrass beds dropping to a maximum depth of 20 metres. The defining feature of the immediate water is an unusually plenty of green and hawksbill turtles. You often see them resting on ledges or feeding in the shallows right under the resort jetties. The local government runs a marine protected area covering over 285,000 hectares. Historical data indicates thousands of female turtles nest across these islands annually so the beaches are heavily patrolled by rangers to protect the eggs.

The house reefs and jetty pillars are heavily utilised for macro diving. The seagrass beds and rubble zones yield sightings of Satomi pygmy seahorses and flamboyant cuttlefish along with robust and slender ghost pipefish. Blue-ringed octopuses and frogfish are found in the shallows with a good guide. A dedicated local site named Macro Mania rewards slow observant diving with regular cephalopod encounters. The current is mild so these sites work well for beginners and photographers looking for long bottom times.

The wider archipelago offers distinct marine environments across Maratua, Sangalaki and Kakaban.

Old Pier and Derawan House Reef

Skill level: Open Water | Ave depth: 5–15 m | Max depth: 20 m | Current: Mild to none | Visibility: 15–30 m The sloping sand and rubble beneath the jetty pillars provide excellent macro conditions. This is where you find the blue-ringed octopus and ghost pipefish hiding in the structure. Night diving under the pier frequently reveals hunting lionfish and bobtail squid burying into the sand.

Big Fish Country (Maratua)

Skill level: Advanced | Ave depth: 25–30 m | Max depth: 40 m | Current: Very strong | Visibility: 15–30 m This massive break in the Maratua atoll reef acts as a choke point for tidal water. Divers deploy reef hooks at the channel entrance to watch tornadoes of chevron barracuda and large schools of bigeye trevally. Grey reef sharks and occasional eagle rays ascend from the deep basin. The down-currents mandate advanced certification and drift experience.

Gorgonzola (Maratua)

Skill level: Advanced | Ave depth: 15–30 m | Max depth: 40 m | Current: Moderate to strong | Visibility: 15–30 m An expansive wall dive famous for bumphead parrotfish and Napoleon wrasse. Eagle rays fly by frequently. You drift along the steep limestone drop-off observing the larger pelagics in the blue.

Turtle Traffic (Maratua)

Skill level: Advanced | Ave depth: 15–30 m | Max depth: 40 m | Current: Moderate to strong | Visibility: 15–30 m A vertical wall dive famous for an exceptionally high concentration of resting green and hawksbill turtles. The steep drop-off also attracts schooling jacks.

Manta Run (Sangalaki)

Skill level: Open Water | Ave depth: 5–18 m | Max depth: 18 m | Current: Mild to gentle | Visibility: 15–30 m Sangalaki features shallow fringing reefs that act as critical cleaning stations and feeding grounds for resident reef manta rays. Encounters rely heavily on lunar and tidal phases governing plankton blooms. The mild conditions make this highly accessible for all levels.

Blue Light Cave (Kakaban)

Skill level: Advanced | Ave depth: 20–30 m | Max depth: 30 m | Current: Moderate | Visibility: 15–30 m A signature cavern dive on the outer seaward reef of Kakaban. An opening in the limestone wall lets intense blue daylight pierce the interior. Strict cavern safety protocols apply.

Barracuda Point (Kakaban)

Skill level: Advanced | Ave depth: 15–30 m | Max depth: 30 m | Current: Strong | Visibility: 15–30 m A sheer limestone wall swept by strong currents. The promontory offers high-voltage drift diving with frequent sightings of hunting tuna and schooling barracuda.

Bagan Platforms (Talisayan)

Skill level: Open Water | Ave depth: 5–10 m | Max depth: 10 m | Current: Mild | Visibility: 10–20 m Coastal waters near Talisayan host whale shark aggregations year-round. These animals feed under stationary wooden fishing platforms. The dives occur in extremely shallow water directly beneath the structures. The platforms relocate seasonally based on monsoon winds so the boat run from Derawan varies.

Derawan island functions as a lively local village intertwined with places to stay and eat. Accommodation ranges from homestays and backpacker lodges to mid-range overwater resorts. On Derawan, places to stay and eat are part of a lively local village.

The islands rely heavily on cash. There are no ATMs accepting international cards anywhere in the archipelago so you must withdraw all necessary Indonesian Rupiah on the mainland prior to boarding the transfer boats. Cash covers all port levies, local park entrance fees and incidentals.

Power generation relies heavily on diesel generators. Smaller homestays may experience scheduled outages during daylight hours. Internet connectivity is exclusively reliant on cellular networks. You need a local Telkomsel SIM card for stable 4G signals because alternative networks suffer severe dead zones offshore.

Sangalaki operates a government-run turtle nursery. Patrols manage night-time nesting observations to prevent light pollution. Dive operators enforce no-touch rules during all turtle encounters.

Derawan suits experienced divers who will make the longer journey for its variety of marine life. The journey requires patience and flexibility. You accept rugged transit phases to reach uncrowded sites and massive geographical variety.