Resorts on some of the nearest islands have been in use since Dutch colonial times, and some of the islands have historical interest. Pulau Onrust, just off Tanjung Pasir and 1/2 hour from Ancol by ferry, is where Jan Pieterszoon Coen, the head of the Dutch East India company, planned his final, successful attack on the town of Jayakarta in 1619. Afterward, he named the town Batavia, which it was to be called until 1942, when the invading Japanese renamed it "Jakarta," a name the Indonesians kept.
Diving Pulau Seribu
The dive possibilities are almost countless here. The reefs around many of the 110 islands are excellent in terms of coral growth and fish life. What makes the diving here just fair by Indonesian standards is the visibility, which usually hovers around 10-15 meters. It sometimes improves, but even then only reaches 20 meters.
Daily rainfall here determines how good the visibility will be, but it is generally best in the middle of the dry season, typically May through September.
With few exceptions, the marine life at most Pulau Seribu locations will include an abundant variety of hard and soft corals, a good variety of reef fish and some pelagics, turtles and an occasional shark.
Unfortunately, at some sites the deterioration of marine life is increasingly noticeable. Like the dwindling reef in the Florida Keys, Pulau-Pulau Seribu has suffered for its proximity to a large population center. Pollution, and in some cases, mismanagement, is killing off the coral.
Pulau Piniki
This is an oblong island (see map opposite), oriented along a north-south axis. A few people live here, and the island is marked by a transmission antenna. There is an interesting reef off the western side of Piniki. The reef starts at 5 meters, but has its best coral growth and fish life at around 20 meters.
At the southwest point is the wreck of a 20-meter wooden cargo ship. The ship's cargo of cement has solidified, but the weakened wooden structure is not safe to enter.
Schools of barracuda, batfish, large parrotfish and moray eels have made the wreck their home. There is also a particularly large number of anemones and anemonefish here.
Pulau Papa Theo
This island, formerly called Pulau Tondan Timur, was renamed when the Papa Theo, a cargo vessel, sank on the reef here in 1982. The vessel, about 20 meters long, rests now with its port side facing the reef. The bow is at 20 meters, and the stern at 30 meters.
Until April 1991, the ship stood almost upright, but then its stern collapsed, spilling its until then intact cargo of paper products and pharmaceuticals, including condoms.
Until the cargo spilled, the beautiful reef was a favorite dive spot with Jakarta residents. Once the debris has been washed away, the reef may again become a popular spot. All the fittings and other items of value have been removed from the Papa Theo.
It is a simple wreck dive, with lots of marine life and an occasional shark in the deeper waters at the stern end. There are parrotfish, some resident groupers, many morays and a particular abundance of stingrays. The north reef is often chosen for night dives.
Papa Theo island is a very pleasant island hideaway, even for non-divers. The simple huts are clean and comfortable, and a basic Indonesian mandi or splash bath is provided. The generator shuts down at dark, and then one hears only the sound of the waves through the thatch walls. A candle-lit restaurant serves very fresh fish and standard Indonesian dishes.
A juvenile pinnate batfish, Platax pinnatus, examines a diver in an underwater grotto off Maumere, Flores. At right is a regal angelfish, Pygoplites diacanthus.
A hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata. Hawks-bills, the smallest of the sea turtles, are also the most commonly seen on Indonesian reefs. Their shells provide the raw material for tortoiseshell, although the importation of such products is banned in many countries, including the United States. In Indonesian markets, one can see small hawksbill turtles, stuffed and varnished, offered as souvenirs, and even live ones, which are destined for the stew pot.
Kuburan Cina
This very small island is among the best diving sites in Pulau-Pulau Seribu. The good reef begins due west of the island, continues around the south, then east There is a small bit of reef at the north tip. Excellent coral growth provides the backdrop for a good drift dive in 8-20 meter depths. In areas, the coral is good to almost 30 meters.
Low tide exposes a wide expanse of reef flat. At high tide, the island shrinks dramatically, with only a sand bank showing.
Pulau Malinjo
A very good reef extends from the west around to the north, and along the south-southwest edge of the island. The best diving is at 8-12 meters.You can find lobsters here up to 30 centimeters long. The reef is also home to a great number of moray eels.
Pulau Kotok
This island sits on the western edge of the Pulau-Pulau Seribu group, and thus offers some of the best coral growth. The undamaged reef here is good for snorkeling as well as diving. Pulau Kotok is the best in the islands for snorkeling and off-the-beach diving. The west, north and east reefs are good to 20 meters.
Because it faces the open sea, Kotok is the place to see schools of sweetlips, turtles and sharks. Small manta rays have been seen here. The area is abundant in gorgonians and soft corals.
Pulau Gosonglaga
This island is basically a small sandbank surrounded by an immense reef. The entire circumference of the reef is good, and in areas good coral growth extends down to more than 20 meters. Since the island is on the fringe of the Pulau-Pulau Seribu group, it is one of the best places to see larger reef fish and occasional pelagics.
— Janet Boileau and
Debe Campbell
Note: The authors would like to thank PADI Dive instructor Vimal Lekhraj of Dive Masters, Jakarta for his invaluable help in preparing this section.
BINTAN
Good, Shallow Diving Close to Singapore
Who says that there's no decent diving near Singapore? How about this, folks: four nurse sharks taking an afternoon siesta, indecently close together, under boulders with several peek-holes; seahorses on two successive dives, tails tightly wrapped around staghorn coral branches; a crocodile fish lying without the slightest twitch, waiting for lunch to come within leaping-range; an absolutely huge banded sea snake, slithering around rocks and sand; a most unusual fish, the comet, showing us its rear end, impersonating an aggressive white-spotted moray; a fat, meter-plus mottled grouper, resting under a ledge.
This was in north Bintan island, forty-five minutes' ferry ride from Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. Visability and the underwater structure here is nothing to brag about, but there's certainly plenty to see.
Our general assessment of diving off Bintan is quite positive in spite of the restricted visibility which ranged from a close to awful 3 meters (but still a lot better than Singapore) to a passable 7 meters.