Bunaken was the name of an island that was located in the Manado Gulf, the northern part of the Sulawesi Island, Indonesia widely 8.08 km². Around the Bunaken Island was gotten the Bunaken Marine Park that was part of the National Park of Kelautan Manado Tua. The Bunaken Marine Park had some biodiversitas marine that was highest in the world.
With five islands that was around it, namely Manado Tua Island, Bunaken Island, Siladen Island, Mantehage Island along with several of its children island, and the Naen Island, Bunaken Marine Park on the whole had the area measuring 75.265 hectare. The Bunaken Marine Park had 20 diving points (dive spots) with the depth that varied through to 1.344 meters. From all the dive spots, 12 dive spots were around the Bunaken Island and this 12 dive spots was often visited by the diver and the lover of beauty of underwater scenery. That was interesting in the Bunaken Marine Park was the existence Underwater Great Walls, that also often mentioned as Hanging Walls, that stood vertical and buckled above. Apart from becoming scenery that was picturesque to be seen, this Hanging Walls also became the source of food for fish in waters around the Bunaken Island. The visit season that was good to the Bunaken Marine Park was May till August.
The Bunaken Marine Park had the mangrove forest ecosystem, padang lamun, the coral reef, and the mainland /the coast ecosystem. The available plants kind in the Bunaken National Park mangrove forest was Lumnitzera sp, Rhizophora sp, Bruguiera sp and Sonneratia sp. The Bunaken Marine Park forest was also rich in various prawns kinds, the crab, the mollusc and various sea bird kinds like the heron, the seagull and the sea groove. In his sea ecosystem, the Bunaken National Park had 13 genera coral lived and the most interesting was vertical coral wall through to 25-50 meters. Gotten by approximately 91 fish kinds and various mollusc kinds. Whereas the ecosystem of the mainland of the islands in the Bunaken National Park was rich in animal kind such as black Sulawesi monkey (Macaca Nigra), the cuscus (Ailurops Ursinus), deer (Cervus Timorensis) and the coconut crop, the palm, sago.
The Bunaken National Park could be reached through the Manado Port by using the motorboat towards the Siladen Island around 20 minutes, the Nain Island around 60 minutes, the Montehage Island around 50 minutes and the Bunaken Island around 30 minutes. The rental price of the motor-boat around Rp.300.000 a day. In order to be able to see the underwater life, tourists could rent of the glasses boat with the price Rp.200.000. For tourists who want to snorkling or diving, could lease the implements costing Rp.75.000 to snorkling and Rp.750.000 to diving. The depth of the snorkeling place around 70cm and the depth of the diving place through to 10 metre. In the Bunaken National Park was gotten also various hotels with various prices and shops that sold various souvenir. (hen)
