Muka kampung

Muka kampung — also known as “Turtle City” — is a wall dive on Bunaken Island’s south-east coast that lives up to its nickname with some of the highest green and hawksbill turtle densities found anywhere in Indonesia.

Overview

The name “Muka kampung” translates roughly as “village face” in Indonesian, referring to the site’s position in front of the main fishing village on Bunaken Island’s eastern end. Its popular alternative name, Turtle City, is simply descriptive: this stretch of wall and reef flat has long been recognised as one of the best turtle-watching locations in the entire national park. The combination of a rich wall with good algae and soft coral growth — perfect turtle food — and relative shelter from the open ocean creates ideal conditions for resident turtles.

What to Expect

The wall here is shallower than Bunaken’s south-coast giants, dropping from 5 metres to around 25 metres before levelling onto a sandy slope. This makes the dive profile comfortable for intermediate divers and gives more time to explore the wall face at moderate depths rather than managing buoyancy at depth. Green turtles are the main attraction — it is not unusual to encounter four, five, or even more individuals in a single dive, often resting on coral ledges or grazing on algae on the wall face. Hawksbill turtles, identifiable by their narrow pointed beak, are also frequently seen and tend to favour the overhangs where sponges grow.

Beyond the turtles, the wall supports healthy hard coral growth with fields of staghorn acropora at the crest and encrusting corals on the vertical sections. Schools of moorish idols, anthias, and chromis are dense in the 8–15 metre range. Banded sea snakes — Laticauda colubrina — are commonly seen moving along the wall face as they hunt fish in crevices; they are mildly venomous but completely docile toward divers.

Conditions

• Depth range: 5–25 m
• Visibility: 15–25 m
• Currents: Light to moderate; site offers good shelter compared to east-facing sites
• Water temperature: 27–30°C
• Best season: May–October

Tips

Morning dives at Muka kampung offer the best turtle activity — turtles tend to be more mobile and feeding in early light. Allow time to hover slowly above the reef flat where turtles surface to breathe; watching a 100 kg green turtle ascend through clear water is one of Bunaken’s signature experiences. The shallower profile makes this a strong second or third dive of the day when managing nitrogen exposure.

Sources: Murex Resorts - Diving Bunaken Guide, Two Fish Divers - Bunaken Dive Sites, Bluewater Dive Travel - Manado Bunaken, Dive The World - Bunaken Manado, ZuBlu - Beautiful Bunaken Guide, Murex Resorts - Diving Bunaken, Tasik Ria Dive Sites Bunaken, ZuBlu - Best Dive Sites in Bunaken, Dive The World - Bunaken National Park, Underwater Asia - Bunaken Diving Guide. Last updated 2026-04-04.