Pangalisan

Pangalisan is a wall dive on Bunaken Island’s south-east coast that offers slightly different conditions from the south-facing Lekuan sites — a more gradual wall profile with excellent hard coral coverage and reliably calm conditions for intermediate divers.

Overview

Located on the south-east corner of Bunaken Island, Pangalisan sits where the island’s south wall transitions into the east-facing wall. This corner position gives the site a slightly different character from the classic Lekuan sites: the wall profile here is less vertical and more steeply sloped, with terraced sections that create distinct depth bands for exploration. Currents tend to be lighter than at the point sites, making Pangalisan a reliable option when conditions elsewhere are less cooperative, and a strong choice for intermediate divers building wall diving experience.

What to Expect

The reef begins in 3–5 metres on the crest, slopes steeply to a terrace at around 12–15 metres, then drops again more vertically to 35 metres. This stepped profile creates distinct microhabitats: the upper terrace holds outstanding hard coral diversity, including impressive table corals, branching acropora, and massive Porites bommies. Turtles regularly rest on the flat sections of the terrace, and the coral density here makes for superb photography in natural light.

Below the terrace, the wall becomes more typical Bunaken character — encrusting corals, sponges, and seafans on the vertical face. Whitetip reef sharks are regularly encountered resting on sandy patches at 25–30 metres. Schools of moorish idols, banner fish, and glassfish are dense around the bommies on the upper terrace. The site’s eastern orientation means morning sun lights the shallow reef brilliantly — one reason it’s popular with underwater photographers.

Conditions

• Depth range: 3–35 m
• Visibility: 15–25 m
• Currents: Light to moderate; reliable and manageable
• Water temperature: 27–30°C
• Best season: May–October; site also diveable in the wet season when east is sheltered

Tips

Pangalisan’s terraced profile makes it an excellent site for dive planning practice — descend to the lower terrace first, then work up through the zones as gas decreases and nitrogen accumulates. The morning light on the upper reef is exceptional, making this one of the better photographic sites for natural-light wide-angle work.

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.