Turtle Town

Turtle Town is a reef dive site at the southwestern corner of Sangalaki Island in the Derawan Archipelago, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Overview

Turtle Town sits at Sangalaki’s sheltered southwestern corner, where gullies and stony ridges create a labyrinthine habitat that green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) use year-round for resting and feeding. Sangalaki supports one of the largest green turtle nesting populations in Southeast Asia — females come ashore nightly, with 20 to 30 nests recorded on some evenings — meaning the in-water population is consistently large and well-habituated to divers. Dive The World notes that green turtles are the site’s primary attraction, “as implied by its name,” with rock overhangs and coral gullies sheltering turtles at rest. The site connects to Coral Gardens and Sandy Ridge, and shares the calm conditions of the island’s western shelf.

Marine Life

• Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) — resting under overhangs and feeding on algae
• Moorish idols and angelfish patrolling the ridge walls
• Nudibranchs and flatworms on encrusting coral surfaces
• Mandarinfish in rubble zones at dusk
• Giant cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus) in open sandy areas
• Octopus in crevices
• Pufferfish and triggers along the ridge margins

Dive Profile

The site features flat topography with coral ridges and gullies between 5 and 20 metres. A typical dive profile stays between 10 and 18 metres, moving slowly through the gullies where turtles rest under overhangs. Visibility averages 15–25 metres. Currents are minimal. Bottom time is extended by the shallow depth.

Entry and Exit

Boat dive only. Entry is at the reef edge; guides lead divers through the gully system at slow pace to maximise turtle encounters.

Tips

• Move slowly and avoid rapid fin movements near resting turtles — calm behaviour encourages turtles to remain rather than swim away.
• Check under coral overhangs and in the shadowed bases of ridges where turtles wedge themselves while resting.
• A dusk dive here can reveal mandarinfish emerging for their brief courtship display among the rubble.

Safety Considerations

This site is beginner-appropriate with gentle conditions. Maintain neutral buoyancy at all times — accidental contact with coral or disturbance of nesting areas surrounding the island is prohibited under Indonesian marine park regulations.

Photography

Turtle Town’s gully structure allows close-proximity turtle photography in natural light. A wide-angle lens works well for full-body turtle shots in the gullies; a macro lens rewards patient searches for nudibranchs and mandarinfish. Visibility and ambient light are typically excellent on the western side of the island.

Site Information

• Location: Sangalaki Island, Derawan Archipelago, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
• Entry Type: Boat dive
• Site Type: Reef
• Difficulty Level: Beginner
• Maximum Depth: 20 meters

Additional Resources

• Last Updated: 2026-05-17

Sources: Dive The World – Sangalaki, Starfish.ch – Kalimantan Diving, Asia Diving Vacation – Sangalaki, Maratua.com – Sangalaki, Scuba Junkie Sangalaki – Best Kept Secret. Last updated 2026-06-27.