Name: Siaba Besar
Meaning of the Name: Siaba itself doesn’t really have a meaning, Besar means big. Lots of Island here in the park are named with besar or kecil, which means small.
Maximum Depth: we dive this site with advanced divers around 22 or 23 m and with open water divers at 18m.
Temperature: 26 to 29 Celsius
Currents: We can dive the site both in rising and falling tide. we dive it on the protecting side, that means we jump in the middle of the bay, where the current is not strong. We side it by falling and rising current, it’s both possible and both very good. If it’s falling tide, the currents pushing towards south. The more you go to the south the stronger the current can be, but don’t worry, we turn around before the current gets too strong.
Famous For: Turtles! , which you can see at the edge of the bay and the small stuff at the sandy area.
This week we want to introduce you to another favorite dive site of our day boat and Komodo liveaboard crew.
Welcome to Siaba Besar, a dive site known for turtles, pristine coral and a wealth of hidden treasures’. This site is generally underrated due to its easy diving conditions, but to skip this place would be a grave mistake.
Most people who come to Komodo want to see the big stuff like mantas, sharks, turtles etc. But what if you love macro stuff, too? Well, we have good news: Siaba Besar offers you both! You can definitely say that this dive site is for everyone. Almost everything is possible at this magical site. We’ve spotted rare creatures like dugongs, flamboyant cuttlefish, silver tip sharks and ghost pipefish alongside the usual suspects of turtles galore, white tip sharks, cuttlefish and blue spotted stingrays.
The reason for this wide array of marine life is the topography that features a plateau of stunning reef, a channel which attracts passing pelagics as well as a sandy bottom where you can explore the rare macro marine life of Komodo National Park. While the plateau is great for newer divers, you’ll find most experienced guides fin straight over to the sand: where the real ‘treasure hunting’ begins. If you take a closer look at the ocean floor, you’ll be treated to the ocean’s most interesting macro life. Our dive guides have well trained eyes and are able to show you the tiniest and most interesting creatures. Have you ever spot a Flamboyant Cuttlefish walking along the bottom hunting tiny little shrimps? A miniscule pygmy seahorse hiding in a sea fan or even a well camouflaged frog fish in corals waiting for prey? We could wax poetic about all the interesting tiny creatures that can be spotted, but we’ll let you discover the treasures for yourself when you decide to join!
But let’s not glance over the big stuff on the coral area: reef fish, sweetlips, unicorn fish and also green turtles, all surrounded by some of the most pristine and stunning coral reefs on the planet.. As with any other spot featuring currents running through, we can see large schools of fish, black tip sharks, barracudas, snappers and turtles..
Extra tip? Don’t forget to check under the coral tables for young white tip reef sharks.
Sharks hiding under table corals
As Siaba Besar can be dived many different ways, we always ask our guests what they are interested in. That way we can form groups and plan the perfect dive for everyone. Have you gotten to dive Siaba Besar? What did you get to see?
