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This is a great dive site to visit while you are around the Padar area, famous for its view of rugged mountains at the hiking point.
Karang Makassar or Manta Point as it is also known, is a dive site in central Komodo, between Tatawa Besar Island and Komodo Island. If it’s not obvious already by the name, this place is famous for Mantas.
So the name Manta Point makes sense, but what about Karang Makassar?
Well, Karang is Indonesian for reef, and Makassar is one of the biggest cities in South Sulawesi, but in this case there is also a very small island just to west of the dive site called Pulau Makassar.
Karang Makassar is a huge dive site, nearly 3 km’s long by 500 meters wide, all on a mainly flat bottom with areas of gently sloping reef.
The area is a Manta cleaning station so if you hit this site at the right time during a rising tide, you may have the chance to see one or even many of the parks 1200 Mantas.
This site is normally a nice easy drift dive so good for newbie divers or more experienced divers as well.
At this dive site there is the chance to spot Mantas all year round.
Wildlife wise, the draw at this site is the Mantas, but in fact, there is also a lot of other species to see.
If you are at the cleaning station, you will see moon wrasses and yellow butterfly fish doing the cleaning.
Out in the open rubbly covered bottom of the flats, you can also see Eagle Rays, Reef Sharks, Leopard Sharks and some huge clams.
Back on the sloping reef area that leads up to the island you can also see all sorts of things from gorgonians and sponges to both hard and soft corals.
You will find Turtles, Bumphead Parot Fish, Cuttle Fish and the smaller guys like Flasher Wrasses and Gobies.
Blue Ring Octopus are reliable at this site as well as macros like Nudibranchs etc.
When it comes to diving this site the way it’s done is pretty much dictated by the current on the day and if anyone can see Mantas from the surface.
If we can spot Mantas from the surface, then happy days, we drop in nearby and slowly approach them so as not to disturb their natural behaviour.
If they are being a bit trickier and hiding, then we will drop in with a positive buoyancy back roll at the end of the site where the current is coming from.
We will then drift along the shallow bottom with the current to scour the area and all the cleaning stations for the Mantas.
If luck is on our side and we drift towards the sloping reef, we can end the dive by exploring around this area for the last part of our dive and the safety stop.
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Topography: Flat rubble bottom raising to a gently sloping reef
Max Depth: 18 meters
Typical Current: Medium
Best For: Mantas!
Snorkeller friendly
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