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Silvertip Grounds  Map  Partial species list

Diving this wall site pits the smallness of the human frame against an imposing wall, towering caverns, huge sponges, large marine life, and often ripping currents. The shallow shelf along this section of Gorontalo’s coastline is extremely narrow with many places measuring only about a meter wide! At several places boulders have fallen off the cliff face onto the reef crest where they cast shadows down the wall. The clearly defined wall begins at between three to five meters and bottoms out in the 30 to 40 meter range. A shelf hugs the bottom of the wall and descends sometimes gently and sometimes steeply to the second wall, which drops off into the deep. A Silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) routinely patrols this shelf. Several tall caverns tower above the shelf. The ever-bending wall lacks the complex series of buttresses and chutes common here in Gorontalo. Instead, the wall is much smoother. Along several lengths of wall, the current has deposited parallel bands of sand. Those with experience diving Sulawesi are sure to enjoy what this dive site offers.

This site is about 800 meters long.

Depth: 3 - 40 meters

Highlights: imposing wall, towering caverns, huge sponges, large marine life, excellent coral growth, and lots of fish

Conditions: Typical visibility is 20 meters. On occasion, that can double. Expect currents. Remember: the faster the current the more fish! Travel with a boat crew like the guys at Miguel’s Diving who know local conditions, as winds from certain directions can dramatically impact surface conditions and currents during the course of a dive. Heavy surf from sudden winds can cause significant down currents in some places.

Special Note: This is a site for advanced divers or those experienced in current diving. Make sure you have a clear alternate dive plan in case swimming against the current becomes too difficult. Because of the many sharp bends in the wall, divers may both ride the current and swim against it during a single dive. Currents here also ebb and flow. If possible, wait for five minutes in a protected spot, then try again to round the bend and swim against the current. If the current has not subsided within five to ten minutes, it is not likely to do so during the time you are diving.

Virtual Dive

Divers descend past a sloping point to peer into a small cavern wedged into a corner of the wall. The area at the beginning of the dive is the best place among all dive sites in Gorontalo to look for the beautifully colored Dendronephthya soft corals typical of Indo-Pacific waters and certain places in Sulawesi. The wall between the first corner and the next one hosts many sponges and gorgonians. After the second corner, divers encounter a steep ridge flanked by steep gullies and then more steep slope below 20 meters. Unbeknownst to divers, the land rounds a point here. Below the water line, the current usually speeds up here. The long section wall here is dusted with parallel deposits of sand and is relatively barren for Gorontalo. Below the 30-meter mark the wall becomes a gentle slope protruding into the current. The faster the current the more likely you are to see large Trevally (Caranx spp.) and large Emperors (Lethrinus spp.), which rise to feed. With time almost over, divers see the makings of a narrow cavern, a small divided point spilling down the lower wall onto the steep slope below, and finally a tall, narrow cavern. Ascending slowly for the rest stop, divers see dozens of vase sponges, many quite large. The reef crest here is right at five meters.

Since the site is so long, a second dive is required. Actually, Silvertip Grounds dive site is about the length of Leukan I, II, and III off Bunaken in North Sulawesi! Descending past the vase sponges, divers pass two tall, narrow caverns. The point flanking the second cavern is carved like a corkscrew. Be on the watch for any sharks cruising the shelf here. After a small section of pitted surface, the wall bends sharply to reveal a large, open cavern at the end of a flat wall with parallel dustings of sand. The cavern, swirling with Vanicolo sweepers (Pempheris vanicolensis), is tucked into another sharp bend in the wall. The cavern marks the end of the shelf. The other side of the bend faces a small point sprinkled with beautiful Dendronephthya soft corals. The upper section of wall is covered in blue rope sponges. After rounding another bend, divers encounter a deep cut with coral rubble tumbling down its steep surface. A buttress topped with large pipe sponges flanks this cut. Next, two parallel cuts join to form an overhang before divers round the final bend to ascend along a flat section of wall for the safety stop.

Dive in Gorontalo