Maratua Island
Located in the Derawan Archipelago which lies off the coast of East Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo, this large, upside-down U-shaped island partially encircles a massive lagoon at one end and is fringed with sheer rocky walls and coral reefs at the other.
Maratua covers 384sq kms of sandy white beaches and mangroves, and 3,735sq kms of territorial waters which scientists believe contain the third highest level of marine biodiversity in the world (after Raja Ampat and the Solomon Islands).
Diving in Maratua Island
“Vertical walls, pristine corals, strong currents and lots of big fish” summarise the diving in Maratua. It’s also been called “The Turtle Capital of Indonesia”. Visibility of 40-60m is common due to being almost 70kms from the mainland.
There are 20+ dive locations around Maratua. One stand-out dive is the incoming-to-slack high tide drift through the channel (entrance is 27m) into Maratua’s lagoon. These strong currents attract large pelagics including Eagle, Devil and Giant stingrays, Whalesharks, and many kinds of sharks including Grey and White-tip reef, Leopard, Hammerheads, and Threshers.
Around the island, you are guaranteed to see pristine corals in the shallows as well as impressive drop-offs.
Maratua Diving Season
Maratua’s diving is good year-round with the best months being July to October (the dry season), however higher numbers of Manta rays are seen October to June.
How to reach Maratua Island
Fly to Balikpapan from Jakarta and Manado international airports, and Surabaya and Makassar domestic airports, then take an onward flight to Berau or Tarakan.
– Our resort partners will arrange transfers from Berau airport.
– Liveaboards generally use Tarakan airport for embarkation and disembarkation.
For more info on Maratua resorts, liveaboard routes/schedules that include Maratua island, and to start your planning, please make sure your AMD-B Travel Consultant is aware of your needs. As always, they will be more than happy to offer recommendations and make arrangements to suit your preferences.
Contact us on Tours@AquaMarineDiving.com today!