The legendary muck diving of the Lembeh Strait

The Lembeh Strait is a one-of-a-kind dive destination, complete with an abundance of exceptional resorts dedicated to avid divers and an assortment of rare and unique marine life. And, the region's reputation as Indonesia's critter capital is well-deserved, with each dive revealing a wealth of fascinating pint-sized creatures – some of which are so bizarre in appearance, you'll swear they're the work of science fiction!

If you're hoping to explore Lembeh’s spectacular sites in search of their weird and wonderful species, this article’s for you! Keep reading for our top tips on making the most of your time underwater, which dive sites you don't want to miss, and why Lembeh is the ultimate place for underwater macro photography.

Lembeh Strait is a narrow waterway running between North Sulawesi and Lembeh Island. While the strait isn't home to stunning coral reef systems like most of the surrounding dive destinations, it is home to a wealth of weird and wonderful wildlife. Lembeh has long been a haven for macro fanatics and underwater photographers, and its popularity shows no signs of slowing down. And this acclaim is excellent news for divers, as the strait is now home to a wide variety of resorts offering impressive facilities and easy travel options. 

Lembeh’s first dive resort opened during the 1990s and today you'll find everything from quiet guesthouses and divers lodges to luxury resorts with high-end facilities – and everything in between! And, while it is true that Lembeh's popularity has grown steadily over the decades, there's no need to worry. The specialised nature of the diving here attracts dedicated muck divers rather than holiday-makers, meaning you're unlikely to feel crowded whilst diving or relaxing at the resort. 

If you are used to exploring coral reefs, the underwater world of Lembeh will immediately feel different. Known as Indonesia’s critter capital, this is the original home of muck diving in Southeast Asia – a unique type of underwater exploration dedicated to the search for strange and small animals known as “macro”, or critters! Muck diving isn’t just different because of its focus on unique species. It also varies from a traditional experience because of where and how the dives are conducted. In most cases, you’ll be searching a seemingly featureless sand, silt, or rubble bottom in search of rare and unusual species, usually armed with a camera. Muck dives can often be slow and steady, covering a much smaller area, and you’ll need perfect neutral buoyancy to avoid stirring up or accidentally coming in contact with the bottom. 

So, what makes the dive sites around Lembeh so special for muck divers? And, what attracts the strange creatures that call the strait home? The Lembeh Strait has incredibly nutrient-rich water thanks to the currents that flow through it, as well as a black sandy bottom, small reefs and walls, and sheltered bays. These conditions bring tons of microscopic food and juvenile fish into the strait – and keeps it there – supporting Lembeh’s weird and wonderful wildlife, including fascinating species that have evolved to survive on the barren sandy slopes. Some of their evolutionary wonders include crazy camouflage, and cool survival techniques for hiding, reproduction, feeding, and evading predators. Simply put, the daily struggle of surviving life in environments such as Lembeh has made for some otherworldly, yet photo worthy species and behaviours!

The Lembeh Strait is a surprisingly large area, with dozens of spectacular sites. Most divers just spend a handful of days exploring here in hopes of spotting the region's strange signature wildlife. So if you don't have tons of time, hit these "can't miss" sites first! And be sure to try a few dusk and night dives, for opportunities to spot otherwise impossible to find creatures.

This gently sloping black sand and muck dive site is one of the most famous in Lembeh, boasting incredible animals on nearly every dive. Scour the shallows for multiple species of frogfish, seahorses and pipefish, and a stunning variety of nudibranchs. And, don't forget to peek inside unlikely objects like open clam shells, coconut husks, and discarded bottles, where rare coconut octopus love to hide. This site is easy to access from the shore or by boat, and its wonders begin just a few metres from the waterline – making it a top pick, no matter where you’re staying. Hairball is also one of Lembeh’s best dive sites to visit after dark, with hard to find species like stargazers, Spanish dancers, and cuttlefish making surprise appearances.

Don't let its name fool you, this site isn't a pier at all. Named after the nearby Lembeh police station, this outstanding spot for critter hunting is actually made up of sand and silt, rubble, and scattered soft coral gardens – not concrete pillars and pylons. Spend your dive searching downward to encounter pipefish, frogfish, ribbon and snake eels, sea moths and dragonets, and a stunning variety of scorpionfish and lionfish lurking on the bottom. This is also an excellent place to spot strange cephalopods like the flashy flamboyant cuttlefish, wunderpus, and long-armed octopus. Dive here at dusk for a chance to spot mating mandarinfish performing their colourful dance routines.

Thanks to its sometimes strong currents, this site boasts some of Lembeh's most impressive soft coral gardens. Be sure to search the walls of sponges, sea whips, and gently swaying gorgonians for pint-sized finds like nudibranchs, crabs, and shrimp. And, watch for delicate species like pipefish and seahorses taking cover from the surge and fast-moving water. Head past the coral garden to a small drop-off studded with sea fans, where pygmy seahorses can be spotted by the dozen, below which you'll find a rocky seabed crawling with flying gurnards, mantis shrimp, and other surprising bottom dwellers. As its name suggests, this is one of Lembeh's very best sites for nudibranch hunting, with some of the region's most colourful and hard to spot species. 

This is one of Lembeh's most unique sites, thanks to its mix of white sand, rubble and reef – a unique combination amongst Lembeh’s black sand sites. And, the different backdrop can present a fun challenge for macro photographers who typically spend most of their time shooting on darker volcanic muck sites. The shallows around Pantai Parigi are also home to some of Lembeh's most dense hard coral cover, not frequently seen elsewhere. This site's gently sloping bottom is also famous for sightings of the rare Ambon scorpionfish, as well as tube dwellers like mantis shrimp and gobies, ribbon eels, and hard to spot species like minuscule sea dragons. Don't forget to search around the bommies here for a glimpse of kaleidoscopic and cryptic animals like nudibranchs and cowries.

Teluk Kambahu is actually three dive sites in total – commonly referred to as TK1, TK2 and TK3 – and is one of Lembeh's most expansive diving areas. Depending on the day's current, you may have the opportunity to combine more than one site into a single tank. All three of the TK sites begin with shallow and silty flat bottoms, eventually transforming into black sand slopes. This ‘muck’ provides the perfect place to search for strange bottom dwellers like sea moths and flying gurnards, and hard to spot cephalopods, including coconut, mimic, and blue-ringed octopus. As you head deeper, you'll encounter scattered coral bommies and patches of sponge and soft coral, where a wide variety of crabs, shrimp, and frogfish can be found hiding out in the crevasses.

Lembeh is one of the best places on planet earth for macro photography thanks to its incredible biodiversity, beautiful black sand, small diving groups – usually with no more than four guests per divemaster – and highly skilled local guides. These eagle-eyed spotters are experts when it comes to finding the strait’s most spectacular wildlife, including impossibly small specimens, some barely visible to the naked eye. They're also well versed in camera handling and care, happily helping you in and out of the water with your gear and giving pointers underwater to help you score that perfect shot!

You’ll also notice that most dive centres and resorts in this region focus on underwater photography. Expert led photo workshops, private guiding, and even hands-on coaching and guidance for those who need it are on offer nearly everywhere. And, outstanding facilities including modern camera rooms, individual rinse bins for electronics, and in-room workstations come as standard. This is also a great place to try your hand at new underwater photography techniques, using strobes, snoots, and other high-tech gear to help you capture the very best images possible.

If this has got you excited about booking a dive trip to Lembeh, you'll want to know exactly when and how to visit. We've written another article which dives into the details of getting to Lembeh Strait, while our destination page has in-depth information about Lembeh's dive seasons, and more.