cubadak paradiso village Beach Hotel Resort Padang West Sumatra

Depth : 4m/15m Difficulty : easy Visibility : 10m/15m Distance : 0nm

Located within the bay (off the pier), the house reef is naturally protected from waves and current and therefore is our favourite playground for dive courses. An interesting field of fire corals can be seen here, along with various species of sponges, turtles or nudibranches and plenty of tropical reef fishes including one particular clown fish specific to Sumatra.

Pulau sironjong kecil :

Depth : 5m/20m Difficulty : Medium Visibilité : Night dive Distance : 0.4nm

Within a just 5 mn distance by boat this site is our favourite location for night dives. We dive alongside a wall of rocks covered in very colourful soft corals. Small caves in the wall as used as shelter for the night by a group of sea turtles of which a really massive male, probably 100 years old or above. Surprising crabs can be spotted there as for example sponge or spider crabs as well as big, purple pleurobranches.

Ms Boelongang (épave) :

Depth : 14m/24m Difficulty : Difficult Visibility : 2m/10m Distance : 1.5nm

MS Boelongang is the wreck of an 85m Dutch cargo ship that was sunk on 28 January 1942 by the Japanese air forces during the attack on Padang harbour. The wreck is still visible in its entirety but we reckon that bearing its age and location, penetration is too dangerous. A large quantity of big snappers and groupers use the wreck as shelter and can always be seen on this site. It has to be noted though that the visibility can range from poor to bad due to the location of the wreck on a river mouth.

Gabuo deep :

Depth : 15m/25m Difficulty : Medieum Visibility : 10/15m Distance : 2.7nm

Gabuo deep is a barrel sponges garden located at the northern exit of our bay on a dry at a depth ranging between 15 et 25m. The profusion of purple barrel sponges and colourful soft corals makes it a spectacular site. Tide reversals at this entry point into the bay are highly appreciated by the snappers during their hunts.

Pulau Marak utara :

Depth : 5m/30m Difficulty : Easy Visibility : 12m/20m Distance : 5nm

This dive site located alongside the shore of an island is running through a soft coral garden. Following a smooth slope the site goes from surface down to 30 m where massive white sea fans can be seen. It's a very colourful spot due to the varieties of soft corals, and many stingrays can be seen half berried in the sand. This is a perfect site for under water photographers, with very interesting nudibranches, sexy shrimps and porcelain crabs.

Pulau Pagang selatan:

Depth : 5m/27m Difficulty : Easy Visibility : 12m/25m Distance : 5.4nm

This coral wall is one of our preferred sites for your first dive. Diving begins on a pretty shallow hard coral bottom and then continues down smoothly to a rocky area at about 12 meters where some turtles reside and where the wall begins. Covered in soft corals the wall hosts quantities of species (red scallops, Indian pipe fish, comet fish, oriental sweet lips). The various depths of the site make it an easy spot suitable for all levels.

Pulau Pagang pantai:

Depth : 5m/25m Difficulty : Medium Visibility : 12m/20m Distance : 5.8nm

This dive spot combines a sandy, pretty shallow bottom inhabited by weird species like ghost pipe fish, sea horses, tiny cuttlefishes and soles, and a very rich soft corals garden, deeper and mostly colourful. Some mild to medium current may be encountered here due to the location of the site in the middle of a narrow straight.

Karang Anggo:

Depth : 14m/30m Difficulty : Medium Visibility : 12m/20m Distance : 5.4nm

Karang Anggo is a pinnacle located at a depth of 15 m smoothly running down to 30m. The slopes are covered in sea fans and pipe corals that host numerous species of reef fishes as well as beautiful nudibranches. The deepest portion of the site is a sandy bottom where loads of garden eels can be seen.

Gosong Condor & Adjis Reef:

Depth : 12m/25m Difficulty : Easy/medium Visibility : 15m/30m Distance : 9.8nm

These two dive sites are located on the same pinnacle in open sea with an exceptional visibility and very large fish populations. Many fusiliers, blue trigger fishes, barracudas, trevallies can be observed. Giant moray eels can be spotted hiding in the rocks, many stingrays and with a bit of luck, large eagle or marble rays can be seen as well as small white tip reef sharks.

Gosong Kapal:

Depth : 8m/18m Difficulty : Easy Visibility : 15m/25m Distance : 11.5nm

On this very easy and rather shallow dive one can visit the remains of an old steam barge about 50 meters long. The wreck that ran aground on a pinnacle by 12 m depth can't be seen in its entirety anymore as the local fishermen have taken away a large proportion of metals. The bow however is intact as well as the seam machine and the rudder. Many fishes and crustaceans can be seen in the wreck and being far from the coast line the visibility is good.

Gosong Laut:

Depth : 14m/30m Difficulty : Medium Visibility : 15m/30m Distance : 13.5nm

A beautiful hard coral reef located on the edge of a pinnacle. The visibility on this site is excellent and its biodiversity exceptional. Many moray eels, schools of fusiliers, sweet lips, trevallies, barracudas are commonly seen in large numbers.

Pulau laut:

Depth : 5m/30m Difficulty : Easy Visibilité : 15m/30m Distance : 13.5nm

The farthest of our dive sites, this spot can be reach after an hour boat ride. Located off the shore of a sandy island, its remote location makes it a successful playground for the small pelagic. The exceptional visibility here added to the fusion of hard and soft corals create together a vivid rainbow of colours.