Derawan Islands, Indonesia

The Derawan Islands are in the province of East Kalimantan in Indonesia. They include Derawan, Sangalaki, Kakaban, Maratua, Panjang, and Samama Island and submerged reefs and islets. They are located in the Sulawesi Sea, on the coastal shelf of East Kalimantan. There are two inhabited islands, Derawan and Maratua.

The Derawan Islands feature 872 species of reef fish, 507 species of coral, and invertebrates, including protected species (5 giant clam species, 2 sea turtles, coconut crab, etc). Some of the islands harbor the heavily exploited turtle eggs and yet is the largest green turtle nesting site in Indonesia.

Visitors can dive or snorkel at Derawan island or for deep sea diving go to Maratua island. A famous spot for snorkeling is Manta Spot, where Manta fish can be seen there near Sangalaki island. Sharks and sea turtles can also be seen.

Things to See & Do

* Scuba diving
* Snorkeling

General information

Cruise Season - Jan - Dec
Currency - Rupiah (IDR)
Language - Indonesian
Population - 1,259 approx (Derawan)
Electricity - 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT plus hours seven hours
International Country Telephone Code - +62

Port Location - The port is located at Derawan island.

Travel Links - There is no direct international flight to Derawan. The only one international airport in East Kalimantan is Sepinggan at Balikpapan. From Balikpapan you could choose to go to Tarakan or Berau on a smaller plane.

From Tarakan, you must continue the journey with 3 - 4 hours across the sea by speed boat. If you choose to go to Berau, you must go to Tanjung Batu first by land transportation (it's about 2 hours long from Berau) and then take 30 minutes journey by speed boat to Derawan.