Wakatobi National Park

Wakatobi National Park is a protected marine area in Southeast Sulawesi spanning numerous islands and surrounding waters. The zone encompasses reef formations, shallow lagoons, and coastal areas with dense vegetation stretching along the island chains.

Local communities used the waters for fishing and sea trade for centuries before the region officially became a national park in 2002. Protection measures followed a period of intensive use of marine resources in the previous decades.

The name comes from the four main islands Wangiwangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko, whose initial letters form the word Wakatobi. Coastal villages often consist of stilt houses where families live above the shallow water and navigate daily between homes with small boats.

Most visitors reach the islands via the small airport on Wangi-Wangi and then travel by boat to diving and snorkeling sites. Water temperature remains comfortable year-round, with calmer conditions between April and November.

The steep reef walls sometimes drop vertically over 50 meters (165 feet), offering divers the chance to swim along these vertical structures. At some locations, large schools of barracudas gather in the morning currents near the surface.