Uluna, Hidden Paradise in Minahasa

Uluna is one of the springs of Lake Tondano. It has a very exotic and mysterious scenery.
The stunning underwater panorama of Uluna, Lake Tondano, Minahasa, North Sulawesi.

Indonesia has abundant natural resources. The beauty is very extraordinary, making many world tourists come to Indonesia to enjoy and admire the nature. And Indonesia also became one of the countries with many diving spots that many preferred by diving hobbyists around the world.

Various kinds of spot diving character scattered throughout the waters of the archipelago, owned by Indonesia, not to mention freshwater spot diving. And one of them is in North Sulawesi. Precisely around Lake Tondano, Minahasa. Uluna's name.

Uluna is one of the springs of Lake Tondano. Clear water that has a depth of only 3 meters, has a very exotic scenery and mysterious impression.
Filled with several aquatic plants, these springs are also inhabited by typical Lake Tondano biota, such as mujair, crayfish or freshwater crayfish, turtles, and several others. Before it was discovered as one of the great diving spots, Uluna was only known by the locals as a bathing place for the residents. The water is very clear and clear makes the children like bathing here.

Having discovered several years ago, Uluna began to be visited by underwater photography enthusiasts. His exoticism made the photographer's itch to capture him. And one of them is me. The underwater contours of the Tondano are rocky, with visibility of up to 30 meters, and thousands of fish swimming among the divers, making it different.
A diver is perpetuating underwater life in Uluna, Lake Tondano, Minahasa, North Sulawesi.

But there is something to consider, if you want to dive in this spring.

Although very clear, the base of this spring is the sand mixed with the mud. Divers who want to dive in this place, must have a buoancy or a good flying ability. Because if not, the sand and mud are at the bottom, will be lifted up due to fin flutter, or exposed parts of our body up and down.

Uluna has a place on the plateau, which is about 670 meters above sea level. And diving at altitude has different rules compared to diving at sea level. And this is commonly referred to as high altitude dive.

This will have an effect on how long and how deep a diver can dive, as well as how long a diver will take after diving in the heights to fly by plane. Manually, tables can be used to calculate them. But nowadays, there is no need to bother to count, because the diver is now usually equipped with divecom, which can instantly adjust the count, as long as we set it in altitude dive mode.

And this should not be underestimated, because it would be fatal, if not followed. Our body will contain more nitrogen if we do altitude dive, compared to dive at sea level at the same depth. And this can cause decompression sikness.

The first time I came here, the fish here are very numerous, and the number reaches thousands, but a few years later I came back here, although there are still many, but the number of fish has started to decrease.

There needs to be a good dive setting and atitude, so that the uluna environment is well preserved and always sustainable. Local government intervention should begin in unique places like uluna, so it can be one of the mainstays of local natural tourism as well as a safe nature reserve for its inhabitants.