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North Sulawesi Province lies
on the northern tip of the world’s most peculiarly shaped island, resembling
an orchid. Lying just north of the equator (less than 2.7° N),
the weather is humid and tropical with temperatures between 26°-32°
C (85°-95° F). There are two seasons: rainy (November to April)
and dry (June to September). May and October are transitional months.
The length of the northern peninsula measures 600 km (360 miles) and its
width averages 50 km (30 miles). The province is known as Bumi Nyiur Melambai,
the Land of Waving Coconut Palms. Indeed, the area is covered with lush
coconut trees! It is the home of four main ethnic groups, namely Bolaang
Mongondow, Hulontalo/Gorontalo, Sangihe & Talaud, and Minahasa.
The prime tourist attractions of MANADO are the spectacular and amazing sea gardens around the islands of Bunaken, MANADO Tua, Siladen, Nain, Mantehage, Lembeh, Bangka, and more! Each island has features of special interest: the cone-shaped MANADO Tua with its summit crater, Mantehage with extensive mangroves, Nain with a wide barrier reef protecting vast beds of sea grass, Siladen with a wide shell-rich beach. Each island has a white sandy beach, a breathtaking and colorful shallow coral reef, and magnificent deeper coral gardens. Coral reef formation begins with a flat reef about 3 meters in depth, which then plummets to hundreds of meters, forming fantastic underwater walls. Divers often see giant Napoleon Wrasse, turtles, clown fish, sharks, barracudas, stingrays, sea snakes, blue ribbon eels, and other spectacular marine life. Excellent diving or snorkeling can be enjoyed anytime of the year, interrupted only by the occasional monsoon. Water temperature remains about 28°-30°C. Bunaken National Park is located on the northernmost tip of Sulawesi in one of the richest parts of the Indo-Pacific region. The national parks Tangkoko and Dumoga-Bone are home to unique mammals like the Babirusa, a pig deer with upward curving tusks; the Anoa, a rare and fierce pygmy buffalo that resembles a sort of goat antelope and lives in the mountains; the saucer-eyed Tarsier (Tarsius spectrum), a nocturnal animal; the Maleo, a hen-sized bird with its thermometer crown and enormous 250-gram eggs, which are buried holes in the hot volcanic ground; and other spectacular birds and animals. |
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