Cape Mansuar

Overview

Southeast Asia Diving places Cape Mansuar near Mansuar Island in the Dampier Strait, and Papua Diving lists it as 5 minutes away by boat. Papua Diving describes the dive as starting on the tip of the cape alongside large schools of fish, then drifting onto the steep reef slope, where much small marine life is found. It says that because the reef drops away into the open ocean, Cape Mansuar can be visited by species such as mobula rays.

Wall to slope

PADI's page for the site, contributed by Papua Diving - Sorido Bay, describes the start as a wall covered with big sea fans, with many species of fish schooling on the point. In that account the schools thin out as divers drift along the reef and macro life becomes the focus, while the reef grows less steep and changes from what feels like a wall to a sloping reef. Southeast Asia Diving instead describes a gently sloping reef covered in healthy hard and soft corals, with turtles over the reef, schools of fish along the slope and reef sharks in the deeper sections.

Depth and level

PADI's page gives a maximum depth of 40 metres and lists drift among the dive types. Papua Diving rates the dive level as intermediate and lists the site as snorkel friendly, and PADI's page names Advanced Open Water Diver and Drift Diver as useful training. PADI's page suggests carrying a dive computer and a surface marker buoy.