Wainilu

Overview

Wainilu is a muck and macro site in Komodo National Park that Komodo Resort, noting the alternative spelling Wae Nilu, compares to the Lembeh Strait. Emperor Divers places it at the exit of Loh Buaya bay. PADI's Wainilu page describes a sheltered bay just off the coast of Rinca Island near the park's ranger station. Blue Marlin Dive Komodo calls it Komodo's own mini Lembeh and the place to go for macro life.

The dive

Komodo Resort describes a gently sloping sandy seabed with broken coral, and Blue Marlin Dive Komodo describes a shallow, sloping field of broken coral with rubble and urchin-filled shallows. Starfish.ch recalls that the site first looked unpromising, with dead coral, sand, rubble and low visibility, before nudibranchs, three types of mantis shrimp, banded pipefish and several mandarin dragonets under large black sea urchins turned up.

Komodo Resort lists mandarinfish displaying at dusk, dragonets, frogfish, ribbon eels, ghost pipefish, rhinopias when present, fire urchins hosting Coleman shrimp and many nudibranch species. Blue Marlin Dive Komodo names ribbon eels, Indian walkman, mandarinfish, frogfish, juvenile harlequin sweetlips and many nudibranch species as common sightings. Emperor Divers describes a reef top of broken coral where mandarinfish can be seen mating at sunset, along with ghost pipefish, nudibranchs, frogfish, zebra crabs and harlequin and tiger shrimps. The PADI page for Wae Nilu, contributed by Dive Komodo, lists zebra crabs in fire urchins, decorator crabs, cowfish, ribbon eels, frogfish, mandarinfish and many nudibranchs. PADI's Wainilu page also describes it as one of the best night-dive sites in the park.

Conditions and level

Komodo Resort describes slow, careful muck diving at 8 to 20 metres that needs good buoyancy control to avoid stirring up the silt. Blue Marlin Dive Komodo also prefers to bring divers with decent buoyancy, because the sand and silt are easily stirred up and many bottom dwellers sting. Komodo Resort gives visibility of usually 5 to 15 metres depending on the tide, with light currents, and PADI's Wainilu page gives the same visibility range and describes negligible current. Depth figures differ: PADI's Wainilu page describes a seabed from 3 to 18 metres, while Blue Marlin Dive Komodo gives an average of 15 metres and a maximum of 25 metres. Blue Marlin Dive Komodo lists Wainilu as open water friendly, and PADI's Wainilu page gives it an Open Water level. Komodo Resort says many tour companies combine a Wainilu dive with a Komodo dragon trek on Rinca Island.