Coral Eye
Coral Eye is a unique Boutique Resort on Bangka Island, North Sulawesi in Indonesia. Originally founded as an outpost for marine studies, today Coral Eye Bangka is a melting pot of passionate travelers, dive enthusiasts, underwater photographers and marine biologists.
With a totally different concept behind it, Coral Eye places the guest at the center of the space, creating a unique environment that favors socialization and communication between people united by a common passion for the sea.
The project came to life in 2009, as four young marine biologists decided to pursue their dreams & passions and set up a marine outpost on Bangka Island, North Sulawesi - Indonesia, right in the heart of the Coral Triangle.
The original idea was to create a co-working outpost where universities and students could exchange ideas and develop their projects on tropical marine environments. In 2013, following the construction of our dive center and lots of hard work, Coral Eye opened its doors also to tourism as an alternative possibility to mix science with passion and love for the sea and at the same time be able to finance environmental projects, offer scholarships to students and better support local communities.
Six rooms are located on the first floor of the main building, where the smooth wooden floors mean you can enjoy barefooted luxury. The Sea View Room and the Double bedroom garden Villa are detached from the main structure, providing guests with more privacy. The minimal furniture lends itself to a sense of less-is-more living. All rooms have an ensuite bathroom with hot shower, high quality mattresses and cotton linen, mosquito nets (canopy and window) and a ceiling fan. The supply of electricity is guaranteed from 5 PM to 10.00 AM and internet connection is free 24/7.
STUDIO SUPERIOR ROOM
A comfortable and extra spacious room of 50m2, consisting of two cubes in the main building. A large bedroom with separate lounge area and work space and an ensuite bathroom.
SUPERIOR ROOM
A spacious and comfortable room with the choice of two single extra wide beds or a double bed. Located on the first floor of the main building. 
SEA VIEW SUPERIOR ROOM
This room offers a private terrace with a beautiful view of the sea and the beach. Located on the first floor of the Diving Center.
DOUBLE BEDROOM GARDEN VILLA
A private house in the Coral Eye garden that consists of two individual Superior rooms and a common living area. Perfect for families or couples of friends.
SCUBA DIVING AROUND BANGKA ISLAND
Bangka Island in North Sulawesi is situated in the heart of the Coral Triangle and is renowned for its marine biodiversity.
With more than 30 world-class dive sites, Bangka's archipelago offers several different diving spots, from richly-colonized volcanic pinnacles, beautiful pristine coral reef slopes to sandy slopes, mangroves and walls. All the diving spots can be reached with 5 / 40 minutes of navigation from the resort.
The seascape encompasses several different habitats that support rare species such as the pygmy seahorse, leaf fish, frog fish, white and black tip reef sharks, nudibranchs, and dugongs. 
VOLCANIC SAND: These areas present a black sandy bottom with rocks completely covered by coral and colonized by a large number of different invertebrates and fish. It is very similar to the environment found in the Lembeh Straits.
PINNACLES: Volcanic walls and pinnacles, completely covered by corals (in particular soft corals) make beautiful dive sites. These can be subject to strong currents but we use our local knowledge and expertise to ensure a safe dive.
FRINGING REEF: Dominated by hard coral, they grow on an originally sandy bottom and demonstrate extremely high biodiversity.
MANGROVES: Tidal currents, wave action, river flow and salinity gradients affect sedimentation in various complex ways. Sponges, flatworms, snails, and small fish that live around the mangrove roots can be found here. The seagrass in front of each mangrove forest provides food for the dugongs.
Diving is possible all year around, but the best time is from April to November. The water is normally around 28° to 29° with some cold upwellings (24°to 26°), especially during summer. The visibility is mostly very good (30mt) in summer, decreasing in winter due to the action of waves and rain.
SNORKELING AROUND BANGKA ISLAND
Jump off the jetty and explore the Coral Eye house reef!
Just below the surface you can find stunning coral gardens and fascinating locations that are waiting to be explored with fins and a mask.
You can swim for approximately 1 km along the reef to Busa Bora Village, or swim the other direction to discover spectacular mangroves where different marine environments are uncovered with the tidal flow. The jetty guarantees the possibility of entering the water in any tidal situation.
Want to explore more? We can organize half or full day snorkeling trips with our local guide around Bangka island and the other islands in the Bangka Archipelago, taking you to hidden beaches for a break and giving you the chance to discover the surrounding nature.
Our snorkeling trips are tailored to meet the needs of our customers, from the most demanding and passionate snorkelers to beginners who love relaxation, with a dedicated boat and a guide who will take care of your safety and find you the strangest creatures at a few meters deep.
EXPLORING BANGKA ISLAND
Coral Eye is nestled between a lush tropical jungle and a long, white, sandy beach shared with some local fishermen and their families.
There are no roads on the island, but it is possible to trek through the jungle to visit the fishing village of Lihunu, or walk along the beach and reach the small village of Busa Bora. For trekking lovers, it is possible to climb to the top of the hills to admire the archipelago from a different perspective. Keep your eyes open to see typical animals of this area like parrots, tarsier, cuscus, and monitor lizards.
EXPLORING THE NORTH SULAWESI MAINLAND
We can organize a range of activities for nature lovers & adventurers for a perfect and diverse holiday in North Sulawesi.
TANGKOKO NATIONAL RESERVE
This reserve has exceptional groves of very old trees and a variety of animal life that is simply amazing. The Tarsius (the smallest known primates), several groups of the endemic Black Macaque monkeys, Maleo birds and Kuskus (marsupials) are often spotted by the park guide. 
MINAHASAN HIGHLANDS
In between two active volcanoes (Lokon and Mahawu), lies the small city of Tomohon. The surrounding highland has a lot to offer: trekking to the top of the peaks will both challenge and reward you with spectacular views. Travelers can enjoy a Minhasan meal on the banks of Tondano Lake or a coffee break on Linow Lake. There is the infamous market of Tomohon too, for those that have the guts! 
MARINE OUTPOST
The idea behind Coral Eye was to create a meeting point for students, professors and researchers from different institutions, universities and regions.
We envisioned a place for them to develop new ideas and insights, to be able to share and compare results, directly in the field.
Our aim has always been to bring people together to better understand this complex and fascinating underwater environment and to enable them to find solutions to the many threats and the increasing stress that the system is subjected to.
From this idea was born the concept of our Marine Outpost.
Perfectly located in the center of the Coral Triangle, the Bangka archipelago offers an incredible variety of marine and coastal environments about two hours from Manado International Airport.
Coral Eye's architecture has been particularly conceived to create an environment of life, study and work that leads individuals to socialize and communicate while maintaining their privacy when necessary.
Direct access to the sea and to a house reef where you can work or study without the need for supplemental logistical support.
Laboratory equipped with everything needed to support teaching activities and basic research.
Possibility to store instruments, equipment and samples in a conditioned room for long-term projects.
Diving center and qualified staff that can offer support during underwater operations.
Dedicated service for collecting and sending data, checking and maintaining stations and equipment for long-term projects
Workspace for the preparation and maintenance of ad hoc material for field work.
These features make the Marine Outpost of Coral Eye the perfect location for organizing workshops, field courses, seminars or as a basis for the development of your projects.
Unsrat University of Manado and in particular the faculty of Marine Sciences and Fishery is a fundamental partner of our Marine Outpost. We collaborate to be able to carry out international cooperations, develop projects in the field and promote international students exchanges.
