The terrains at Derawan are varied from walls and fringing reef to caverns. Big Green Turtles (chelonia mydas), White Tail Leopard and Nurse Sharks, schooling Barracudas, Napoleon Wrasses, Cuttle Fish, Spanish Mackerel, Jacks, Batfishes, and ornamental reef fish swim around the island in record densities and diversity. The island of Derawan is home to small and unusual creatures native to this coral environment. A great many species can be seen, where in the evenings the waters are home to predators of all shapes and sizes.

Derawan Island offers the best in world class diving. Many macro photographers actually favour Derawan for the kaleidoscope of unique rare reef inhabitants, such as ornate Ghost Pipe Fish, Leaf Scorpion Fish, Dumpling Squids and Dwarf Scorpion Fish that live in harmony with countless species of beautiful Nudibranchs and crinoid critters, most of which are found in the vicinity of the resort jetty hiding in the shallows. Derawan reef also offers encounters with Leopard and Nurse Sharks and Napoleon Wrasse.

Derawan is also home to sea turtles (both Green and Hawksbill) so not only is it possible to see turtles on every dive, it is also possible to find turtles on shore every night during high tide. Tthey are there to procreate and lay their eggs; hatchlings are often encountered just below the cottages and restaurants.

Sangalaki is known for the large gatherings of manta rays that come here to feed on plankton. Most dives here are in shallow water, since the mantas feed near the surface.

Visibility is somewhat restricted, specially during the rainy season (November to March). Sangalaki does not have walls like Sipadan, it is surrounded by a shallow lagoon and the reefs start a distance out from the island, dropping from about 4m to 18 to 24m and up to 40m at some point.

The island itself is a breeding ground for green turtles. At night female turtles come ashore and lay their eggs and small baby turtles can be seen regularly, when they hatch.

The island and its surrounding reefs are protected as an Indonesian Marine Park.

Imagine, you are sitting on a ringside seat, the arena an underwater colosseum at 100 feet, beneath you an abyssal plunge beyond the depth of mortal endurance. The arrival of a lone 7-foot great barracuda heralds for the show to begin. A dark cloud emerges from the distance, like an uprising tornado, as it twirls towards you, the dark mass metamorphosizes into a slivery screen of barracudas, Thousands ... uncountable.

Eight spotted eagle rays soar from the liquid ceiling in formation while heavy-bodied Gray sharks arrive at an electryfying velocity to break up a school of Big-tooth trevalley. The water boils, your adrenaline reaches a record high as huge giant Black spotted bull ray looms over you to cross the terrain of golden and red coral trees. Large Dog-tooth tunas and mackerels make up the chorus line to fleeting appearances of hammerheads and mantas. This show is the greatest show on earth beneath the sea, the performence limited to twice daily, every day of the year.

The name Nabucco originates from a German group of divers who met regularly in a restaurant of the same name (in the proximity of fair Duesseldorf). On locating a small and unaffected dive paradise in Indonesia, the Germands gave the restaurant's name to the newfound Indonesian island.

The little island is located in the Celebes sea, directly before the large native island Maratua, at the east coast of Kalimantan. The dive spots Kakaban and Sangalakki are in direct proximity there are daily excursions to both. Nabucco is 20,000 square meters in size and enjoys enviromental protection.

You can see monitor lizards, bats, coconut crabs and kingfishers. A certain experience and an appropriate physical condition should be present as there is no test dive. With more or less current the submerged depths usually are high because of steep walls of up to 35 meters.

The walls are densely populated with a variety of coral and sponges growing on the sandy surfaces. Unfortunately, fishermen in this area still use dynamite, which has reduced fish stocks.

Tarakan is on an island just off the coast of East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, and is one of the access points to get to the superlative diving at Sangalaki, Derawan, Nabucco and Maratua.