Sharks in Bira: what divers and research actually report

By Bira Sulawesi Editorial Desk

Yes, sharks in Tanjung Bira are reported, mainly by people who dive there: an operator and a dive blog both name whitetip and blacktip reef sharks, and a research report says sharks remain vulnerable to bycatch. Larger species appear only as an operator's "occasional" claim. Nobody, this desk included, can promise a sighting on any dive.

Are there sharks in Tanjung Bira?

Yes, according to the people who dive here, and they are specific about two species. Indo Ocean Project, an operator, says whitetip and blacktip reef sharks are spotted on almost every dive. The dive travel blog Archipelago Traveller reports whitetip and blacktip sharks on the wall at Kambing Island and nurse sharks in the coral garden at around 15 m. A research report on the area treats sharks as present and at risk.

That is enough to say sharks are part of what divers here describe. Nobody publishes how often you would see one, at which site or in which month.

Who says what about sharks in Bira?

The claims read very differently once you sort them by who is making them.

Two things stand out. The operator and the report are not fully separate voices, since Indo Ocean Project is named alongside the foundation on the report. And the ScubaBoard post speaks about season and drift conditions, not sharks, so it should not be read as a shark season. Anyone who names a particular month as the shark month should be asked for evidence.

The bigger animals deserve extra care. Tiger, hammerhead and whale sharks rest on one operator's sentence, with the word "occasional" doing a lot of work. They make a good story and a weak reason to plan a trip.

What does the research report cover?

The report by Indo Ocean Foundation with Indo Ocean Project compiles data from 2022 and 2023 across 13 dive sites in Tanjung Bira, Liukang Loe and Kambing Island. Its publisher runs dive training in Bira. That connection does not discredit the work. It is simply something a reader should know, in the same way you would want to know that a resort wrote a resort guide.

The report's public summary names two threats and gives no scale. The full report is open access at the link above for anyone who wants the detail.

Is the area protected?

Not according to a paper linked to the report. That 2024 paper in Regional Studies in Marine Science, listed on the report's record, describes Tanjung Bira in its title as "a remote unprotected marine area". The report itself says its results can support the potential establishment of a Marine Protected Area in South Sulawesi. That is a proposal, not a designation.

Both statements concern the area. Neither speaks to the legal status of any individual shark species, so this guide makes no claim about species law. If a protected area has been declared since those documents appeared, an official notice would replace what is written here. Until you have seen one, do not assume the patrols or rules you may know from marine parks elsewhere apply on your dive.

Which threats does the report name?

The summary names two. Sharks, rays and sea turtles remain vulnerable to bycatch, and plastic-based debris is prevalent. It gives those as findings of the work.

A separate and much older diver report raises blast fishing; because it is undated, it is handled with that caveat in our guide to diving in Bira. For a visitor the useful steps are modest: take your rubbish back with you, and ask a dive operator what it does with waste on the boat.

What other marine life might you see?

Archipelago Traveller lists trevally, mackerel, tuna and bumphead parrotfish at Kambing. The report's summary adds rays and sea turtles to the animals it describes as vulnerable. Keep wild encounters separate from the turtle captive-breeding site on Liukang Loe described by the tourism ministry's village platform, which tells you nothing about what swims on the reef.

You may see mola mola mentioned at Tanjung Bira. Here the evidence is thinner still: Tevana House Reef lists a site called Mola-Mola Point. A place name tells you someone thought the label fitted. It says nothing about when or how often the fish appears.

Why should your level decide the site, not the species list?

Because the most detailed shark report places them on the wall at Kambing, and that is the place the national tourism site warns about for strong currents. Chasing a species can steer a newer diver toward a site beyond their experience. Seascapes describes the inner sites of Liukang Loe as calm enough for beginners. Start from what you can safely dive, then treat anything you see as a bonus. Read Kambing Island diving before you ask to go there.

Can sightings be promised?

No. An operator's "almost every dive" describes past dives as that operator sees them. Currents, visibility and the animals themselves decide the rest, and this desk gives no guarantee of any sighting. If an offer from anyone uses the word guaranteed about wildlife, ask what happens when none appear.

Better questions to put to a dive operator:

• When did your guides last see reef sharks, and at which site?
• Does that site suit my certification and number of logged dives?
• What is the fallback plan if the current is too strong that day?
• Do your dives involve any feeding or baiting of animals?

What else should you know about sharks in Bira?

Are there sharks in Tanjung Bira?

Reports say so. An operator and a dive blog both name whitetip and blacktip reef sharks, and a research report treats sharks in the area as vulnerable to bycatch. Nobody publishes how often you would meet one.

What sharks can you see in Bira?

Whitetip and blacktip reef sharks are the two named most often, with nurse sharks reported by one blog at Kambing. Indo Ocean Project adds occasional tiger, hammerhead and whale sharks. All of these are reports, and none can be promised.

Are sharks in Bira protected?

The published statements address the area, not species law. A 2024 paper calls Tanjung Bira an unprotected marine area, and a report says its results can support a possible Marine Protected Area in South Sulawesi.

What marine life might I see while diving in Bira?

A dive blog lists trevally, mackerel, tuna and bumphead parrotfish at Kambing, and a research report discusses rays and sea turtles. Treat these as possibilities, since what you meet depends on the site, the day and the conditions.

Which sources support this page?

• Indo Ocean Project: Bira project (operator)
• Archipelago Traveller: Bira (third-party blog)
• Indo Ocean Foundation with Indo Ocean Project: report record on Zenodo
• Tevana House Reef: activities (operator)
• ScubaBoard: Bira, Sulawesi thread (diver forum)
• Indonesia Travel: Makassar and Kambing Island (national tourism site)
• Seascapes Bira: Tanjung Bira guide (operator)
• Jadesta, tourism ministry platform: Liukang Loe Island

How do I reach the desk?

Questions about a dive trip, or about a source on this page, go to WhatsApp +62 811-3941-4563 or email bd@juaraholding.com. The desk replies with what it can support and makes no promise about wildlife.