Lembeh Macro Critter Workshop 2026
Macro Critters
Free Photo Workshops
Great Night Dives
Why Join This Trip
A haven for macro photographers - Lembeh is, without doubt, the muck diving capital of the world
Great resort (NAD Lembeh) with beachfront rooms, delicious food (all meals included), free public WiFi and a small pool
Top dive operation in Lembeh with 2:1 divers to guide ratio
FREE daily macro photography workshops
Up to 21 boat dives + unlimited diving at the resort’s beautiful house reef
Optional 3-night land extension available
Diver to Guide ratio is 2:1
25% discount on rental photo gear from Bluewater Photo
Fully refundable deposit until 12 months from departure
Trip overview
Diving In Lembeh Strait
Lembeh Strait is, without a doubt, the muck-diving capital of the world. Underwater photographers flock here from all over the world to see a myriad of critters, frogfish, pipefish, nudibranchs, sea horses, juvenile fish, and other exotic animals. Don't expect large reefscapes in Lembeh, but very scenic reefs live around nearby islands if you want to extend your trip to get in some reef diving, too.
Learn more about Lembeh Strait Diving.
Sample Itinerary
Guests can arrive any time on September 16 and leave any time on September 23. Here's the typical daily schedule for this 7-night trip:
- 6.30 Breakfast
- 7.30 Departure for two morning dives (snacks/ drinks during the surface interval)
- 12.15 Lunch at the resort
- 14.00 Departure for one afternoon dive
- 16.00 Snacks
- 16.30 Mandarin Fish Dive (only on Saturdays, minimum 2 pax)
- 17.45 Night Dive (minimum 2 pax)
- 18.00 Black Water Night Dive (minimum 2 pax)
- 19.15 Dinner
To get a little insight as to what the workshop is like, read the report from our 2025 trip!
DivingConditions
September is the end of the colder season, with water temperatures ay their coolest. Wear a full wetsuit year-round to protect against cuts, jellies, and getting cold during long dives.
- Water Temperature: 77F (25C)
- Visibility: 30 feet (10m)
- Depth Range: 16 - 100 feet (5 - 30m)
Recommended Scuba Gear
Download our full scuba gear guide to Lembeh, Bluewater Travel guests receive 10% OFF!

Trip Inclusions
7 nights accommodation (with air-conditioning)
Full board meals in the resort
4 dives per day inc. one dusk, night or blackwater dive with 2 to 1 diver to guide ratio
Round trip airport transfers between 7:30-16:00
Snacks, water, coffee, tea, chocolate drink, and espresso
Free WiFi
Trip Exclusions
Nitrox ($120)
International flights
Effective 14 February 2024, visitors coming through Bali must pay Foreign Tourists Levy of IDR 150,000/person prior to arrival in Bali
Travel Insurance - as us about our preferred partner plan
Gratuity
Accommodation
About NAD Lembeh
Situated on the well-loved Lembeh Strait, this muck diving paradise is alluring to divers worldwide.NAD Lembeh offers knowledgeable dive staff with trained eyes and passion for diving and little critters, comfortable rooms, and excellent photography amenities. NAD prides themselves for having the largest. and some would say the most experienced, dive team in Lembeh today.
Nad Lembeh Facilities
- Open-air restaurant
- Sunbeds
- Small pool
- Jacuzzi
- Big and spacious camera room
- Business center
- Free public WiFi
- Laundry services
- Return airport transfers
- Multilingual staff
- Non-smoking rooms
- Open air bar
Bar & Restaurant
Pool Area
Read the reviews of the NAD-Lembeh Resort here.
Additional Information About The Resort:
- The resort offers 2:1 guest to guide ratio as a standard. Its 15 dive guides are permanent employees with local Lembeh diving experience (totalling at least 100 years between them). They are all underwater photography trained and proficient UW photographers themselves.
- Please note that the resort does NOT allow for our guests to wear gloves!
- The resort has a fleet of 4 dive boats that are at least 13m long with 2 x four-stroke engines. There are onboard toilets, Medical oxygen, and a Basic First Aid kit.
- There are a maximum of 8 guests per dive boat.
- It's the only resort on Lembeh island with a floating dock. This allows for easy access to the boats and dignified boarding, as well as easy entry to the house reef.
- The resort is on ground level with minimal steps to the bungalows. Beachfront rooms, restaurants, bar and camera room are all on the ground floor. Older guests or those with disabilities and knee/back problems find it easy to navigate.
- It's situated in a private bay and surrounded by lush greenery. Far from villages, thus offering a quiet and tranquil environment for a relaxing vacation.
- The resort offers 24-hour electricity and WiFi.
Connectivity
At NAD Lembeh Resort, Wi-Fi is available for guests throughout the resort, including in guest rooms and common areas. The connection is generally suitable for everyday tasks like email, social media, and light browsing, though speeds can vary depending on demand and diving operations — it may not always support heavy streaming or large file uploads.
For more consistent and faster connectivity, many guests choose to purchase a local Indonesian SIM card with a data plan. Major providers such as Telkomsel and XL Axiata offer reliable 4G/LTE coverage in the Lembeh region. SIM cards and data top-up vouchers can be purchased upon arrival at Manado Airport kiosks, convenience stores, or Telkomsel/XL outlets in Manado before the transfer to Lembeh. Just make sure your phone is unlocked and compatible with local networks before you travel.
Most major US mobile phone providers offer international “bolt-on” or add-on packages that let you use your phone abroad without changing SIMs. The details vary by carrier and plan.
Trip Price
Trip starts from $2,253 per person.
Payment Schedule
- Deposit: $800 to book your spot
- Balance: due 1 July 2026
Extend your trip
Lembah Trip Extensions
Want to extend your trip? We can help with that! See more of Indonesia before or after your workshop in Lembeh with Bluewater. Here are some examples of packages we can add on to your reservation:

Trip Leader


Mark Hatter
Mark Hatter is an international award-winning photojournalist who has had over one hundred feature articles with many hundreds of images published in more than three dozen diving publications and fly fishing publications over the last three decades. His most recent destination features have appeared in Ocean Geographic and Asian Diver (UK) magazines.
Mark has traveled the world in pursuit of new underwater photography challenges, including cold-water destinations such as British Columbia and even Antarctica.
“Of course, I love shooting in tropical locations but I think cold water diving is a great forcing function to hone one’s photography skills as the environment and equipment are much more demanding of a diver. Good image capture in cold water is particularly rewarding.” Mark tells us.
Mark has been shooting underwater since the early 1980s and has worked in both film and digital mediums in his photojournalism pursuits. In 35 years of diving, Mark has logged over 2,500 hours, much of it doing underwater photography. Currently, he teaches underwater photography classes locally at Seminole Scuba in Lake Mary, Florida and works for Aggressor Adventures as a commercial photographer and writer.
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