SYDNEY +61 (0)2 9299 4633

MELBOURNE +61 (0)3 9646 5945

NEW ZEALAND :+64 (0)3 288 1699

Limited Spaces

North Sulawesi

Indonesia

Capturing Critters in Lembeh Photo Workshop

7 Night Package

Departs from Manado

independent Trip

From
$5,850
AUD
Capturing Critters in Lembeh Underwater Photography Workshop
REF: 30866

7 Night Package

Departs from Manado

independent Trip

From
$5,850
AUD
REF: 30866

7 Night Package

Departs from Manado

From
$5,850
AUD

Package Details

Capturing Critters in Lembeh Underwater Photography Workshop
Lembeh Resort’s world-famous workshop returns in January 2027. The Capturing Critters in Lembeh (CCiL) workshop is the longest-running underwater photography workshop in Indonesia. The 2027 workshop will be led by Marty Snyderman and James Emery — two internationally acclaimed photographers with a wealth of technical knowledge. You will also be supported by Lembeh Resort's in-house Photo Pros, along with a marine biologist and the team of experienced dive guides, who also have a wealth of local knowledge to share!
Departs January 11, 2027
Returns January 18, 2027

Departure Period

2027 Workshop Schedule

Get ready for an unforgettable learning adventure. Attend the main workshop, or extend your stay for an even deeper experience

Pre-Workshop: 8–10 January
(time to shake off the jet lag, unpack your camera gear, and explore Lembeh’s famous dive sites)

Main Workshop: 11–17 January
(Capturing Critters in Lembeh 13th Annual Workshop)

Extension: 18–19 January
(two-day workshop extension)

Post-Workshop: 20–21 January
(stay extra nights and enjoy additional diving or relaxation in North Sulawesi)

Note: We recommend arriving 3 nights before the workshop begins, so you have time to recover from travel and enjoy some practice dives with your photography gear.

Inclusions

7 Nights Premium Luxury Cottage accommodation - TWIN | DOUBLE share | Complimentary Wi-Fi
Breakfast, lunch and dinner | Morning and afternoon snacks | Free flow mineral water, brewed coffee and tea | Daily fruit basket & cookies in-room | Welcome cocktail
17 Guided Boat Dives with tanks and weights | Unlimited guided house reef dives (8am - 5pm subject to guide availability) | Exceptional dive guide attention with 3:1 diver to guide ratio | Nitrox for Nitrox certified divers
“Workshop Member Time” (one-on-one with the pros to master techniques or post-processing) | Daily seminars by professional presenters with in-water applications | Complimentary 30-minute spa treatment + 20% discount on all spa bookings
Return airport transfers

Exclusions

  • ● International airfare & taxes to Manado
  • ● Any pre/post accommodation required en-route
  • ● Indonesia Visa on Arrival or eVisa of IDR 500,000 and subject to change
  • ● Dive gear rental
  • ● Day trips beyond Lembeh Strait
  • ● Mandarin / Night Dives or Blackwater / Bonfire Dives
  • ● Private Guide
  • ● Travel and dive insurance

  • Sample Itinerary

    Why join CCiL 2027?

    Whether you’re joining the workshop with your first compact camera, a brand-new mirrorless rig, or years of DSLR experience, Capturing Critters in Lembeh 2027 promises to be a truly transformative experience — both underwater and behind the lens.

    Here’s a closer look at the CCiL experience:
    • Learn from a team of experienced photography professionals during daily seminars.
    • Benefit from a 3:1 guest-to-guide ratio during dives and underwater practical sessions
    • Get dedicated, one-on-one guidance on land, tailored to your goals and gear setup
    • Receive personalised feedback on your photos from the professionals
    • Make use of the region’s only Backscatter-authorised Photo Centre
    • Use facilities designed for underwater photography (air gun, rinse tanks, etc.)
    • Utilise a dedicated camera room with a private work station for each participant
    • Enjoy incredible diving across Lembeh’s world-famous muck sites and reefs
    • Encounter some of the world’s most incredible critters (great subjects for macro photography!)
    • Get support from experienced guides with extensive knowledge in critter behavior
    • Develop your skills in a supportive environment, suitable for photographers of all levels
    • Build lasting friendships with a global community of like-minded underwater photographers

    Upgrades

  • ● Pre and post-workshop stays and extensions available - please enquire for details
  • ● Please enquire for single occupancy options
  • ● Contact Dive Adventures for a quote with airfares for your preferred travel dates
  • Proposed Itinerary

    Day 1 Transfer from Manado Airport by car to the resort jetty on the mainland (approx. 90 minutes) and boat transfer to Lembeh Resort (approx. 10 minutes)
    Day 2 - 7 17 Guided Boat Dives and Guided House Reef Dives (subject to dive guide availability) | Photography Workshop seminars and one-on-one time with the Pros
    Day 8 Boat transfer from Lembeh Resort to mainland | Overland transfer to Manado Airport

    Terms and Conditions

    Package price is per person. Price is correct as at 05Mar26 and is subject to change without notice due to supplier rate changes and currency fluctuations to the USD. Spaces are limited.
    Valid for travel from January 11, 2027.
    Valid for travel until January 18, 2027.
    Only available for sale until December 31, 2026.

    Subject to availability and COVID-19 conditions – please contact your Dive Adventures travel specialist.

    North Sulawesi - Manado Information

    This region of Indonesia is a little different than the rest, mostly due to Christianity being the majority religion here. This religious background heavily influences culture and cuisine, with meat featuring heavily, especially pork and various fowl. Historically North Sulawesi was once the center of the Dutch colony in Asia, which has left traces of European culture. This history also means it is a little easier to enjoy a cold beer here than many other parts of the country!

    The region has a center of volcanic hillslopes, thriving with life and vast rainforests. Along the coast there are low lying fertile lands, skirted by beautiful offshore coral reefs. Streams run down from the hills and onto these plains, making them perfect for farming. 

    It’s called ‘The Land of Smiling People’ for good reason, the people here are exceptionally friendly and welcoming. Outstanding natural beauty, delicious cuisine, and friendly locals make travelling here a dream.

     

    Lembeh Resort

    North Sulawesi offers stunning scenery ranging from ancient volcanic peaks through to tranquil lakes and the rolling green hillsides of the Minahasan Highlands and the Tangkoko National Park.

    Lembeh Resort offers a unique and exclusive diving experience in the Lembeh Strait. Lembeh’s world-famous muck diving sites guarantee some of the rarest and most extraordinary marine life on earth, and Lembeh Resort delivers unsurpassed service and luxury in North Sulawesi.

    Lembeh Resort is nestled away in a private cove with a wealth of exotic flora and fauna in a central part of Lembeh Island. The secluded location of the resort ensures a quiet and tranquil experience, while the warm-hearted team offer service with a smile to make sure that your experience of Lembeh will be the best that it possibly can be.
    Perched slightly above the beautiful waters of Lembeh Strait and surrounded by lush tropical gardens, Lembeh Resort was built to inconspicuously blend into the natural landscape. Westerly views of ancient extinct volcanoes and spectacular sunsets await you.

    At Lembeh Resort they offer several accommodation options including a Cliffside Villa, 13 Luxury Cottages and 6 Garden View Rooms. The resort is nestled around an ocean-front deck and swimming-pool (with pool-bar) which is the perfect place to enjoy a sundowner cocktail at the end of a busy day of critter-diving. If you’d prefer to be pampered, the Spa offers a range of beauty and massage treatments.
    All of the accommodation is full board and includes three sumptuous meals a day in the restaurant. Breakfast and lunch are buffet meals and in the evening dining is a la carte.

    To the great advantage of Lembeh Resort, the artisanal farmers of North Sulawesi produce the freshest tropical vegetables and fruits throughout the year. At the same time, the bountiful Celebes Sea offers some of the best seafood in all of Indonesia. To ensure genuine deliciousness, the resort receives daily deliveries of fresh locally grown produce, much of which is cultivated with traditional and organic methods.

    The Critter Capital of the World, a Muck Diving Mecca and the Twilight Zone are just a few of the names that have been given to Lembeh over the years due to its high density, and diversity, of rare and unusual marine life. Diving in Lembeh is unlike diving anywhere else as every dive reveals countless species of critters which have made their homes on Lembeh’s famous muck diving slopes.
    Critters at Lembeh Resort is Lembeh Resort’s world-famous Dive Centre, and they’ll take you on an amazing underwater adventure like no other. Lembeh isn’t just home to frogfish. It’s home to 8 different species of frogfish, 12 species of octopus, numerous crustacean species that cannot be found anywhere else on earth, 3 species of pygmy seahorse, countless numbers of nudibranch species and new discoveries are continuously being made. Some of Lembeh’s most iconic species include the Hairy Frogfish, Pontohi Pygmy Seahorse, Wunderpus, Mandarin Fish, Mimic Octopus, Rhinopias Scorpionfish, Flamboyant Cuttlefish, Blue Ring Octopus, and the list goes on.
    Muck diving is at its best in Lembeh, where the sheer abundance of biodiversity and unique critters is greater than it is anywhere else. For beginners, the marine life found by your guide is simply intriguing, unique, and downright weird all at once.
    For more experienced divers, the exhilaration of making “special finds” for yourself gives a rush of adrenaline that can’t be matched.

    Facilities

    wifi-icon
    Wi-fi
    spa-icon
    Spa
    restaurant on site-icon
    Restaurant
    pool-icon
    Pool
    tank-icon
    Nitrox
    dive on site-icon
    Dive Center on Site
    bar-icon
    Bar
    aircon-icon
    Air-conditioning

    Book Your Next Dive Adventure

    Start your Dive Adventure here!

    Simply fill in the following booking form, a member of our team will get back to you within 24-48 hours to confirm your booking and take a deposit. 

    Please wait for our booking confirmation before purchasing your air tickets or making any other non-refundable travel arrangements.

    Additional payments may be required throughout the booking process. Details of this will be advised by our reservations team at the time of booking confirmation.

    *Time period is a guide only, subject to change according to your specific booking. 

    Contact Dive Adventure

    We are here to help!

    As us a question about a destination, booking a trip, or anything else. 

    Receive the latest news and specials

    Subscribe To Our Newsletter

    I know everything about dive travel