1) Hairball

Keep your eyes peeled among the rubbish and natural detritus (tree branches, bottles and the like) littering the black-sand bottom at this site because they could host any manner of odd critter. Night divers often spot ­stargazers and frogfish.

2) Police Pier

One of the world’s best pier dives awaits at this spot near the Lembeh police station that’s home to most of the critters people come to Lembeh to see, among them leaf scorpionfish, banded pipefish, ribbon eels and mantis shrimp.

3) Nudi Falls

Said to be named for the fact that divers’ bubbles send nudibranchs ­cascading off the vertical wall, this popular dive on the mainland side of the strait has rocky and sandy slopes as well as soft coral gardens. Get close to the gorgonians to spot pygmy ­seahorses, scan the sandy bottom for hairy octopuses, and look for giant frogfish in camouflage.

4) California Dreaming

Take a break from monotone ­sandy bottoms and switch out your macro lens for wide angle at Lembeh’s most colorful dive site. This soft-coral-covered ­seamount on the northern end of Lembeh Island is a good place to see tiny things such as boxer crabs and also passing pelagics such as tuna and mackerel.

5) Mawali Wreck

Lembeh’s best-loved wreck is this World War II Japanese freighter that rests to port in about 90 feet of water. The propeller is intact, and the hull and holds are covered with healthy fans and hard and soft corals. It’s a great place to see ­everything from schooling batfish and nudibranchs to cuttles and barracuda.

6) Angel’s Window

You’ll want to dive this pinnacle on the north coast again and again thanks to the reliable visibility and fun swim-throughs patrolled by jacks and snapper. Your smaller critters — leaf fish, pygmy seahorses and more — can be seen here with a keen eye too. Deciding which lens to bring will be a dilemma.

7) Critter Hunt

If ever a dive site was named for what you do there, it’s this one in the middle of Lembeh Strait, where divers regularly hit the jackpot with blue-ringed octopuses, wonderpus octopuses, scorpionfish and painted frogfish — sometimes all on a single cylinder of air.

8) Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve

Join a safari to scout for black-crested macaques (monkeys) that are indigenous to North Sulawesi, as well as adorable wide-eyed tarsiers (the world’s smallest primate) and many other animals at this nature reserve on mainland Sulawesi.

9) Manado City Tour

You’re in an exotic part of the world, so see as much as possible when you’re not diving. Comprehensive city tours of Manado — North Sulawesi’s main city, about two hours from Lembeh — take in the bustling fish market, a museum filled with pre-Colonial artifacts, and souvenir shopping at arts-and-crafts galleries.

10) Lembeh Resort

Even if you’re not staying at this resort overlooking Lembeh Strait, the poolside bar beckons for a cold Bintang and chats about completed critter bucket lists with divers from around the world.

Divers Guide

Average water temp: From 82 to 84 degrees F

Average viz: From 30 to 80 feet

What to wear: 3 mm wetsuit to shorty

When to go: Year-round

Contact: eco-divers.com; lembehresort.com