Pindito Itinerary

Whale - Macro Cruise (AMQ - SOQ) 11N

12 days / 11 nights

About Pindito

  • Sublime service with a nearly 1:1 crew to guest ratio
  • Outstanding facilities for divers, plus a dedicated camera room and support for rebreathers
  • Unique themed itineraries for citizen scientists and families with children
  • Smooth and stable sailing with a traditional Phinisi design

MV Pindito has been cruising Indonesia’s remote locations for over 25 years, pioneering much of the now-famous diving in Komodo, Raja Ampat, Banda Sea and Alor. The recently refurbished vessel features updated amenities inside and out, as well as professional diving facilities, a modern camera room and technical diving support. Choose from a stunning variety of scheduled itineraries or create your own custom charter. The Pindito offers some of Indonesia’s most exciting voyages, including citizen science-themed trips, family-friendly cruises, and other unique expeditions focused on whales, macro, and more!

Learn more about Pindito

Itinerary details

12 days / 11 nights
24
Open Water - Minimum 50 dives
Required

Highlights

  • One-way itinerary combining Raja Ampat with the Banda Sea
  • Dive the well known and action-packed Dampier Strait
  • Explore Pulau Koon, Nusa Laut and Suangi
  • Discover dramatic underwater landscapes and stunning reefs in Misool
  • Dive reefs with exceptional biodiversity in the heart of the Coral Triangle
  • Explore the Banda Sea's swim-throughs and deep walls
  • Dive the world-class muck diving sites of Ambon
  • Enjoy Ambon’s world-class muck diving and spot the psychedelic frogfish
  • Visit a village, museum and 17th century fort on Banda Neira
  • Dive the remote Daram Island group
  • Night dives included in the itinerary

The whale-macro trips are guided by Dr. Heike Vester, an ecologist specialising in social behaviour and bio-acoustics of marine animals. In addition to her constant visual watches from the upper deck, Heike also uses hydrophones to locate the whales and dolphins by picking up their unique sounds. 

The crew is organised into "observation teams" who also keep a sharp eye on the water surface for blows or other signs of whale activity, as some species can't be located by acoustics alone. Heike knows the areas that are preferred by these large marine mammals (including sperm, Bryde's and orcas or killer whales) and her long experience and trained eyes do the rest.

At the beginning of the journey, Heike Vester will present a special briefing to inform the guests about the process. When animals are sighted, Heike will give us detailed information about the species and the occurrence, its routines and hunting behaviour. Morning until noon will be planned for whales and dolphin tracking and monitoring. In the afternoon and evening, Pindito offers "normal" dives - if you can call diving here normal. As we deal with nature, this sequence might be reversed, i.e. diving in the morning, whale watching in the afternoon. 

Day 1:
The crew will transfer the Guests from the airport or hotel to the ship. After a nice Welcome briefing by our Cruise Director, cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place - before embarking. Guests can familiarise themselves with the vessel, set up equipment, and get comfortable.

Days 2-11:
We offer 3-4 dives daily, including a night dive if possible. When crossing only 2 dives a day can be scheduled.

Dive 1: Early morning (around 7:30 AM)
Dive 2: Late morning
Dive 3: Afternoon (around 2:30 PM)
Dive 4: After dinner – an exciting dusk or nighttime dive

Day 12:
Disembark the vessel in Sorong and transfer to the airport or hotel.

Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.

Transfer details

Departure

06:00pm

Ambon

Pattimura Airport: AMQ

Return

07:00am

Sorong

Sorong Airport: SOQ

Choose your trip