Spice Island Resort, Halmahera, Ternate and Morotai

Exposed to the powerful forces of the Pacific Ocean, Halmahera and its surrounding islands are fed a constant flow of oceanic currents, creating the perfect conditions for diversity. The region incorporates hundreds of individual islands where all kinds of underwater environments can be explored, from dizzying drop-offs and isolated pinnacles to emerald-coloured atolls and rainbow-hued reefs. And, the marine life here is incredibly diverse, even by Indonesian standards, with at least 450 species of coral and over 800 species of fish recorded in southwest Halmahera alone. With so much incredible scuba diving on offer, it’s hard to believe that large areas of this region’s underwater world remain almost entirely unexplored!

Ternate, Tidore and the Goraici Islands

The volcanic islands of Ternate and Tidore sit side-by-side just a few kilometres off the west coast of Halmahera. Soft corals smother the slopes here, along with splendid sea fan specimens, providing hiding places for macro subjects such as nudibranchs and ghost pipefish. Tuna, trevally, barracuda, and large schools of black and midnight snapper hurry back-and-forth above the reef, while whitetips, blacktips, and the occasional grey reef shark, can be seen skulking in the shadows. 

Around 50-kilometres southwest lies the small archipelago of Goraici. The locals here have a reputation as environmentalists, and the healthy coral reefs abound with macro marine life, offering fantastic opportunities for photography and night diving. In contrast, there are also a few coral-covered walls to explore, where pelagic fish and blacktip reef sharks can be seen cruising in the water column. 

Bacan and the Patinti Strait

Between the island of Bacan and Halmahera itself, lies the Patinti Strait – one of the region’s most popular dive spots. The islands of Sali, Kusu, Proco, and Gala stretch across the strait at its closest point, forcing the water through several channels and creating the ideal conditions for coral growth in the currents. Reef sharks are regularly spotted here, alongside yet more tuna and barracuda, while sheltered parts of the reef play host to a variety of shrimps, crabs, nudibranchs, pipefish, and seahorses. Walking sharks can also be seen during night dives.  

Morotai

For something a little different, divers can head to the island of Morotai, off the northern tip of Halmahera. With around 40 named dive sites, this is one of the region’s fastest emerging destinations, offering opportunities to spot bucket-list marine life and macro galore. As one of Indonesia’s northernmost islands and facing the Pacific Ocean, Morotai played a significant strategic role in World War II and a wealth of war-time remnants can now be discovered underwater, including the wrecks of aircraft, trucks, and tanks, now overrun by marine life.

Morotai is also renowned for its reef shark encounters, with sightings possible on almost every dive. That said, the sites of Cape Gurango and Rifky’s Point in the east and Blacktip Point and Grey Shark Point in the south offer the best chances of encounters and the highest numbers of sharks. It is also possible to find manta rays around the island of Galo Galo, on the southwest side of Morotai.

Pulau Tifore and Pulau Pisang

Liveaboards normally pass through Halmahera during transitional trips between Raja Ampat and North Sulawesi, visiting a few of the outlying islands along the way. Pulau Tifore lies in the middle of the Molucca Sea, halfway between Halmahera and North Sulawesi, making it a convenient stop for liveaboards. This remote island is surrounded by an exceptional coral reef where mandarinfish deliver dazzling displays at dusk. But, the real highlight here are the swirling schools of barracuda and big-eye trevally.

Over on the other side of Halmahera, Pulau Pisang is located around 70-kilometres southwest of Damar Island, where the Halmahera and Ceram seas meet, making it a common stop for liveaboards as they cross to and from Raja Ampat. The diving here focuses on a series of underwater ridges that connect Pulau Pisang to several smaller surrounding islands and feature large pinnacles covered with branching corals.