- One-way itinerary travelling from Ambon to Raja Ampat
- Dive the world-class muck diving sites of Ambon
- Enjoy Ambon’s world-class muck diving and spot the psychedelic frogfish
- Encounter both reef and oceanic manta rays in Raja Ampat
- Dive the well known and action-packed Dampier Strait
- Discover dramatic underwater landscapes and stunning reefs in Misool
- Land tour to Banda Neira - once at the centre of the global spice trade
- Search for hammerheads on current-swept sites in the Banda Sea
- Visit unspoiled hard and soft coral gardens
- Night dives included in the schedule
Day 1:
Arrive in Ambon and transfer to the vessel for check-in. We will depart at 15.00. If all divers arrive earlier, we can depart earlier with everyone's permission for a check dive.
Days 2-8:
Dive sites we visit include but are not limited to:
Ambon Island
Situated 7 miles off the southwestern coast of the island of Ceram, in the heart of the Moluccas, are the famous dive sites of Ambon, which will be our final stop. It offers world-class muck diving, diverse marine ecosystems, and dramatic seascapes.
- Pintu Kota: This area boasts incredible underwater architecture, with a massive archway decorated with colourful soft corals hanging from its walls to ceilings. Many white and red polyps of red sea fans are dotted along the bottom, whilst shoals of fusiliers, bannerfish, and surgeonfish feed along the steep walls covered with huge barrel sponges.
Banda Islands
This group of islands is also called the Spice Islands and once sought by Columbus & Marco Polo, boasts great diving, with up to 40m (120ft) visibility. At Banda Neira, the lava flow underwater has over the years transformed into a beautiful coral garden. The amount of schooling fish and pelagic encounters can be jaw-dropping and the sea fans are some of the largest and most pristine to be found in Indonesia.
On land, enjoy the view of Gunung Api, a 650-metre-high active volcano, from the top of Fort Belgica, built by the Dutch in 1611 and located in the historical town of Banda Neira. Clove, Nutmeg, Marc, and cinnamon are still the main spices that are grown here. Currents can be strong around these small islands in the north of the Banda Sea, therefore sites will be chosen on the best daily conditions from the following options:
- Batu Kepal: This pinnacle is shaped like a boat and rises up from 40m (130ft) adorned with yellow soft corals and sea fans. Red-tooth triggerfish, pyramid butterfly fish, fusiliers, and surgeon fish altogether form a multicoloured fish soup. On the rocky and sandy bottom, large groups of longnose emperor fish hunt alongside bluefin trevallies and opportunistic napoleon wrasses. Keep an eye out into the blue for grey reef sharks while blackfin barracudas hover above the reef.
- Karang Hatta: A sloping reef starting at around 15m (50ft) and sloping down to 40, (130ft) filled with hard corals. In the blue look out for dogtooth tuna, jacks, black-tip reef sharks, eagle rays, and the possibility of a hammerhead or two.
- Hatta Blue Hole: A wide hard coral shallow plateau extends away from the island to a majestic drop-off. A large opening on top of the reef actually opens up to a swim-through densely covered with huge gorgonian fans. Once you reach the outside, massive barrel sponges inhabited by tiny hairy squat lobsters cover the wall.
- Banda Neira Pier: Otherwise known as the Maolana Jetty, this is a superb site for a sunset dive to spot mandarin fish mating in the shallows- just 1 metre (3ft) below the surface! Lots of other critters can be found in deeper water including cockatoo wasp fish and crocodile fish. Pohon Miring Beautifully covered with colourful soft corals and gorgonian fans, a swim through will take you through to a sheer wall covered with leather corals. Numerous big napoleon wrasses inhabit the reef and dogtooth tunas patrol the blue waters.
- Laval Flow: In 1998, the volcano on Naira Island erupted and flowing lava destroyed all jungle and coral in its path. While on land barely a few trees have started to grow on the basaltic rock, underwater it’s a totally different story. From 3m (9ft) to 40m (120ft), an extensive hard coral garden covers the lava flow entirely.
Koon
This island lies between the Ceram & Banda Seas. It is part of the long group of islands circling the deep waters of the Banda Sea.
- Too Many Fish: This is literally what you can expect here. Its position between a shallow and a deep sea attracts a variety of pelagic such as pompanos, Spanish mackerel, dogtooth tuna, and rainbow runner. The reef boasts a great diversity of topographies with white sandy bottoms, walls, steep slopes, and a long plateau. Three dives can easily be done at this huge dive site.
Misool
There are numerous small islands surrounding the second of the Four Kings, Misool, including Daram, Farondi, Boo, Wayilbatan, Kalig, and Warakaraket to name just a few. Each offers some of the most dramatic underwater scenery of the region, from steep walls with huge gorgonian fans to gentler slopes with hard and soft corals.
- Andiamo: A diverse two-island reef with walls, overhangs, pinnacles, ridges, and a shallow plateau. With such a variety of habitats, it is no wonder this site is one of the most famous dive sites in Misool. Thick schools of fusiliers cruise over hard and soft corals, and wobbegong and epaulette sharks hide under the rocks. Pick handle barracuda from schools along the reef whilst reef octopus hides in the wall’s crevices. Massive gorgonians adorn the walls.
- Boo Windows: is Always a favourite site, Boo’s scenery is on the wish list of most underwater photographers. It is composed of two rocks that stick up from the eastern edge of the island of Boo with a saddle formed between them. Close to the surface currents and tides have eroded holes in the rocks creating the “window” effect. Prone to currents, diving can be quite exciting as it attracts trevally and schools of dogtooth tuna. Pick handle barracuda, snapper, grouper, napoleon wrasse, turtles, batfish, and rabbitfish are often seen on this beautiful dive.
- Gorgonian Passage: Situated in a channel that runs between Wayilbatan and Wayil islands, the name of the site refers to the huge sea fans in which a variety of pygmy seahorses can be found including Bargibanti and Denise. We also see many types of sweetlips here and some smaller creatures such as peacock mantis shrimp and juvenile convict fish.
- Nudi Rock: Marine life from big to small can all be seen at this stunning site. Black tip, white tip, grey reef sharks, and dog tooth tuna can all be seen cruising by while cowries, nudibranchs, porcelain crabs, and mushroom coral pipefish are hiding amongst the coral.
- Karang Bayangan aka Magic Mountain: One of the best dive sites in Indonesia: a dome-shaped seamount with a finger-like rocky outcrop densely covered with gorgonian fans and soft corals. Take a look around and enjoy massive schools of fusiliers, surgeonfish, and batfish circled by hunters like dogtooth tuna and giant trevallies. Literally, a fish soup, mixed with some grey reef and whitetip reef sharks. On top of these incredible encounters, the cleaning station for oceanic and reef mantas can make this dive one of your best ever.
Batanta Island
Batanta Island, one of the Four Kings, which we will visit during your liveaboard cruise, offers something truly exceptional. Known for its muck diving, there is really nothing that cannot be seen here along the dark sand slopes. Mimic octopus, wonderpus, snake eels, dragonets, cuttlefish, flasher wrasse, solar-powered nudibranchs, and ornate and robust ghost pipefish to name just a few. Depending on the weather and tidal conditions we will choose from sites including Algae Patch I and Algae Patch II and Happy Ending!
Day 9:
The last dive will be on the penultimate day of the trip before 12.00 (midday). Divers are recommended to wait for 24 hours before flying after the last dive.
Day 10:
Check-out and disembark after breakfast.
Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.
Double bed2 peopleNon shareable
Twin or double bed3 peopleShareable
Twin beds2 peopleShareable
Single bed1 personShareable
