Banda Sea
Dive in the most remote and pristine reef of Indonesia’s Banda Sea and Ring of Fire. We will start with muck diving in Ambon as we make our way to Banda Sea where you will experience beautiful untouched reefs with stunning drop offs..
Embarkation / Disembarkation: Ambon (AMQ)
Trip Duration: 8/9/10/12 Days Trip
Liveaboard Diving
Intermediate to Advanced Diver
Details & Itinerary
Starting with muck diving we cross the Banda Sea, tracing the perimeter of islands. Let our experienced crew show you these remote and almost untouched locations with wonderful reefs and stunning drop offs. Marine life here is in abundance from the critters, sea snakes, manta rays, sharks and much more.
Sample Itinerary
- Day 1. (1-2 dives) Check dive plus night dive in Ambon Bay. After critter dive(s) we sail overnight to Banda.
- Day 2. (3-4 dives) Nusa Laut dives. Sail to Banda Islands
- Day 3. (4 dives) Banda Island; Palau Ai, Batu Kapal, Karang Hatta, Pulau Keraka; excellent visibility, fantastic coral coverage and tremendous numbers of fish along with potential Hammerhead sightings.
- Day 4-7. (3-4 dives x 4 days) Ring of Fire, South Banda, & diving around Volcanic Islands and stunning seamounts in search of hammerheads & other pelagic superstars.
- Day 8. (2 dives) Nusa Laut or Ambon Bay. Sail back to Ambon.
- Day 9. (0 dives) 6am-12pm. Check out after breakfast, farewells, and transfer to the airport.
- Diving days: 8 days (26 dives)
Dive Site Information
- Water Temp: 26-28 degrees Celsius, however deep water upwelling’s & thermoclines especially in Sept-Nov can mean temps as low as 25C.
- Air Temp: 22-31 degrees Celsius
- Visibility: 15-30 meters
- Current: medium to strong
How to get to Ambon (AMQ)
- Lion Air daily flights from Bali via Makassar or Manado, Garuda Indonesia or Sriwijaya Air from Jakarta via Makassar, and Batik Air direct to Ambon (flight time around 3 hours).
Health & Insurance
- Dive Insurance; compulsory for this trip. We also strongly advise you get adequate travel insurance. Please check your travel insurance policy for your diving needs. If not covered then we recommend DiveAssure for their single trip policy cover.
- Dive Computer; compulsory on this trip. We have rentals onboard if you do not have.
- Follow Safe Diving Practices at ALL times plus No Deco Diving and No Solo Diving.
- Travel Insurance; please NOTE: we cannot be held accountable for airline flight changes, delays, or cancellations. We STRONGLY advise you take out adequate insurance to cover such eventualities. We recommend World Nomad for their flexible worldwide cover for travel insurance.
- Malaria Zone; NOTE that in this part of Indonesia we advise you take the proper precautions against malaria. The following anti-malaria drugs are considered safe with diving; Doxycycline or malarone. Mefloquine (Lariam) is NOT recommended with diving. Good preventative measures include DEET and long armed/legged clothing in evenings. If unsure consult a diving doctor.
Our Recommendation
A fairly experienced diver is preferred as we will be diving the most remote locations in Indonesia, only reachable by a liveaboard. There will be mild to medium current almost every dive and strong currents on some dives. Travel insurance compulsory.