Banda Sea / Forgotten Islands / Alor
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Damai 1
22 Days 21 Nights
Start Date:
Nov 10, 2024
From:
Ambon
Availability:
Sold Out
End Date:
Dec 1, 2024
To:
Kupang
Remarks:
Private Charter
Cabin Availability
Do some critter hunting in the world class muck diving destination of Ambon harbor. Visit the chain of islands where he spices trade took place: sheer walls, and unique encounters of Banda Sea. Dive in the incredibly rich waters and the area is typified by crystal clear water, deep walls and pinnacles, awesome overhangs and swim-throughs, beautiful pristine corals, huge barrel sponges and large schools of fish of the Forgotten Islands. And go into the microenvironment fed but currents of the Indian and the Pacific oceans of Alor. Below will be the draft itinerary when you are onboard of Damai:
Day 1: Arrive into Ambon
Guests will arrive in Ambon and have time to get comfortable on the boat. We will do a couple of dives in the mucky Bay of Ambon, a heaven for critter hunters: Rhinopias, Frog fish. Gosts pipe fish, Seahorses, pretty much the whole collection can be found in these waters.
No. of Dives:
3
Day 2: Nusa Laut
There are two distinct dive sites at Nusa Laut. Akon Wall is beautiful drop off with a natural limestone swim through in the wall. There are clouds of colorful Anthias and Damselfish hanging off the wall. Amed Slope is a sloping reef with excellent hard corals and schooling fish.
No. of Dives:
4
Day 3: Banda Neira
Spend some quality time around the Spice Islands in the shadow of Gunung Api volcano. There are a selection of unique dive sites including the hard coral at Lava Flow and the very fishy underwater pinnacles at Batu Kapal.
Tour the island in the afternoon, visit its historical buildings, Banda was the center of the spice trade and of capital importance at the time. Late in the afternoon, we will go back in the water for a world class mandarin dive experience.
No. of Dives:
4
Day 4: Manuk
The island of the snakes is a smoking volcano in the middle of the Banda Sea. There is the opportunity to see both Olive Sea Snakes and the more common Banded Sea Krait which can lead to quite an exhilirating dive. There are a couple of Mobula Ray cleaning stations nestled in the black sand shallows and always the possibility of cruising sharks.
No. of Dives:
3
Day 5 and 6: Nils Desperandum
The best place in Indonesia to have a chance to spot school of Hammerheads. An atoll with walls all around it, large pelagic patrol the reefs, and the ridges in the corners are timing with life, schooling fish, large barrel sponges and fans. Great diving experience.
No. of Dives:
4/day
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No. of Dives:
N/A
Day 7: Dai
The south tip of the island has two large coral formation, coming put from the island where life accumulates, A superb large school of Barracudas and jacks are hanging there. The hard corals in the shallows count among the best ones in the area and the whole island is pristine, well balance with healthy abundant life.
No. of Dives:
4
Day 8: Dawera
An underwater pinnacle will be the highlight of the day. A world class dive site, where schooling fusiliers, and snappers take shelter from the numerous sharks that patrol it. Mostly grey reefs and white tips, and occasionally silver tips. Interesting hard coral gardens and walls can also be explored
No. of Dives:
4
Day 9, 10 and 11: Saumlaki
Will need to get into Saumlaki to refuel and restock. Day trips around the city and other area of the vicinity will be arranged. Once we received the needed boat clearance, diving will be arranged at the outer atolls of Saumlaki.
No. of Dives:
To be confirmed
Day 12: Babar
Seamount on the southwest of Babar, great hard corals in the shallows and sloping reefs with giant barrel sponges. Large schooling of fusiliers that will attack tunas, wahoos and other pelagic. Good chances to see reef sharks
No. of Dives:
4
Day 13: Moora
Adrenaline diving when the current sweeps over the ridge on the north west of the island. There are big schools of Bumphead parrotfish, trevally, longfin spadefish, blackfin barracuda, whitemouth unicornfish and some cool critters to find when you can catch your breath.
No. of Dives:
3
Day 14: Nyata
The islands around Nyata boast white sand beaches which stretch into beautiful blue water down to pristine hard coral gardens and walls. An amazing contrast of white sand and isolated coral formations will be our first dive of the day, followed by sheered walls with enormous sponges, overhands and swim-through. There are plenty of schools of small reef fish but watch the blue for passing pelagic.
No. of Dives:
3
Day 15: Reong
Further to the east Wetar provides some good diving on sloping reefs. We will then move further southeast to the sand channels at Nautilus is an interesting dive with some excellent hard coral formations with excellent reef life including giant clams. Schooling grunts, turtles and white tips are to be expected.
No. of Dives:
3
Day 16: Alor
We will try to spot the local playful dugon resident in the morning in West Alor, before heading into the eat of the island for further diving in the walls of Pulau Ternate
No. of Dives:
3
Day 17 and 18: Kalabahi Bay & Pura
Time to change underwater topography. First with 2 dives with sandy muck dive, in Muncky Mosque, in the Kalabahi bay where we can look for wonderpuss, and after in the slopes of the Island of Pura, where we will be drifting along a 2 miles long reef, absolutely covered with anemones. A unique experience not to be found in any other place in Indonesia. Let us be careful, as water here tends to drip in temperature, and we can expect them to be around 24 Celsius.
No. of Dives:
4/day
Day 19: Pantar Straits
Beautiful walls of macro and wide-angle subjects. Clean walls, abundant life and the always cooperative smile of the local community, specially the children who would like to be your underwater model.
An excellent opportunity to see dolphins, mola mola fins and passing whales of all varieties on the surface.
No. of Dives:
4
Day 20 and 21: Rusa
This is a collection of 3 small islands in the middle of the cold water currents that flow between the islands of kawula and Pantar. Spectacular rock formation, totally covered with corals, hard and soft, crinoids, anemones.
Almost impossible to find any space. In the shallow clouds of red anthias, deeper large snappers, sweetlips, giant groupers, passing sharks. As pure as it gets.
The last day. Going in between he rocky bottom, slow and eyes for for Nudibranchs, small shrimps , soft coral crabs and other critters living and feeding along them. A large crossing towards Kupang, time to relax and
who know, maybe if we are lucky a blue whale can pay us a visit.
No. of Dives:
4/day
Day 22: Departure
Guests will be escorted to the airport in Kupang and assisted with check in procedures, no doubt full of talk about the wonders of the most popular dive destination in the world.
DISCLAIMERS
The trip will be weather dependent and there might be long crossing required throughout. We will, try to adjust the best we can to the conditions and fulfil all itinerary briefed when you’re on the boat.
Due to the need to report to the local village, divers will need to be flexible with the start time of the first dive at some of the dive sites. We will ensure that you’re given timely update on this during the trip, however your understanding on last minute changes would be appreciate. This is because divers are only allowed in the water once permission is granted by the local villages and officers.
Damai are flexible to change itinerary suggested based on customer’s preference in the event that weather and time allow us to do so and if changes is agreeable by all participants on board
Cabin 7
This cabin of 15 sq meters / 161 sq feet size, can be configured with a king double (220cm x 200cm / 7.2 feet x 6.56 feet) or twin beds (110cm x 200cm / 3.6 feet x 6.56 feet each). In the cabin, there is a desk, in-room sink unit and en-suite combined toilet and shower facilities. Its fully air conditioned and is located on the upper deck with direct access to the sun decks.
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