For your final day aboard, we schedule two morning dives to allow plenty of time for off-gassing before disembarkation and your flight home. Guests are responsible for their own dive profiles and for obtaining suitable dive insurance to cover all diving activities.
Depending on weather conditions and where we are, we will always try to offer a sunset, or night dive. Guests should bring along dive lamps, though of course we have rental lights for those that need them
Dive sites we visit may include but are not limited to:
Ambon Island
Situated 7 miles southwest of Ceram Island, in the heart of the Moluccas, are the famous dive sites of Ambon. It offers world class muck diving, diverse marine ecosystems and dramatic topographies.
Pintu Kota This area boasts incredible underwater architecture, with a massive archway decorated with hanging colourful Soft corals from wall to ceiling.
Twilight Zone - At night or during the day, we will explore this renowned muck diving spot by the harbour of Laha. Amongst detritus, countless species of Nudibranchs, Shrimps, Crabs & Dwelling fishes are waiting to be discovered.
Banda Island - This group of islands, also called the Spice Islands, boasts fantastic diving, with up to
40 meters of visibility. On land, enjoy the view of Gunung Api, a 650-meter-high active volcano, from the top of Fort Belgica. It was built by the Dutch in 1611 and it is in the historical town of Banda Neira. Clove, nutmeg, mace and cinnamon are still the main spices that are grown here.
There are various dive sites that we can visit:
Karang Hatta - A spectacular submerged reef just south of Hatta, which offers steep slopes surrounded by deep waters. Dense Redtooth Triggerfish alongside Fusiliers, Napoleon Wrasse and Hawksbill Turtles populate this long reef. You might also get the chance to spot a few rare creatures like Devil Rays or even a Scalloped Hammerhead shark during your dive. Keep your fingers crossed before you enter this wonderful water.
Hatta Blue Hole - A widespread hard coral shallow plateau which extends away from the island to a majestic drop off. A large opening on top of the reef opens to a swim through densely covered with huge vibrant Gorgonian fans. Also, massive Barrel Sponges which are inhabited by tiny Hairy Squat Lobsters decorate the wall.
Pohon Miring - Richly decorated with colourful Soft corals and Gorgonian fans, a swim through will take you through a sheer wall covered with Leather corals. Numerous big Napoleon Wrasses inhabit the reef and Dogtooth tunas patrol the blue waters.
Batu Kapal - This island is named for its boat-like shape and is an exhilarating dive, with walls decorated with Yellow Soft corals. Curtains of Redtooth Triggerfish, Pyramid Butterflyfish, Fusiliers and Surgeonfish merge into a multi-colour fish soup. On the rocky and sandy bottom, you can spot large groups of Longnose Emperor fish hunting alongside Bluefin Trevallies and opportunistic Napoleon Wrasses. Look in the blue for Grey reef sharks, while Blackfin Barracudas hover above the reef.
Laval Flow - In 1998, the volcano on Naira Island erupted and the lava flow destroyed jungle and reefs in its wake. While only a few trees have grown on the basaltic rock, underwater it's a totally different story! From 3 meters to 40 meters an extensive hard coral garden completely blankets the solidified lava flow.
Banda Jetty - Famous for its Mandarin fish that can be observed at sunset, which you can see just by looking down from the jetty. In many places, these fishes are elusive, small and shy. Here, it's the opposite! Once they have done their mating business, a wide array of critters awaits to be discovered on the black sand, including colourful Nudibranchs, Octopus, Cockatoo Waspfish and Frogfish.
Manoek Island This tiny island in the middle of the Banda Sea offers a wide variety of seacapes, including walls, coral slopes and sandy areas. Famed as the home of a multitude of Sea Snakes and where you may witness the Snakes hunting together
Nil Desperandum & Serua Upwelling and currents around these islands bring nutrient rich waters and with them an abundance of marine life. We see many larger fish species in these little visited waters. Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks, Tunas, Napoleon Wrasses and Groupers are amongst the most common sightings. Schooling Surgeon Fish, Bannerfish and Barracudas give divers a spectacular display.
Nyata and Terbang Islands
Further to the east of Wetar, the islands of Pulau Nyata and Terbang offer unspoiled reefs for a great diving experience. At Nyata, rainbow coloured soft corals and a myriad of hard corals dominate the landscape, whilst at Terbang we find dramatic walls with soft corals reef top gardens and plenty of Bumphead Parrotfish and schooling reef fish.
Wetar and Reong IslandsThese tropical islands feature walls that are covered with huge sponges and soft corals, along with vibrant reefs teaming with marine life, including Eagle Rays and Turtles.
Pantar Strait - Pantar is the second largest island in the Indonesian Alor Archipelago, located 45 miles north from Timor. The area is known for both critter diving and thriving reef walls where larger pelagic species roam.
The French Man's Window - An incredible wall dive site situated in front of Alor's Divers Resort, which is covered in a vibrant array of soft corals. Look closely and you may find a wide variety of colourful nudibranchs. Swimming around, you can also spot a shark or two .
Pak Van's Village - Situated on the north of Pura Island, it is one of the most iconic sites within the strait. It is a well-known critter hotspot, where divers can see Pegasus sea moths, dragonets, scorpion fish, ghost pipefish and Bargibanti seahorses.
Clown Valley - Hundreds, if not thousands, of anemones cover the shallow reef slope on the south side of Pulau Pura, all hosting the Clark's anemone fish. A spectacular site, but beware of some very chilly water, as there are thermoclines that are to be expected in these waters.
The Arch - Famous for its overhangs and fissures providing stunning topography, as well as a home to schooling fusiliers and colorful Anthias. The waters are also home to larger pelagic fish, including black tip reef sharks.
Mucky Mosque - An iconic dive nestled at the entrance of Kalabahi Bay. A fantastic muck dive where the attentive eye can find Paddle-Flap & Frondosa's Rhinopias, Ornate, Robust and even Halimeda & Velvet Ghost Pipefishes, Frogfishes, Bobtail squids, Long-arm Octopus and sometimes Wunderpus.