BANDA SEA- Triton Bay
11 Nights
Come and discover the fabulous Banda sea, offering one of the most extraordinary diversity of fish and invertebrate species in the world.
11 nights itinerary, going through Ambon, Nusa Laut, Banda Islands, Suanggi, Koon, Momon, Namatote, Triton Bay to Kaimana.
Route is subject to weather conditions and can be modified.
Best period : November
Program
Day 1 : Ambon
Our staff will pick you up at the airport for immediate boarding. Depending on the arrival time, we might do the check dive around Laha or Tulehu Bay and maybe even a night dive.
Laha or Tuleu Bay: area known for its fabulous muck dives, probably among the best in the world for the macro dive. Only the Lembeh Strait in Indonesia can compete.
Day 2: Nusa Laut
South of Seram, fantastic diving experiences on the reefs of Nusa Laut. These rather picturesque islands of Maluku are popular dive destinations due to their diversity of reef fish species, ghost pipefish, frogfish and the variety of well-preserved hard corals.
Flash News: we have seen sperm whales in the area on previous trips, so keep your eyes wide open.
Day 3 & 4: Banda Neira
We will dive some sloping reefs and vertical walls that the area has to offer around the Banda Sea archipelago. Here the current attracts many fish: fusiliers, dogtooth tuna, eagle rays, barracudas and sometimes sharks.
On the reef: soft corals, leather corals, bigeye trevallies and turtles. In front of Banda Neira village, a sunset dive to observe, especially the shy mandarin fish, will be possible.
We will take you on a land excursion to see Banda Neira local village. An unforgettable cultural experience!
Day 5: Suanggi
You will now arrive at the northern end of the outer reefs of the Banda Sea: Pulau Suanggi. The waters here are full of fish, reef sharks, tuna and sometimes hammerhead sharks.
As a small bonus for bird lovers, many species can be observed around the island: brown boobies, red-footed boobies and frigate birds.
Day 6: Koon
The small island of Koon has a vertical wall and a slope where the current curls, pushing schools of trevallies, batfish, and barracuda in. Reef sharks are common, but the stars of the show are the giant groupers, the largest of which reaches a size of 3m! Quite exciting dives!
Day 7: Momon
Stop near the “Second Ranger Station Loh Buaya”, next to “Wainilu Island”, the paradise of macro. Many different and rare kinds of nudibranchs, ghost pipefish and other surprises.
After lunch, we will begin our magnificent walk on Rinca Island to see the infamous Komodo dragons and we will be back in the water by noon.
Day 8: Namatote
The islands of Namatote and Sagin are rich with diverse fish life and beautiful hard and soft corals, these islands are great for macro and pelagic species.
Soft coral wall, schools of jacks, barracuda, turtles, wunderpus octopus, and all kinds of critters make it great diving for both wide-angle and macro enthusiasts.
Day 9 to 11: Triton Bay
This still relatively unknown destination is full of treasures and fast becoming legendary for its beautiful corals filled with small creatures and huge schools of fish and migrating whale sharks. The area has been protected since 2008.
Day 12: Kaimana
After a nice breakfast on board, our Aurora crew will organize, according to your flight schedules, your transfer to the airport of Kaimana.
Unfortunately our trip will arrive at an end and we have to say goodbye but we hope to see you again on board.
Itinerary
Practical Info
PRICES INCLUDE
- Pick up and drop off (before and after the cruise) from the nearest airport to Aurora
- Accommodation in a double-bed or twin-bed cabin with en-suite bathroom, toilet and AC
- Meals and all soft drinks on board (excluding beer, spirits, wine, espresso coffee)
- 20 to 25 dives (including night dives), according to weather conditions and flights schedule
- 12L Tank, belt, weights and diving guide
- Nitrox. As a service offered by Dune, Nitrox can’t be subject to any complaint or refund in case of a possible failure or malfunctioning of the compressor
- Multilingual guides on board (French, English, Indonesian)
- Land excursions, according to the diving cruise itinerary,
*Surcharges: Dune Aurora Liveaboard reserve the right to apply an appropriate surcharge to its prices should economic changes (such as exchange rates, fuel prices, etc) make a material difference to its pricing structure. – A minimum of 14 days’ notice will be given before such a surcharge becomes effective. – No surcharge will be applied within 28 days of departure. – If the surcharge results in an increase of 10% or more to the price of the liveaboard, dive package/dive course, then cancellation with a full refund will be allowed. Notification of the intention to cancel must be made in writing within 14 days of the notification or the surcharge.
PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE
- Scuba diving courses
- Rental diving equipment
- Dive insurance (mandatory – possibility to buy on board)
- 15L tanks
- Extra excursion requested
- Beer, wine and spirits, Expresso coffee
- Souvenirs, laundry, use of satellite phone
- Tips on board (for crew): 15 USD minimum / person / day – to be paid in cash
- Port fee: 150$ per trip per person
