DIVING CRUISE WITH THE HAMMERHEAD SHARKS OF MALUKU

INFORMATIONS

8 days - 7 nights
100% CUSTOMIZABLE TRIP*
From 2 240€ per person. See our price & conditions below.

*The seasonality of this Maluku dive cruise is from the end of September to November, corresponding to the hammerhead shark migration period. The itinerary can be extended up to 12 days.

ENQUIRY

YOU WILL LOVE:

Discovering the Maluku archipelago, a real paradise for scuba diving enthusiasts
Cruising aboard a Phinisi in the Banda Sea
Diving with hammerhead sharks
Meeting whales on the way while you navigate

Day 1: Ambon airport - The Maluku Islands

First day of cruise and cape to the Banda Islands

You arrive at Ambon airport in the Maluku Islands, and are picked up by your driver for your transfer to Ambon harbor. You board your sailboat. The anchor is raised and you set off on your first 12-hour sail to Suanggi Island in the Banda Sea. Keep an eye out for whales in this area of the archipelago.

1 hour drive. Accommodation: Double cabin with private bathroom. Meals: full board.

Day 2 to Day 6: Cruising in the Banda Sea, Maluku

Exploring the underwater wealth of the Banda Islands

In order to offer you the best experience possible, the itinerary of the cruise is decided at the last minute according to the weather and sea conditions. So for the next 5 days, you sail through the Banda Sea and enjoy great diving at some of its sites, including:

Suanggi Island is only accessible by sailboat. Secret and isolated, only a few divers have the chance to witness the underwater life that has developed here. Numerous large pelagic and hammerhead sharks swim amidst a backdrop of intact hard corals and fish.

Karang Hatta is a reef located in the Banda trench which plunges to a depth of 6,000 meters. The area is home to schools of jacks, barracuda, tuna, turtles, hammerheads and grey reef sharks among others.

Nearby Hatta Island is a 5-meter hole cut into the reef that opens onto a sea full of soft corals and pygmy seahorses.

On Ai Island, drift along the wall at Umbrella Rock to see thousands of tiny reef fish. Nearby Little Manhattan gives you the chance to dive with humpback parrotfish and eagle rays.

Close to Banda Island, the site of Batu Kapal has a rock breaking the surface of the water in the shape of a boat. Dogtooth tuna, jacks, groupers in large numbers, huge gorgonians and monumental sponges are present. Dives followed by a visit to the village of Banda, its Fort Belgica and the Gunung Api volcano.

The nearby Pohon Miring site has a large crack in the reef creating a deep passage through which you drift. The wall is covered with sponges and large moray eels and humpback parrotfish have settled here.

Manuk Island is a volcanic island. Nearby, you can smell sulphur. Fumaroles rise from the slopes of the volcano which plunges directly into the sea. Underwater, its hot rocks are home to a rich community of sea snakes, dolphins, hammerhead sharks and huge schools of barracuda. Its lava flows are also exciting dive sites to explore.

But as you approach Manuk Island, the first thing you notice is the sky! With its sheer cliffs, the island is an impenetrable sanctuary for hundreds of seabirds that have made their nests in the trees.

And many other underwater treasures are still on your way...

Pristine beach

The vessel anchored in a quiet bay

Day 7: The wonderful island of Laut

Turtles, sharks and dugongs

The Amet Reef on Laut Island is a superb example of underwater conservation. Its inhabitants have put in place sustainable methods to protect their reef. Exceptional corals, reef sharks, turtles and even hammerhead sharks and dugongs for the lucky ones. In the afternoon, you will discover the sandy slopes of Molana Wall, a shallow wall broken in places and home to ribbon eels, turtles and a magnificent coral garden.

Overnight sailing to Ambon.

Accommodation: Double cabin with private bathroom. Meals: full board.