There are seamounts, walls, canyons and pinnacles as well as the spectacular coral gardens.  There a hot spring at an underwater volcano, great night dives on black sand slopes and of course, a land visit with a forest walk to see the awe-inspiring Komodo Dragon is included on most every cruise.  Komodo should be on every diver’s “must-do” list.

South Komodo is a region which has been added in recent years to several liveaboard itineraries from October to May.  The waters are clear and warm, the conditions excellent for diving during a season when northern Komodo is cold!

The weather and sea conditions during the traditional Komodo diving season have long made the idea of diving in the South virtually impossible. Your cruise here may well include exciting exploratory diving, but there will also be well known world class sites such as Manta Alley, Cannibal Rock, Torpedo Point, The Three Sisters and Lankoi. Plus you will explore the Southern Sape Strait and all around South Komodo, South Rinca, South West Flores, Gili Mota and the Southern part of Selat Molo.

You may be treated to sightings of the largest living animal in the world, the Blue Whale, but assuredly will view great fish life, vibrantly colored reefs with orange and green cup corals, soft coral heavens and, of course, the most extraordinary critters hidden in the black sand of volcanic islands (which continue to provide exotic displays from time to time for intrepid visitors).

As to the diving in the Banda Sea and Alor regions – you’ll experience vertical walls & drop offs, pristine reef, volcanic vents – and you’ll see more critters as well as massive barrel sponges, plenty of pelagics, an immense population of sea snakes – even a wreck dive.

Located between Raja Ampat to the north and Komodo National Park to the south, the Banda Sea offers volcanic islands and sea mounts which rise from the depths offering superb wall diving and boundless marine life, including some great macro spots.

In Alor, you’ll find pristine waters full of masses of fish, loads of invertebrates … and more of those alluring critters.  As to topography, you’ll find shear drops, huge pinnacles, great walls  … all covered with rich & thriving corals which attract diverse fish life.  Add to that, visiting pelagics and you have a magical mix.

The dive sites vary greatly, with many presenting exciting pelagic encounters and large, swirling schools of barracuda & makerel … while others offer up weird and wonderful creatures hidden away in healthy, colorful corals.

You get, at one end of the scale: stargazers, stonefish, snake eels, ghost pipefish, pygmy seahorses, weedy scorpionfish … while at the opposite end bumphead parrotfish, jacks, giant trevallies, napoleons, Spanish mackerel, barracuda, hammerhead sharks, and on certain trips, divers are treated to a salt-water crocodile at one site!

Although never guaranteed, the possibility of an elusive whale shark or two also exists at those pelagic sites.

It’s in April to May and in October to November … when the seasons (and winds) change … that the conditions are ideal for diving in this region. The liveaboards which visit the Forgotten Islands offer different itineraries, most of which are at least partly exploratory in nature … making them true adventure voyages.

Plunging vertical walls with prolific sponge life are found on the outlying atolls, along with great schools of fish. Most of the diving is within the National Park, an immense underwater wilderness, but you will also have the opportunity to dive on Manokwari’s excellent WWII wrecks.

You’ll find the trips with available spaces listed on Indonesia Availability.

First, Bunaken National Marine Park & Bangka Island, with their amazing steep coral walls, rich with a diversity of species, its huge sponges and beautiful hard corals, and countless critters.

Next, there’s the volcanic Sangihe archipelago, with amazing soft corals and critters + access to pelagics.

And finally, the undisputed critter capital of the world – the Lembeh Straits with its weird & wonderful species: stonefish, sea robins, stargazers, devil fish, weedy scorpion fish, ghost pipefish, the list goes on!

Wakatobi: If you love corals of all shapes and sizes, you will love Wakatobi. Although you’ll find far more than corals reefs, it is undoubtedly the profusion & magnificence of those which will create on imprint on your spirit. It’s a cornucopia of marine life abounding with color & excitement.

Of course, with the corals, come reef fish and tiny creatures which call the reefs their home. And, needless to say, where there are reef fish, you always find some of the bigger guys in the food chain including sharks, rays, tuna, Napoleon wrasses, barracudas and plenty of turtles … so wide-angle photographers don’t despair !

You have great topography … slopes, steep walls, overhangs, caverns, shallow coral gardens, sandy bays, ridges, sea mounts, crevasses & plateaus … and some lovely drift diving.
You will be greeted by spectacular gorgonians, huge & lovely table corals, potato coral, lettuce coral, leather coral, colorful crinoids, sponges & pervasive whip corals.

Schooling fish include the small guys (cardinalfish, soldierfish, cometfish, sweepers) and the next step up (batfish, fusililers, butterfly fish, snappers, triggerfish, batfish & sergeant majors). The critter population, features scorpionfish, leaf fish, ribbon eels & garden eels, pipefish, blennies, mantis shrimp, pygmy seahorses.

To top it all of, the land itself holds cultural fascinations galore & beauty beyond the imagination.

The USAT Liberty was a cargo ship which was “drafterd” in WWII and was hit by Japanese fire and scuttled oat Tulamben, Bali. In the 1960’s, the wreck was pushed a bit further out by an eruption at Mt. Agung.  Today, the ship provides a marine haven for spectacularly colored corals, hard & soft, and for bumphead parrotfish, cod & sea plus nudibranchs, sweetlips, giant clams and plenty of passing pelagic fish.

Land-based diving is the way to go here & our favorite operator is Aqua Marine Diving, who can also arrange land visits …

Kakaban: Kakaban is known for the non stinging jelly fish lake, located in the middle of the island and a brisk 15 minute walk. The non-stinging jellyfish have inhabited the lake for centuries as there are no known predators. The outer ring of Kakaban island offers a wide variety of dive sites that includes corals, large pelagic and thrilling caves.  The most famous area is Barracuda Point which has schooling barracuda which are joined by large tuna and sharks.

Sangalaki: This is a great site for Manta encounters. They live in these waters pretty much year-round. But, you’re also going to be treated to plenty of turtles, luscious reefs in a shallow lagoon, & a vast number of species of hard & soft corals, with their accompanying reef fish.  Whale sharks are frequently seen off the coast of the island.

Maratua atoll: Here you’ll dive “The Channel” and “Big Fish Country” with tornados of barracuda, grey reef sharks, tresher sharks, loads of turtles and schooling eagle rays. Maratua Island has at least 13 known caves with countless more yet to be explored.

Pulau Panjang & Pulau Derawan: This is a macro haven with weird and wonderful life such as satomi pigmys, sea dragons, ghost pipefishe, frogfish, blue ring octopus, harlequin shrimp and tiger shrimp. Photographers get ready!

Pulau Sambit: Diving sites here are known for the large population of hawksbill turtles and for frequent visits from tiger sharks.

Nabucco: This area has currents & drop-offs & channels providing excellent pelagic diving – reef sharks, leopard sharks, tons of barracudas.