Suanggi is a small uninhabited island about 12 nautical miles northwest of Banda Neira, the capital of the Banda Islands. This tiny island, surrounded by open ocean, has an incredibly rich micro-ecosystem with pristine reefs brimming with copious numbers and varieties of fish. Schools of rainbow runners, red-tooth triggerfish, bannerfish and fusiliers are just some of the inhabitants crowding this oceanic oasis. Napoleon wrasse, green & hawksbill turtles, tuna and huge schools of barracuda are also resident but, the biggest attraction is the schools of endangered scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) that frequent the area during their migratory period from late September to early November each year.

The general day is as follows;

● Light Breakfast followed by a briefing and Dive 1

● Full Breakfast, relaxation followed by briefing and Dive 2

● Lunch, relaxation followed by briefing and Dive 3

● Snack

● Briefing for Sunset or Night dive (where possible)

● Dinner

Pulau Manuk

This tiny volcanic island offers stunning underwater topography blanketed with an amazing amount of soft and hard coral. This remote active volcano in the middle of the Banda Sea, 55 nautical miles (102 km) south of the Banda Islands, is famed for being home to multitudinous Chinese sea snakes and banded sea kraits. The island is surrounded by black sandy slopes with hard coral reefs and volcanic ridges covered in gorgonians with a bevy of fusiliers and pelagic fish such as Spanish mackerels and dogtooth tuna passing by. Hammerheads, mobula rays and eagle rays are often seen around this beautiful location too.

Serua

Serua Island is considered one of the most exemplary locations in the Banda Sea to encounter schooling hammerhead sharks although, being migratory and elusive creatures, sightings are not guaranteed. We also see many larger fish species in these little visited waters; Tunas, Napoleon wrasse and groupers are among the most common sightings with schools of Pinjalo snappers, Big-eye trevallies, surgeonfish, bannerfish and barracuda giving divers a spectacular display.

Your Cruise Manager will schedule up to 4 dives per day; 3 day dives and either a sunset or a night dive, typically scheduled as follows: 

● Light Breakfast followed by a briefing & Dive 1 

● Full Breakfast, relaxation followed by briefing & Dive 2 

● Lunch, relaxation followed by briefing & Dive 3 

● Snack

● Briefing for Sunset or Night dive 

● Dinner 

The Banda Islands

The Banda Islands, also known as the Spice Islands, offer exceptional diving with visibility often reaching 130–165 feet. From historic Fort Belgica in Banda Neira, enjoy sweeping views of Mount Api, an active volcano rising about 2,100 feet above sea level. These islands remain famous for producing cloves, nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon. Underwater, dramatic walls plunge into deep blue water, while vibrant reef tops host incredible marine life. A shallow ~15-foot sunset dive at the old pier provides a rare chance to witness mandarin fish mating. Currents can be strong, so dive sites are selected daily based on conditions.

Our land based tour of Fort Belgica will occur during these dates.

Your Cruise Manager will schedule up to 4 dives per day; 3 day dives and either a sunset or a night dive, typically scheduled as follows: 

● Light Breakfast followed by a briefing & Dive 1 

● Full Breakfast, relaxation followed by briefing & Dive 2 

● Lunch, relaxation followed by briefing & Dive 3 

● Snack

● Briefing for Sunset or Night dive 

● Dinner 

Nusa Laut

Famous for its dugong population, Nusa Laut epitomises the benefits of proactive community conservation. Protected by the local villagers following customary laws known as Sasi, the reefs are pristine and teeming with biodiversity. The island boasts stunning seascapes comprising multifarious hard corals and sponges the size of which will make your jaw drop. Diving along the walls or sloping reef you will surely encounter a huge variety of reef fish with white-tip and grey-tip reef sharks often seen patrolling the blue in the deeper areas. The sandy areas within the lagoon on the island's east side are perfect locations to find resting leopard sharks and stingrays.

Your Cruise Manager will schedule up to 4 dives per day; 3 day dives and either a sunset or a night dive, typically scheduled as follows: 

● Light Breakfast followed by a briefing & Dive 1 

● Full Breakfast, relaxation followed by briefing & Dive 2 

● Lunch, relaxation followed by briefing & Dive 3 

● Snack

● Briefing for Sunset or Night dive 

● Dinner 

Ambon

In the heart of the Moluccas, the famous dive sites of Ambon offer world-class muck diving, diverse marine ecosystems and dramatic seascapes.

For your last full day on board, we usually schedule 2 morning dives at sites around Ambon before the boat cruises to the harbor, where it will remain at anchor overnight.

After breakfast on board disembarkation is between 08:00 and 10:00.