Seven Seas 12D11N

Flight to Alor from Kupang. Transfer to the Seven Seas, setting up gear while we are steaming out, and afterwards we’ll do a general briefing, after some refreshments and lunch, and we’ll do our checkout dive.

• Pulau Pura and Ternate: In the heart of the Alor Strait lies Pura, a small volcanic island where every dive pulses with energy and life. Here, the ocean is raw, powerful, and wildly beautiful. The waters around Pura are renowned for their nutrient-rich waters, which attract an explosion of marine life. Massive schools of jacks, barracudas, and fusiliers swirl in silver tornadoes, while Napoleon wrasses, giant groupers, and reef sharks glide through deep canyons and coral-covered slopes.

  During the right season, lucky divers may even encounter Mola mola (sunfish) or hammerhead sharks. But what truly sets Pura apart is its biodiversity: pristine coral gardens, dramatic drop-offs, and muck diving sites teeming with bizarre and beautiful critters: rhinopias, mimic octopus, pygmy seahorses, and an endless variety of nudibranchs.

• Clown Valley (aka Apuri Bay): Home to one of the largest concentrations of anemones and clownfish on the planet.
  • Pura Island Wall: A world-class vertical reef wall off Pura Island, starting around 8 m and plunging to depths well below recreational limits. Rich with sea fans, whip corals, and sponge gardens, this wall often attracts eagle rays, manta rays, and various shark species patrolling the depths.
  • The volcanic islands of Ternate, in the Alor Strait, are one of Indonesia’s best-kept secrets: a series of dive sites where reefs thrive, and where every descent feels like a front-row seat to a marine symphony.
  • Babylon: Located on the southern coast of Ternate Island, this site is a classic vertical wall dive, descending from shallow coral gardens into depths of 25 to 30 m or more, with exceptional visibility often reaching 25–30 m, and a sloping reef full of soft corals, reef fish, and occasional pelagic visitors.
  • The Arch: Hidden in the waters off Ternate Island in the Pantar Strait, The Arch is a standout dive site renowned for its dramatic underwater architecture, a natural archway carved into a steep coral wall that plunges to depths of 20–30 m.
• Alor Area: Pulau Pura and Takpala Village visit.
  • Pasir Merah (Red Sand): Located north of Pura, this site features volcanic red sandy slopes with bubbling gas vents, a hallmark of Pura’s volcanic seabed. It’s teeming with macro life, including mandarin fish, hairy shrimp, and even bamboo sharks and nurse sharks at deeper sections.
  • Bakalang Jetty: Dive beneath the weathered pillars of Bakalang Jetty, where soft corals cling as marine tapestries and frogfishes uses them as a hidden place. Rays and schooling batfish may dance in the blue beyond, but it’s the bold texture and color of macro life that steals the show here. With clear water and gentle conditions, this site is a macro magician’s dream and a perfect intro to Alor’s muck scene.
• Kawula: Lewaling Bay at North Kawula. The Lewaling area offers a mix of sloping reefs and wall dives, with healthy coral cover and good visibility. The walls start shallow and drop steeply, covered in soft corals, sea fans, and sponges. Wall dives here often allow for a drift along the face of the reef. Divers can expect to see fusiliers, snappers, anthias, and triggerfish, turtles and reef sharks, as well as leaf scorpionfish and other reef species.

• Pulau Komba: Komba Island, a volcano, where the Flores Sea meets the Banda Sea. Pulau Komba is a remote volcanic island off the north coast of Lembata. It’s dominated by Mount Batutara, a small but active volcano that frequently emits smoke and ash, adding a dramatic view during surface intervals and between dives.
• Ipet: Ipet Island, diving, beach, and flying foxes. The Ipet and Watu Peni coastal zone is located on the northeastern coast of Adonara Island, next to the deep channel that separates Adonara from Lembata. The coastline features steep slopes and rocky outcrops, with the seafloor dropping rapidly into deep water. The area is shaped by volcanic activity. 

  A pearl farm operates near Ipet. It produces Akoya or South Sea pearls using suspended lines and baskets in protected reef zones. The farm supports the local economy and helps limit boat traffic and fishing activity in the surrounding area. The strait is part of a migration route for blue whales, which pass through the area seasonally—mainly between September and December and March and May—as they move between feeding and breeding areas in the Banda and Savu Seas. Dolphins are also sometimes seen.

• Serbete: Tanjung Gedong and Serbete, crossing to Adonara. Tanjung Gedong, located on the northeastern coast of Flores Island near Maumere, offers a diverse underwater landscape with a gentle reef slope that leads into sandy bottoms dotted with large coral bommies. Deeper areas are covered in soft corals and wide table corals, creating a vibrant reef environment. Marine life includes stingrays and ghost pipefish in the sand, while the reef wall is home to lionfish, moray eels, and angelfish. The shallower reef top features healthy staghorn coral formations. With generally mild currents and good conditions for both macro and wide-angle photography, Tanjung Gedong provides a rich and varied dive experience.

  Pulau Serbete Ridge, just off the northeastern coastline of Flores near Maumere, offers a dynamic dive along a wide, elongated reef structure that supports abundant coral growth and marine life. The ridge is made up of gradual slopes and drop-offs, covered in vibrant hard and soft corals, along with barrel sponges. Divers frequently spot schools of fusiliers, butterflyfish, angelfish, and larger animals like blacktip and whitetip reef sharks, as well as turtles that often cruise along the reef.

• Northeast of Flores: Dambila and Babi. These dive sites feature a steep vertical reef wall that drops into deep water and includes a large underwater crack formed during the 1992 earthquake and tsunami. The wall starts at around 5 to 7 meters and extends well beyond recreational limits. The reef is rich in marine life and coral formations, with large sea fans, black corals, soft corals draped along ledges, and barrel sponges of impressive size. A gentle current often allows for a relaxed drift dive, revealing small caves, ledges, and crevices that serve as shelter for various reef species. Divers may encounter moray eels, nudibranchs, butterflyfish, fusiliers, and occasionally whitetip reef sharks and eagle rays. With strong biodiversity and good visibility, Pulau Babi offers excellent opportunities for both macro and wide-angle photography, making it a rewarding start to the trip.
• Flores Sea: Gosong Bone and Pomana Kecil. Also known as Bone Atoll, this dive site is a classic coral atoll featuring shallow reef flats that suddenly drop into deeper walls. The underwater scenery is spectacular, with lush coral gardens, giant sea fans, and vibrant sponges creating a colorful seascape. Schools of reef fish swirl around the slopes, and pelagic visitors occasionally pass through the channels, adding an element of surprise to every dive. For macro lovers, the surrounding sandy and rubble areas can reveal hidden treasures such as nudibranchs, unusual critters, and small invertebrates perfect for photography. Conditions are generally moderate, with currents influenced by tides, making it well-suited for intermediate divers. Gosong Bone combines the serenity of pristine coral viewing with the thrill of diving in a living, dynamic reef system.
• North Coast of Flores: Tanjung Sada & Kelimutu National Park. A spectacular underwater plateau that suddenly plunges into a dramatic drop-off, Tanjung Sada is one of the true hidden gems of East Flores. The top of the plateau is dotted with vibrant coral bommies, alive with reef fish and bursting with color. As you drift toward the tip, the reef transforms into a mini seamount rising to just 18 meters, cloaked in giant sea fans, barrel sponges, and thriving coral growth. 

Unfortunately our trip has come to an end and we have to say goodbye, but we hope to see you again soon