Last Updated on January 6, 2024 by kuncumi
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Embarking on a 12-day voyage with Calico Jack unveils an unparalleled exploration of the underwater wonders of Raja Ampat and the Banda Islands. From the moment of embarkation in Sorong to the final farewells in Ambon, this journey promises a seamless blend of breathtaking dives, cultural encounters, and historic discoveries.
The adventure commences with a warm welcome aboard Calico Jack in Sorong, followed by a check dive and an early morning navigation to the enchanting region of Misool. Over the next five days, Southern Raja Ampat reveals its underwater treasures through 16-18 dives, featuring steep rocks, vibrant soft corals, and diverse marine life. From the Wayilbatan and Balbulol areas to Yilliet and Warokaraket/Boo Island, each dive site promises a unique and mesmerizing experience.
Continuing the expedition, Pulau Koon in Ceram offers three exhilarating dives, showcasing walls covered in soft corals and a plethora of schooling fish and pelagic species. The journey then leads to the historically rich Banda Islands, where the underwater landscapes of Karang Hatta and Pulau Hatta captivate divers with the chance to encounter pelagic species and explore unique underwater formations.
A detour to Banda Neira allows for a cultural excursion, offering glimpses of the spice trade remnants and Dutch colonial architecture. The following dives at Batu Kapal and Pohon Miring provide underwater wonders, and a sunset dive at Banda’s jetty becomes a magical encounter with mandarin fish.
The exploration extends to Pulau Ai and Pulau Run, where Umbrella Rock and Little Manhattan showcase the beauty of the underwater world, blending white sandy slopes with coral heads. The journey culminates with exploratory dives off Pulau Run, unveiling the mysteries of uncharted underwater realms.
Nusa Laut and Molana mark the final dive sites, featuring Amet Reef’s conservation success story and the stunning Molana Wall. As the adventure draws to a close in Ambon, guests bid farewell to Calico Jack’s crew, leaving with cherished memories, stunning underwater photos, and a deep appreciation for the diverse marine ecosystems and rich cultural history of the region.
More About Calico JackDives: Approximately 33 dives in total
Experience: Open Water – 50 minimum logged dives required.
Day 1 | Embarkation in Sorong, Raja Ampat (1 Dive)
We will pick you up at Ambon airport and take you to the harbor where our crew will welcome you onboard Calico Jack. Following refreshments and a short tour of the ship, you will be briefed on safety, diving operations, and life onboard.
You will be served a delicious lunch and have time to get acquainted with the ship, set up your dive gear & cameras, and meet and socialize with the other guests and friendly crew. We will do a check dive in the area later in the afternoon. Early morning, we will navigate to Misool.
Days 2 – 6 | Southern Raja Ampat/Misool (16 – 18 Dives)
Misool is located South of Raja Ampat and is famous for its steep rocks with vertical walls, a profusion of soft, colorful corals, sea fans draped brilliantly over the reefs, and plenty of fish.
The islands around East Misool are grouped by areas. These are the areas you can expect to visit (weather permitting) and the most popular dive sites we visit:
Day 7 | Pulau Koon. Ceram (3 Dives)
Pulau Koon is a small island on the southeast of Ceram, halfway between Raja Ampat and the Banda Islands. Underwater there are walls covered in soft corals and sandy slopes with hard coral bommies. But the most interesting feature of this island is the amount of schooling fish and pelagic, barracudas, bigeye trevallies, aggregation of red snappers, pompanos, batfish, and giant groupers. Three great dives in this area before setting sail towards Banda Islands.
Day 8 | Banda Islands (3 Dives)
Karang Hatta is a reef located South East of Pulau Hatta. The dive sites in this region are closest to the 6,000-meter-deep Banda trench, making it an intriguing area as the chances of encountering pig pelagic species are quite high.
Schooling trevallies, barracudas, tuna, turtles, as well as hammerhead and grey reef sharks can be spotted close to this underwater mount. You will have two dives in this area, dependent upon the conditions, and then sail to the main island of Pulau Hatta where you will dive in front of the West Shore beach where a 5-meter hole in the reef opens up to the sea.
You can dive down through the hole and find yourself looking back to what appears to be a bridge in the reef. The bridge is covered with soft corals, and large Gorgonian fans underneath are home to various pigmy seahorses. Overnight navigation to Pulau Koon.
Day 9 | Banda Neira Tour & Banda Islands (3 Dives)
Early morning, we will head to Banda Neira where you will have the chance to explore the remaining remnants of the former lucrative spice trade as well as take in the historic and cultural legacies of the islands. You will spend the morning walking through the town and be given the chance to observe the Dutch colonial architecture which remains to this day, as well as Fort Belgica with its incredible views overlooking the bay around the island. Before lunch, you will dive at Batu Kapal, which when translated means ‘boat rock’. A submerged pinnacle, the site has a rock breaking the surface of the water in the shape of a boat, hence the name. Various types of fish are present here in vast numbers, along with huge Gorgonian fans and some truly monumental sponges.
Your second dive will be at Pohon Miring. At this site, a large crack in the reef creates a deep swim-through which you can drift through and view the sponge-covered wall on the other side. Moray eels can be spotted at the top of the wall as well as schools of bump-head parrot fish. Late in the afternoon, you will have a sunset dive at Banda’s jetty. In the shallows and amongst the stones from collapsed sea walls and jetties, mandarin fish congregate. This particular spot is one of the best in the world to spot mandarin fish.
Day 10 | Pulau Ai & Pulau Run Banda Islands (3 Dives)
Early morning, we arrive in Pulau Ai. This dive site, on the island of Ai, translates to Umbrella Rock as there are many overhangs along the walls of the island. You will be able to drift along the wall and enjoy the view of thousands of tiny reef fish darting in and out of the cracks and crevices. For the second dive of the day, we’ll move onto Little Manhattan which is next to the island of Run. In 1667, the English traded the island of Run for Manhattan, giving the Dutch full control of the Banda archipelago. White sandy slopes interspaced with large coral heads and a healthy reef make this a very beautiful dive site. A resident school of bump head parrot fish may be spotted here, as well as passing eagle rays. The third dive for the day will be an exploratory dive off Pulau Run. This region is full of unexplored dive sites and the Banda Sea is the perfect location for the discovery of new underwater treasures.
Day 11 | Nusa Laut & Molana (3 Dives)
Early morning, we arrive at the beautiful Amet Reef. Whilst situated only a few hours from Ambon, it is a great example of successful grassroots conservation efforts. The locals have instilled sustainable methods to protect their reef and as a result, the corals are outstanding and a favorite amongst dive enthusiasts. White tips and reef sharks patrol the depths and playful turtles can be spotted. For the incredibly lucky, hammerhead sharks and dugongs have also been spotted at this site. After lunch, we will navigate to Molana Wall. The shallow wall breaks in places and in the sandy slopes, ribbon eels, small pipe fish, and moray eels can be found. Above the reef, turtles are seen feeding in the beautiful coral garden. In the afternoon, we will navigate towards Ambon.
Day 12 | Disembarkation in Ambon, Maluku
After breakfast and the last exchange of photos and memories, the crew and Calico Jack will say our fondest farewells and transport you either to your hotel or airport.
Dives: Approximately 33 dives in total
Experience: Open Water – 50 minimum logged dives required.
Day 1 | Embarkation in Ambon. Maluku (1 Dive)
We will pick you up at Ambon airport and take you to the harbor where our crew will welcome you onboard Calico Jack. Following refreshments and a short tour of the ship, you will be briefed on safety, diving operations, and life onboard. You will be served a delicious lunch and have time to get acquainted with the ship, set up your dive gear & cameras, and meet and socialize with the other guests and friendly crew. We will do a check dive in the area later in the afternoon. Early morning, we will navigate to Nusa Laut.
Day 2 | Nusa Laut & Molana (3 Dives)
Early morning, we arrive at the beautiful Amet Reef. Whilst situated only a few hours from Ambon, it is a great example of successful grassroots conservation efforts. The locals have instilled sustainable methods to protect their reef and as a result, the corals are outstanding and a favorite amongst dive enthusiasts. White tips and reef sharks patrol the depths and playful turtles can be spotted. For the incredibly lucky, hammerhead sharks and dugongs have also been spotted at this site. After lunch, we will navigate to Molana Wall. The shallow wall breaks in places and in the sandy slopes, ribbon eels, small pipefish, and moray eels can be found. Above the reef, turtles are seen feeding in the beautiful coral garden. In the afternoon, we will navigate to Pulau Suanggi (Banda Islands).
Day 3 | Pulau Ai & Pulau Run Banda Islands(3 dives)
Early morning, we arrive in Pulau Ai. This dive site, on the island of Ai, translates to Umbrella Rock as there are many overhangs along the walls of the island. You will be able to drift along the wall and enjoy the view of thousands of tiny reef fish darting in and out of the cracks and crevices. For the second dive of the day, we’ll move onto Little Manhattan which is next to the island of Run. In 1667, the English traded the island of Run for Manhattan, giving the Dutch full control of the Banda archipelago. White sandy slopes interspaced with large coral heads and a healthy reef make this a very beautiful dive site. A resident school of bump head parrotfish may be spotted here, as well as passing eagle rays. The third dive for the day will be an exploratory dive off Pulau Run. This region is full of unexplored dive sites and the Banda Sea is the perfect location for the discovery of new underwater treasures.
Day 4 | Banda Neira Tour & Banda Islands (3 dives)
Early morning, we will head to Banda Neira where you will have the chance to explore the remaining remnants of the former lucrative spice trade as well as take in the historic and cultural legacies of the islands. You will spend the morning walking through the town and be given the chance to observe the Dutch colonial architecture which remains to this day, as well as Fort Belgica with its incredible views overlooking the bay around the island. Before lunch, you will dive at Batu Kapal, which when translated means ‘boat rock’. A submerged pinnacle, the site has a rock breaking the surface of the water in the shape of a boat, hence the name. Various types of fish are present here in vast numbers, along with huge Gorgonian fans and some truly monumental sponges.
Your second dive will be at Pohon Miring. At this site, a large crack in the reef creates a deep swim-through which you can drift through and view the sponge-covered wall on the other side. Moral eels can be spotted at the top of the wall as well as schools of bump-head parrotfish. Late in the afternoon, you will have a sunset dive at Banda’s jetty. In the shallows and amongst the stones from collapsed sea walls and jetties, mandarin fish congregate. This particular spot is one of the best in the world to spot mandarin fish.
Day 5 | Banda Islands (3 dives)
Karang Hatta is a reef located southeast of Pulau Hatta. The dive sites in this region are closest to the 6,000-meter-deep Banda trench, making it an intriguing area as the chances of encountering pig pelagic species are quite high. Schooling trevallies, barracudas, tuna, turtles, as well as hammerhead and grey reef sharks can be spotted close to this underwater mount. You will have two dives in this area, dependent upon the conditions, and then sail to the main island of Pulau Hatta where you will dive in front of the West Shore beach where a 5-meter hole in the reef opens up to the sea. You can dive down through the hole and find yourself looking back to what appears to be a bridge in the reef. The bridge is covered with soft corals, and large Gorgonian fans underneath are home to various pigmy seahorses. Overnight navigation to Pulau Koon.
Day 6 | Pulau Koon, Ceram (3 dives)
Pulau Koon is a small island on the southeast of Ceram, halfway between Raja Ampat and the Banda Islands. Underwater there are walls covered in soft corals and sandy slopes with hard coral bommies. But the most interesting feature of this island is the amount of schooling fish and pelagic, barracudas, bigeye trevallies, aggregation of red snappers, pompanos, batfish, and giant groupers. Three great dives in this area before setting sail towards Misool Raja Ampat.
Day 7 – 11 | Southern Raja Ampat/Misool (16 – 18 dives)
Misool is located South of Raja Ampat and is famous for its steep rocks with vertical walls, a profusion of soft, colorful corals, sea fans draped brilliantly over the reefs and plenty of fish. The islands around East Misool are grouped by areas. These are the areas you can expect to visit (weather permitting) and the most popular dive sites we frequent:
Day 12 | Disembarkation in Sorong
After breakfast and the last exchange of photos and memories, the crew and Calico Jack will say our fondest farewells and transport you either to your hotel or the airport.
Manokwari / Nabire
36/33 Dives
Certificate: Advanced Open Water
30 minimum logged dives
Sorong – Kaimana / Kaimana – Sorong
33/30 Dives
Certificate: Advanced Open Water
50 minimum logged dives
Sorong – Ambon
33 Dives
Certificate: Open Water
50 minimum logged dives
Sorong – Sorong
34 Dives
Certificate: Advanced Open Water
30 minimum logged dives
Raja Ampat
27 Dives
Certificate: Advanced Open Water
30 minimum logged dives
Alor
17 dives
Certificate: Advanced Open Water
30 minimum logged dives required