Pindito 12D11N

Witness the breathtaking wonders of Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site since 1991. Encompassing the larger islands of Komodo, Rinca, and Padar, along with numerous smaller islands, this national park is a treasure trove of diverse marine life. Dive into an extraordinary world where each day brings a new spectacle – from encountering rare critters in the morning to drifting alongside giant mantas and schools of big-eye jacks in the afternoon.

The dive sites surrounding Komodo present an unparalleled variety, featuring patch reefs, bommies (pinnacles), sheer walls, and shallow coral gardens awaiting exploration. Within these waters reside over 1,000 fish species, 260 coral species, 70 sponge species, 17 whale and dolphin species, and at least 2 types of sea turtles, creating a vibrant ecosystem.

Pindito thrives on a flexible approach, steering clear of a set itinerary. Our trips and water activities are meticulously planned based on weather conditions, tides, and currents. Leveraging our expertise and experience, we ensure optimal sea conditions for exploring the best-known sites, as well as unveiling lesser-known, secret, yet equally spectacular locations known to only a privileged few. Dive into the unparalleled beauty of Komodo National Park with Pindito.

Dives: Approximately 38 dives in total

Experience: Open Water – No minimum logged dives required.

Sangeang – A definite highlight is the dive site at the hot underwater springs. These send up gas bubbles from the black sand forming a magnificent contrast to the huge black corals and sea fans. If you look closely here you find pygmy seahorses in big numbers on the sea fans. Other places around the island, such as Masuk Sungai, Bohon Mera and Tanjung Barat offer fascinating dives. Soft and hard corals are fighting for the best places, countless nudibranchs, pipefish, frogfish, seahorses and cuttlefish can be admired.

On the island itself there are two active volcanoes, the Doro Api and Doro Montoi. At the hot and dry coastal area, savannah-like grasslands have formed with shrub vegetation. From the deck of the Pindito you can regularly observe large water buffalo grazing. Due to the volcanic origin the sand is black, which offers a stunning contrast to the remaining vegetation, both above and below water.

Banta – Banta has two of the most famous dive sites, the “Banta Wall” and the “GPS point”. With regular strong currents in the open water, these dive sites are just made for big fish encounters. With a little luck you will find swarms of surgeon fish, red snapper, mackerel of all kinds, and of course barracudas, white tip sharks and grey reef sharks. If you like adrenalin rushes, the “Highway to Hell” will top this experience with a roller coaster dive. This beautiful wall, surprises ever again with its varying strong currents. For lovers of night-dives at the cozy “Critters” is a highlight of the tour! Here, all the animals “hang” out in the sand: hunting lionfish, stonefish and wandering octopuses. The stars of the evening, however, are the Stargazers who bury themselves almost unrecognizable in the sand, waiting to be discovered.

Rinca & Komodo – The waters around Rinca are fairly cool for this part of the world and can drop to 22 C degrees. A 5-7mm wetsuit is strongly recommended to enjoy the beauty of the Horseshoe Bay. The “Yellow Wall of Texas” and “Cannibal Rock” are world-famous sites. They offer many colorful soft corals and feather stars in a small space. Every millimeter is overgrown and invigorated, you can spend hours admiring them and enjoy, if only there were not so many fish that obstruct your view!

Another highlight of the tour you are all waiting for is a visit to the Komodo dragons! The Komodo dragon lives exclusively in Indonesia and has a maximum length of 3 meters and weighs more than 70kg. It is the largest living lizard. Due to their enormous size they are referred to as the “dragon”.

Accompanied by a park ranger, our tour through the National Park starts early in the morning. Not only the dragons can be observed at close range, but also macaque monkeys, wild boar, deer, and water buffalos. With a bit of luck, we can watch the lizards eating. Their saliva is poisonous and their bites kill quickly. The otherwise rather sluggish animals are very active when they hunt and track their prey. They can reach enormous speeds for up to 15 seconds. Younger lizards prefer rodents and birds, adult lizards can kill bigger animals like deer, wild boars, macaques, snakes, wild dogs, and horses. From a hilltop, one has a fantastic view over the valleys and the large bay where Pindito will be on anchor.

Tatawa Besar & Gili Lawa Laut – The small island of Tatawa Besar is located to the north of Rinca which means warmer waters! The island always has some slight current. It is perfect for a relaxing drift dive along the approximately 1km long island. You drift very relaxed along a slanted slope that is covered with beautiful yellow and orange soft coral. With a bit of luck, Mantas can be seen here.

“Karang Tokto” and “Batu Batu Dekat” at Gili Lawa Laut are first class dive sites. These are two drop-offs that are perfect for divers. You’ll be taken by the amount of fish in the water and hardly have time to notice the stunning beauty of the surrounding reefscape. Again the whole array of pelagic fish will come in from jacks in all shapes and forms to white tip and grey reef sharks.

Flores – The port of Maumere is an amazing and diverse dive are. Discover various pipefish and seahorses, frogfish, scorpionfish, various, countless colorful nudibranchs, as well as barracuda and batfish. The Pindito crew calls this dive site “blue water muck diving”!