Solitude 13D12N

Ambon (Embarkation Day) Our crew will be waiting to greet you at Pattimura Airport in Ambon. After you are comfortably settled onboard and have completed registration, we will have the safety/orientation briefing. After lunch, schedule allowing, we will have a check dive at one of the famous macro dive sites in Laha, Ambon. Black sand slopes full of strange and interesting marine critters await you! During the night we will sail to the Banda islands.

We wake up in the Banda Sea! Today you begin to experience the beauty of the Banda Sea with its healthy corals and giant sponges. The reefs and walls are packed full of fish and there’s a chance to encounter the Hammerhead shark! We will have 3-4 dives today around the islands of Suanggi, Banda Neira, and Hatta. There’s also an optional land tour to visit an old Dutch fort and learn a little history of the Spice Islands. On the third night, we sail to Manuk island.

We wake up to the sight of a volcano in the middle of nowhere! Several species of sea birds circle overhead. We have 3-4 dives around Manuk island today. Beautiful corals and a multitude of fish species call this place home. You will have a chance to dive with many sea snakes today, as Manuk island is also called “Snake Island”. The occasional smell of sulfur and the sight of smoke rising from this active volcano give you a sense that you are in the land of the lost. Keep your fingers crossed for Hammerhead sharks. Overnight we sail to Kurkap island.

Today we dive, around the island of Kurkap and the surrounding reefs. Untouched reefs and clear water make for memorable dives. Tornados of Big Eye Trevally and Barracuda can be found off the white sand slopes of the large reef adjacent to Kurkap island. Red toothed triggerfish fill the water column feeding on passing plankton. Keep your eye out in the blue for passing tuna and sharks. As you continue along the reef the landscape transforms into steep walls with abundant coral. The top of the reef is shallow and covered in an impressively healthy coral reef. The island itself gives many possibilities for exploration as the corner of the island and its reef form an expansive corner extending far from the island, affected by the passing current. We will have 3-4 dives today. We sail overnight to Koon island.

Today we dive at Koon island. The reef is a mixture of sloping white sand with patch reef and coral-covered walls descending into the deep. Currents can be strong here and all the dives are drift dives. Schools of Big Eye Trevally, snapper, sweetlips and many other small reef fish crowd the reefs. Whitetip and grey reef sharks can be seen patrolling the area. Big Napoleon wrasse and even Goliath groupers can sometimes be found in this area. We have 3-4 dives here today. Overnight we sail to Misool, where we enter from the south into Raja Ampat.

We continue our adventure to the south of Raja Ampat, in the area surrounding the big island of Misool. Misool is full of vibrant coral reefs teeming with marine life. Giant Gorgonia fans on the reef walls play host to a variety of Pygmy seahorse species. The area is comprised of countless limestone islands, which give shelter to an array of reef-dwelling fish. Pelagic species can be seen patrolling the reefs looking for a meal. The reefs are abundant with a rainbow of healthy soft and hard corals. There are pinnacles, ridges, reefs, and small islands to explore, making this area sought after by most who venture this far. If you’re lucky you may encounter the endemic Raja Ampat Epaulette Shark (walking shark) or Manta Ray. Misool is very remote and in this area many times we have the reefs to ourselves. We have 3-4 dives each day. 

We spend the next few days diving on lively reefs, pinnacles, and sloping walls. Now in the middle of Raja Ampat, we can see a number of species of shark including the Wobbegong shark (carpet shark) hiding and camouflaging under the coral. There are White and Blacktip reef sharks on most dives and the occasional Grey Reef shark as well. Raja Ampat is famous for marine life concentration and diversity. Home to an abundance of macro critters, school fishing, and pelagic species, as well as several species of Rays. Making our way through the Fam islands, Gam island, and along Mansuar island we have a chance to see mangroves and panoramas of lush green tree-covered islands exploring an array of dives sites. We will have 3-4 dives on days 10 and 11 and an optional land excursion one of the days. On the last day of diving, we have 2-morning dives. After we have finished, enjoy your lunch as we cruise back to Sorong while our crew washes and dry your equipment. 

Sorong (Disembarkation) – We say our goodbyes and our crew will transport you to the airport in Sorong. We hope to see you again.