Maumere - Ambon

Volcanoes and Sultans: Maumere – Ambon

• Embarking port: Maumere. Closest airport: Maumere in Flores.
• Disembarking port and closest airport: Ambon in Ambon island, Maluku.

Itinerary:

From Maumere Bay to the straits of Alor from there sail north to the Banda islands through a string of isolated islands in the mysterious Banda sea and then Ambon island to explore its walls and the Ambon Bay, a real treasure for critter spotting, for some even better than Lembeh Strait.

Main dive sites:

The Bay of Maumere: it is extremely interesting to dive in waters that once were considered exceptional, the headquarters of the most reputed World Championship of Underwater Photography, until in 1992 an earthquake followed by a tsunami wave hit with anger all the area. Ten years later the walls that surround these islands have managed to recover in their totality from that natural disaster to the scientists surprise and they actually offer excellent dives in mild currents, with a healthy population of gorgonias and sponges, with big groupers lurking in crevices, antias and butterfly fish. In the blue big tuna and carangids patrol the depths seeking for their prey.
Gunung Api and Manuk island with the possibility of assiting to a nature wonder of seasnakes concentration. The reputed Banda Islands with the volcanic slopes and the deep waters surroung it where pelagics sightings are frequent. Ameth’s Knoll, is a scenic submerged hill near Ambón, with excellent coral, macro and schools of fish. Karang Hatta, a strategic point where the current splits, with frequent sightings of pelagics, Cave Point, South Ai and Pintu Kota. To end up the cruise with the unforgetable dives in the Twilight Zone where most of the most seeked for critters can be found.

Type of diving:

Awesome walls, submerged hills facing the current and ridges full of coral. Currents that promote the presence of colorful soft corals and large gorgonians, schools of fish and big fish and outstanding muck diving in Maumere and Ambon.

Land tours:

• Visit to the fortifications of the old colony of Banda and its nutmeg plantations.
• Trek to the Gunung Api volcan.

Recommendations:

Bring light clothing. Use sunscreen during the day. Water temperature is 26º-28º C.  3-to 5mm wetsuit is reccommneded. Visibility is variable and averages 15m. This destination is ideal for shooting wide angle, but there are very interesting macro subjects too specially in the first and last day of the cruise: Maumere Bay and Ambon harbour. Presents like used clothing, school supplies and ballons for the children of the village are always welcome.