Diving the Banda Sea on board a liveaboard

Have you ever heard of the Banda Crossing? This is one of the wildest liveaboard adventures in the world and a firm favourite among ZuBlu’s dive travel experts.

In this article, we’ll share everything you need to know before booking your Banda Sea liveaboard itinerary, based on our in-depth knowledge and personal experience in the region. So keep reading and start planning your trip today.

Each year, during March and April, and then again during September and October, Indonesia’s liveaboards move between Raja Ampat in the east and Komodo in central Indonesia as the seasons change – crossing the Banda Sea in the process. 

This seasonal switch conveniently aligns with the Banda Sea’s two peak diving seasons – short windows of opportunity famous for crystal clear visibility, cold upwellings and thermoclines, and schooling hammerhead sharks. And, since many liveaboards have to make the crossing twice each year anyway, their operators have started to invite guests along for the ride. 

The crossing itself can last anywhere between ten and 12-days, cruising from Maumere to Ambon – or vice versa. And, these incredible expedition-style trips don’t just include scuba diving. Most operators also include shore excursions focused on the region’s fascinating Spice Islands history and rare wildlife such as the bird of paradise. While your liveaboard is at anchor, you’ll also enjoy chances to snorkel on pristine reefs in remote backwaters that only a handful of humans visit each year. 

There are a surprising number of variations when it comes to this itinerary, some of which add up to an additional week at sea. These extensions might include diving in Raja Ampat, Triton Bay, or the Forgotten Islands and Saumlaki. 

At a glance…

• Schooling hammerhead sharks, macro, pelagics, and more
• Enormous, healthy coral gardens and black volcanic slopes

If you’ve heard anything about Banda Sea diving, hammerhead sharks were probably the stars in the story. This is one of the most reliable places on planet earth to spot them schooling by the hundreds. And, your crossing will coincide perfectly with their peak season! Because big fish enjoy swimming in big currents, most of your hammerhead dives will be done as drifts. Adventurous dive groups will zip along current-swept ridges and walls or venture far out into the blue in search of these graceful predators.

While Banda’s hammerheads are absolutely the highlight here, there is plenty of other amazing diving to be done while you’re in the region. Black volcanic sand slopes and coral gardens that spread for kilometres in every direction set a stunning backdrop for all-around excellent diving. You’ll find yourself surrounded by schools of tropical reef fish during most dives, with pelagics like tuna passing by in the blue. Many operators visit their own “secret sites” in this area, allowing your group to explore uninterrupted, often without another dive boat in sight for days. 

The most incredible part of jumping on board a Banda Sea crossing is the opportunity to dive in so many different diving areas! You’ll be exploring some of Indonesia’s best and least-known sites, famous for powerful currents, stunning biodiversity, and seemingly endless visibility. And, you’ll have a wide variety of speciality dives to look forward to, including a chance to spot rare macro wildlife like mating mandarinfish, and diving in blue water in search of schooling hammerheads. 

The Banda Sea’s inner arc is an archipelago of isolated volcanic islands scattered in an arc from north to south. Once fought over during the spice trade, these small patches of tropical paradise have been completely overlooked by mainstream dive travel, leaving you to enjoy them in peace! Around Hatta Island, you’ll enjoy incredible coral gardens with massive barrel sponges and dense schools of fusiliers. Batu Kapal, by contrast, is famous for its series of pinnacles, blasted by powerful open ocean currents and frequently patrolled by sharks. 

Manuk Island is home to an incredible sea snake aggregation allowing divers to take the plunge with hundreds, if not thousands, of banded sea kraits. Pombo Boi boasts unique megafauna encounters with dugongs and dolphins, plus easygoing conditions perfect for a day of relaxed reef diving. Dusk mandarinfish dives are also a “can’t-miss” event in the Banda Arc, with these colourful gobies emerging at dusk to perform their elaborate mating dances, allowing underwater photographers to capture the moment. 

Diving the Banda Sea and its arc of islands are the highlights of every crossing. But, most trips include at least one side excursion, either north or south of Banda.

Banda’s outer arc of islands are flat coral islands, home to stunning beaches and exceptional diving as well, with plummeting near vertical walls, and mucky volcanic slopes. Around Koon Island, you can expect slightly calmer currents, and lovely hard and soft coral gardens swarmed by colourful reef fish. In fact Koon’s signature site is famously named ‘Too Many Fish’!

By contrast, Ambon Bay is home to incredible muck and macro diving, second only to Lembeh – Indonesia’s official critter diving capital. The bay’s northern coast has a series of black sand sloping sites and a jetty, which although littered with man-made waste, are home to an astonishing array of bizarre and beautiful critters. The island is also home to the surreal psychedelic frogfish found nowhere else on earth!

The tiny islands dotting the southeastern border of the Banda Sea are home to spectacular diving – and due to the remote nature of the sites, absolutely anything is possible when it comes to wildlife encounters. Lucky dive groups might spot whales and dolphins on the surface or marine megafauna like hammerheads and manta rays at depth. The isolated reefs found in this region are stunning as well, with dense carpets of hard and soft coral and vast shoals of colourful fish – perfect for a few wide-angle shots, as well.  

Raja Ampat is one of Indonesia’s most legendary diving areas, famous for its mind-blowing biodiversity, both above and below water. The park’s northern reaches around the Dampier strait are famous for ripping currents and marine megafauna like sharks and tuna – topping many divers' big fish bucket lists. Further south, the park transforms, giving way to stunning hard and soft coral gardens. You’ll still enjoy plenty of action-packed drift diving punctuated by incredible wildlife encounters here, with oceanic manta ray flybys and patrolling sharks. If you can catch a break from the current, this is also an excellent place to search for macro, with three species of pygmy seahorses sometimes spotted on just one dive! 

Found a few hundred kilometres southeast of Raja Ampat, this is one of the lesser-known parts of West Papua. While you’re sure to love the pristine reefs and macro life found in Triton Bay, the real attraction here is a chance to encounter the biggest fish in the sea – whale sharks, while they hover motionless below local fishing platforms. There, the sharks slowly suck fish from the nets, enjoying a free meal at a leisurely pace. This makes for a once in a lifetime photo op, with just a handful of divers in the water and no telling just how many sharks might turn up!

The reef system in this region was once destroyed by a volcanic eruption. But, you’d never know it by looking. The sites here boast spectacular hard coral gardens, with massive table and cabbage leaf formations. Further afield, the islands of Lucipara are surrounded by deep water – thousands of metres in some cases, beckoning a wide variety of pelagic species from the open ocean. These diving areas often experience less current than Banda’s inner and outer arc, making for an ideal break from drift diving. 

With Komodo National Park to the west and the Banda Sea to the north, it’s no surprise that these waters are among Indonesia’s most biodiverse. You can expect kaleidoscopic coral gardens, fast-paced drift diving, and plenty of big stuff, including reef sharks, schooling barracuda, sea turtles, and eagle rays. But, there are plenty of small and cryptic creatures here, too, hiding on the reef. In short, divers here can look forward to a little bit of everything.

During the Banda crossing, you’ll be diving in some of our planet’s most pristine waters, sometimes with powerful currents. And, you’ll be spending ten days or more at sea so, it goes without saying that these expeditions aren’t for the faint of heart. 

You should have at least 50 logged dives and Advanced Open Water certification if you’re planning to make the journey. And, you should feel comfortable diving in challenging conditions and using advanced techniques and equipment such as negative descent and reef hooks. 

Because you’ll be cruising in such remote regions, you’ll likely spend most of your time at sea “unplugged” – with no cell service or internet access. So, this trip is best suited to intrepid guests who don’t mind going without social media or email for a few weeks. 

Are you ready to start planning the ultimate dive adventure? Check out all our favourite boats that make the Banda Sea crossing to find your perfect fit. Whether you’re hoping for a laid-back backpacker-friendly vibe or a few luxurious creature comforts, we have you covered!

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