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Aurora

Aurora Itinerary

Lembeh - Mahangetang - Tifore - Lembeh

9 days / 8 nights

About Aurora

  • Eight to 12-day adventures in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat, Komodo, and other remote regions
  • Spacious solid teak cabins complete with all the comforts of home
  • Intimate and adventurous voyages with 18 guests onboard
  • Outstanding facilities for photographers with a dedicated indoor camera room

Operated by the experienced Dune Fleet, Aurora liveaboard offers intimate, adventurous voyages to some of Indonesia’s most exceptional diving destinations, home to pristine coral reefs, mighty mantas, minuscule macro, and everything in between. This sailing phinisi features a passionate and professional crew, outstanding diver and photographer-friendly facilities, and all the comforts of a modern boat - without losing its traditional charm. And, with a nearly 1:1 staff to guest ratio and less than 20 explorers onboard, you’re guaranteed highly personal experiences at sea - both above and below the waterline.

Learn more about Aurora

Itinerary details

Length of trip 9 days / 8 nights
Number of dives 18
Experience Open Water - Minimum 30 dives
Insurance Required

Highlights

  • Circular trip to the legendary Lembeh Strait
  • Dive such Lava Flow coral gardens in Pulau Ruang
  • Dive the ancient volcanic island of Mahengetang
  • Bangka Island pristine reefs offer pelagics and critters
  • Tifore Island is a small island between Halmahera and Lembeh
  • Log dives in Lembeh - the world’s best muck diving destination
Day 1: Bitung
Boarding in our charming Phinisi vessel, named Aurora in Bitung located just in the heart of the Lembeh strait. After picking you up in the airport a refreshing welcome drink will be waiting for you on board. It was time to get to know each other and prepare everything to start the adventure.

Day 2: Ruang Island or Makalehi
The waters of Pulau Ruang and Makalehi hides a Vibrant spectacle full of life and colours. Dives such as Lava Flow coral gardens in Pulau Ruang and splendid walls in Makalehi are a good example of it.

Days 3-4: Mahengetang
This underwater volcano itself called the Banua Wuhu rises more than 400 m from the seafloor to form a shoal less than 5 metres below sea level. Mahengetang’s two cones reach to within a few feet of the surface 4-5 metres in low tide and 8-10 metres in high tide in a couple of places. The submarine volcano exhibits an exorbitant flourishing pristine marine habitat. Unaffected by the volcanic sulphur and thermal factor, the marine life here is very interesting and dense colonies of corals and barrel sponges lay at a depth of 10-20 metres. We will spend 2 days discovering this exciting diving area.

Day 5: Bawondeke
Today is a good day to combine 2 of the most popular dive styles in Indonesia. A large pinnacle breaks the surface and it makes an excellent dive site to start the day due to the amount of schooling fish and the healthy state of the soft corals. Strong currents here will dictate when we will dive. After that, we move back to Pulau Siao, this time to the eastern side we will have the opportunity to dive another 2 more times in black sand sloping walls perfect for encountering weird creatures that will delight lovers of the smallest creatures in the oceans.

Day 6: Bangka Island
An explosion of colour and kaleidoscopic soft corals. Bangka dive sites are a sensory overload where the pristine reefs are teeming with life. Pelagic and critters, Bangka has it all! 

Day 7: Tifore
Tifore Island is a small island between Halmahera and Lembeh with a submerged reef, here the main attraction is the Fish schooling moving along its coral reefs.

Day 8: Lembeh Strait
Time for some 5-star muck diving in Lembeh Strait—renowned to be one of the favourite places for this particular kind of diving where find hidden critters around the sandy bottoms will become the ultimate goal of this gorgeous and complete adventure.

Day 9: Bitung
After breakfast, we will take you either to the airport or your resort in the area. 

Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.

Transfer details

Departure

06:00am

Bitung

Manado International Airport: MDC

Return

12:00pm

Bitung

Manado International Airport: MDC

Current availability and prices: https://www.zubludiving.com/itineraries/aurora/itn-2405160312351-lembeh-mahangetang-tifore-lembeh