Damai I Itinerary
Raja Ampat - Halmahera - Gorontalo (SOQ-GTO)13 days / 12 nights
About Damai I
- Indonesia's most diverse selection of liveaboard diving itineraries
- Explore some of Indonesia's remote regions like Cenderawasih and Triton Bay
- Make the most of unlimited diving, superb camera facilities, and small groups
- Little luxuries like master cabins, gourmet cuisine, and spa services
Dive Damai’s original vessel, the Damai I liveaboard is a luxurious traditional phinisi custom-built for scuba diving. This liveaboard offers a staggering variety of itineraries visiting classic destinations including Komodo and Raja Ampat, as well as remote and seldom visited areas like Cenderawasih Bay and Triton Bay. Dedicated divers will love this boat's fantastic facilities and outstanding service underwater, including unlimited dives and small guide-to-guest ratios.
Itinerary details
Length of trip 13 days / 12 nights
Number of dives 38
Experience Open Water - Minimum 10 dives
Insurance Required
Highlights
- One-way trip linking the dive destinations of Raja Ampat, Halmahera and Gorontalo
- Start at the volcanic island of Ternate and head south to Bacan Island
- Dive bommies covered with colourful soft corals at Goraichi Islands
- Opportunity to search for Salvador Dali sponges in Gorontalo
- Explore the swim-throughs and caves of Goa Farondi
Day 1: Arrive into Sorong
Guests will arrive in Sorong and have time to get comfortable on the boat. Damai will travel west to Matan for a check out dive.
No. of Dives: 0
Day 2: Farondi / Balbulol
No Contest and Love Potion No.9 near the island of Balbulol are a string of underwater ridges rich in current and therefore colourful soft corals and seafans. Spend your time looking in the blue for schooling pelagics and often the beautiful Mobula Rays.
To the east is the island of Farondi. Visit the unique underwater caves at Goa Farondi and hunt for cool pygmy seahorses on the different varieties of sea fans. Nearby in the channel are the current rich pinnacles of the Three Sisters. This area is teeming with life and there is a good chance of seeing a lot of fish action.
To the east is the island of Farondi. Visit the unique underwater caves at Goa Farondi and hunt for cool pygmy seahorses on the different varieties of sea fans. Nearby in the channel are the current rich pinnacles of the Three Sisters. This area is teeming with life and there is a good chance of seeing a lot of fish action.
No. of Dives: 4
Day 3: Boo & Fiabacet
This amazing string of small islands has a colourful array of great dives sites. The signature sites in the area include Boo Windows, Nudi Rock, Tank Rock and Whale Rock. The whole place is a delight for the eyes.
On a calm day you can visit the amazing seamount Magic Mountain and experience cruising sharks, schooling fish and mantas cleaning. A truly spectacular dive!
On a calm day you can visit the amazing seamount Magic Mountain and experience cruising sharks, schooling fish and mantas cleaning. A truly spectacular dive!
No. of Dives: 4
Day 4: Wayilbatan
The Four Kings is a series of colorful underwater pinnacles which make an amazing dive with plenty of cool fish action. Moving later to a more sheltered spot we are in the vicinity of some great dive spots: drift along the channel at Neptune Fan Sea; explore wall at Wedding Cake or enjoy the fish action on the ridge at Barracuda Rock.
No. of Dives: 3
Day 5: Pulau Pisang
This small island in the middle of Seram Sea has some great fish action; snapper, barracuda, fusiliers, rainbow runners.
No. of Dives: 3
Day 6: Bacan
Begin the day with a dramatic wall dive off Tanjung Marengarango. Check out the schooling fish; barracuda, snapper, fusiliers and the potential for some great passing pelagics.
Spend the afternoon enjoying some excellent muck diving along the boat-building beach at Penambuan; excellent habitat amongst the variety of black sand, pebbles, algae and coral heads. Hunt for octopus, colourful nudibranchs, frogfish, seahorses, cuttlefish, unusual shrimp.
Spend the afternoon enjoying some excellent muck diving along the boat-building beach at Penambuan; excellent habitat amongst the variety of black sand, pebbles, algae and coral heads. Hunt for octopus, colourful nudibranchs, frogfish, seahorses, cuttlefish, unusual shrimp.
No. of Dives: 4
Day 7: Salea
Start the day at Batu Mandy near the island of Salea. Schools of fusilier, snappers and trevally embellish a pinnacle formation that sometimes hosts also manta rays and reef sharks. Later in the day enjoy the beautiful reefs around the islands of Pokal and Kusu. Frog fish, ghost pipe fish and pontohi have been spotted here.
No. of Dives: 4
Day 8: Goraici and Seamount of Halmahera Sea
Series of small islands, surprisingly good healthy reefs. This current rich location has a huge amount of schooling fish; surgeonfish, ocean triggerfish, snappers, fusiliers, rainbow runners, sharks and much more, we have seen in several occasions' mantas coming to feed in the shallow waters of a lagoon.
No. of Dives: 4
Day 9: Halmahera Sea
Will be looking for undersea mountains with vibrant reefs and the highest congregation of fish in the area. Oceanic trigger fish, Snappers, fusiliers, black and white tip reef sharks.
No. of Dives: 2
Day 10: Tifore
A small island between Halmahera and Sulawesi, Tifore's seamount has exuberant gardens of hard coral and plenty of life, including large schools of jacks and barracudas, as well as reef sharks.
No. of Dives: 4
Day 11: Tanjung Flesko
Currents flow in the channel between Bacan and Halmahera, the wares are the richest in the area and fans and soft corals dominate the reefs. Great combination of soft and hard corals and some of the fishiest dive in the whole Maluku. Good chances to see white and black tip reef sharks.
No. of Dives: 4
Day 12: Gorontalo
Day 12: Gorontalo
Very heathy hard coral gardens in the shallows and dramatic drops offs where the unique a famous Salvador Dali sponge grows. The only place where these sponges are to be found. Whale shark encounters are common, specially bellow fisherman platforms and the local fisherman keep the sharks around feeding them small bait fish.
No. of Dives: 2
Day 13: Departure
Guests will be escorted to the airport in Gorontalo and assisted with check in procedures, no doubt full of talk about the wonders of the most popular dive destination in the world.
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
11:00am
Sorong
Sorong Airport: SOQ
Return
10:00am
Gorontalo
Gorontalo Djalaluddin Airport: GTO
Current availability and prices: https://www.zubludiving.com/itineraries/damai-i/itn-2512160650031-raja-ampat-halmahera-gorontalo-soq-gto-