Damai I Itinerary
Gorontalo - Manado12 days / 11 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 12 days / 11 nights
Number of dives 38
Experience Open Water - Minimum 10 dives
Insurance Required
Highlights
- Discover the remote and rarely visited island of Halmahera
- Visit the schooling barracuda of Tifore
- Find a Salvador Dalí sponge in Gorontalo
- Explore the pelagic walls of Bacan
- Current flows through the Tanjung Flesko channel
Day 1: Arrive into Gorontalo
The flight usually arrives in Gorontalo in the morning, and you will go directly to Damai and make yourselves comfortable. Once you're settled, you can complete a checkout dive today depending on how you feel.
Day 2: Gorontalo
Very healthy hard coral gardens in the shallows and dramatic drop-offs where the unique and famous Salvador Dali sponge grows. The only place where these sponges are to be found. Whale shark encounters are common, especially below fisherman platforms, and the local fishermen keep the sharks around by feeding them small bait fish.
Day 3: Una Una
Day 3: Una Una
A small underwater reef, starting at 17 meters, will surprise us all. An extremely dense concentration of life, with a number of schooling fish, sponges and large fans, is an absolute delight for our eyes.
Day 4: Pasir Laut
Without a doubt, one of the best-kept secrets in Indonesia. A Seamount coming from 1,000 meters up to 5 meters below the surface. Life concentrates like nowhere else. Grey reefs patrolling, schooling fusiliers by the thousands, oceanic triggerfish, and black snappers. Truly unbelievable.
Day 5: Togean Kadidiiri
A series of seamounts from 5 mts to 40 mts, currents will concentrate life and large schools of fusiliers, napoleon fish and eagle rays can be seen close to large barrel sponges and enormous sea fans. In the afternoon, we will pay a visit to the famous Red Jellyfish Lake.
Day 6: East Togean Islands (Walea)
Many seamounts come up to 3m. offering huge gardens of hard coral, making a great ecosystem for a large number of species; colors and quantity are on the menu. Going to the sides, you will find spectacular walls, overhangs, and huge sponges. Good chances to see white tips and black tips.
3 kings is the most incredible dive site of the area covered in fans, sponges, and corals. Lots of fish, some sharks and Giant Trevallies.
3 kings is the most incredible dive site of the area covered in fans, sponges, and corals. Lots of fish, some sharks and Giant Trevallies.
Day 7: Pulau Dua
Currents will concentrate life and large schools of fusiliers, napoleon wrasse and eagle rays can be seen close to large barrel sponges and enormous sea fans. Shallow coral reefs combined with sand and boomies perfect to find hidden animals like cometfish, pipefish, nudibranchs…
For macro divers, off the coast of the mainland, there is a large black sand slope. Place to find frogfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, octopuses, moray eels, thorny sea horses, flounders…
For macro divers, off the coast of the mainland, there is a large black sand slope. Place to find frogfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, octopuses, moray eels, thorny sea horses, flounders…
Day 8: Gorontalo South
The southern Coast of Gorontalo provides exceptional walls with an abundance of sea life. Including the endemic Salvador Dalí sponge. Visit the Whaleshark Platform to dive among whalesharks.
Day 9: 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 dives in the whole Maluku. Good chances to see white and black tip reef sharks.
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.
Day 11: Gangga
Diving in Gangga offers pristine reefs, vibrant soft corals, and rare critters like pygmy seahorses and blue-ringed octopus. Located at the junction of two oceans, it features over 30 world-class sites, stunning biodiversity, and tranquil, uncrowded waters ideal for photographers and for the last day of this great expedition.
Day 12: Departure
Guests will be escorted to the airport in Manado 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
Gorontalo
Gorontalo Djalaluddin Airport: GTO
Return
10:00am
Manado
Manado International Airport: MDC
Current availability and prices: https://www.zubludiving.com/itineraries/damai-i/itn-2605010230511-gorontalo-manado