Dancing Wind Itinerary
Tranquil Sulawesi (Bitung - Kendari)11 days / 10 nights
About Dancing Wind
- Traditional 45-meter Phinisi vessel with 8 spacious cabins
- Exciting itineraries to remote Indonesian islands and dive sites
- Dedicated camera room for underwater photographers
- Personalized service with a 4:1 guest-to-guide ratio
Embark on an extraordinary scuba diving journey across Indonesia onboard the Dancing Wind Liveaboard, a 45-meter traditional Phinisi vessel that seamlessly blends craftsmanship with modern luxury. Designed for discerning divers, it offers exciting voyages to Indonesia’s best-known islands and regions, including Raja Ampat, Komodo, and beyond. With personalized service, unique itineraries, and a strong commitment to sustainability, the Dancing Wind makes the ideal choice for those seeking both world-class diving experiences.
Itinerary details
Highlights
- Log dives in Lembeh - the world’s best muck diving destination
- Beautiful walls covered in black coral bushes at Banggai Island
- Find abundant sponges plus soft and hard corals at Tanjung Fresco
- Dive the spectacular walls and hope for whale sharks in Gorontalo
- Find a Salvador Dali sponge at Tomini Bay
- Explore both flat reefs and deep drop offs at Saponda
- Witness the stunning typography of the Togian Islands
Cruising about 10 hours from Bitung, divers will reach the Lembeh Strait, known as the "Critter Capital of the World." This area is famous for its incredible biodiversity and is a paradise for macro photography enthusiasts. Divers can expect to encounter a wide range of fascinating critters, such as flamboyant cuttlefish, hairy frogfish, and pygmy seahorses. The three dives planned for this day will allow divers to fully immerse themselves in this underwater wonderland.
The sites of Tanjung Fresco, situated at the foot of the point bearing the same name, offers beautifully colorful pinnacles. Here again, we find abundant sponges plus soft and hard corals and macro-fauna. Divers can explore the vibrant coral gardens and swim through the towering pinnacles, creating a breathtaking backdrop for underwater photography. The diverse marine life includes schools of colorful reef fish, elusive octopuses, and graceful sea turtles, making each dive at Tanjung Fresco a truly unforgettable experience.
The diving adventure continues as we cruise to Gorontalo. Gorontalo is known for its unique underwater topography, with steep walls and dramatic drop-offs. Divers can expect to encounter a wide variety of marine species, including large pelagics such as sharks and rays. The visibility in Gorontalo is often excellent, allowing for stunning views of the vibrant coral reefs and abundant marine life. Get ready for an exhilarating day of diving in this captivating destination.
Tomini Bay Gorontalo, located right in Tomoni Bay, center Sulawesi, has a good combination of dive sites with steep drop-offs, overhangs, caverns, caves, pinnacles, and chimneys clogged with white fans, numerous gorgonian sea fans, dramatic walls with dense coral growth, and mixed coral gardens up shallow in addition to black coral bushes and large sponges. Divers can find several large Salvador Dali sponges (Petrosia lignosa), including a huge cluster of barrel sponges. This species of large sponge was discovered in Tomini Bay in the 1920s and is only found on deep walls around this area.
The walls here are spectacular sites with soft corals and good chances to see a lot of fish like mackerels, tunas, barracudas, surgeonfish, sweetlips, and triggerfish in the blue, especially when the current is running. These walls also provide shelter for various species of sea turtles, which can often be spotted gracefully swimming through the vibrant coral gardens. Additionally, lucky divers may even encounter larger marine creatures, such as reef sharks and eagle rays, gliding through the depths.
The Banggai island group is located in the eastern part of central Sulawesi, at the border between the Banda Sea and the Maluku Sea. Most of the dives are on off-shore reefs with vertical walls down to several hundred meters. You can easily drift along these beautiful walls, with a lot of gorgonians and black coral bushes, small caves, and overhangs. On some fringing reefs, you may also encounter larger animals like turtles, groupers, and occasionally sharks and rays. The inner islands, the atolls, are more protected for critters like frogfish, ribbon eel, bobtail squid, and endemic species like the Banggai cardinalfish.
Saponda On the way to Kendari, we stop by this set of coral atolls composed of flat reefs and deep drop-offs. Exploration dives. Long Cruising after the last dive, about 12 p.m. The coral atolls of Saponda offer a diverse range of underwater landscapes, including flat reefs and deep drop-offs. These unique formations provide opportunities for exploration dives, allowing divers to discover the hidden wonders of the ocean and giving you ample time to relax and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding seascape.
Kendari Check out and bid farewell to the stunning coral atolls of Saponda. As you leave this paradise behind, take a moment to reflect on the unforgettable experiences and memories you have made during your exploration dives. The crystal-clear waters and vibrant marine life will forever remain etched in your mind, making this trip a truly remarkable adventure.
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
10:00am
Bitung
Manado International Airport: MDC
Return
10:00am
Kendari
Haluoleo Airport: KDI
Current availability and prices: https://www.zubludiving.com/itineraries/dancing-wind/itn-2503070859181-tranquil-sulawesi-bitung-kendari-