Sea Safari VI Itinerary

Alor

Dive sites: Pertamina Pier, Ampera (macro), Total Dive: 2-3x dives (depend on arrival time) Located near the Pertamina Pier in Kalabahi, this muck dive site offers a sandy substrate rich with marine life. Despite its understated appearance, the area hosts a remarkable diversity of species. Notable sightings include a fingered dragonet, two Ambon scorpionfish, juvenile batfish, and numerous squat lobsters inhabiting both feather stars and sponges. Additionally, divers can observe an impressive variety of nudibranchs and sea slugs, making this site particularly rewarding for macro enthusiasts. Ampera is situated on the western side of Alor Island, near Kalabahi. This black sand slope is a classic muck dive site, popular among macro enthusiasts. Divers can expect to find a variety of small creatures like nudibranchs, seahorses, shrimp, crabs, frogfish, and even rhinopias. Due to lower visibility, it’s best suited for experienced divers who enjoy macro photography and critter hunting.

Dive sites: Wolang Cave, Cathedral. Total Dive: 4x dives in Goa Wolang (Wolang Cave) in South Alor are known for their cooler waters and occasional surge currents, offering a refreshing and adventurous dive. This scenic shallow site features two impressive caverns—one with an air pocket and the other with an exciting swim-through—along with a combination of sloping reefs and vertical walls. Inside the caves, divers frequently encounter bluefin trevallies on the hunt, nurse sharks, shark eggs, lobsters, electric clams, and a variety of other fascinating marine life. The Cathedral is renowned for its dramatic cold-water upwellings, delivering a captivating, if sometimes brisk, diving experience. As you descend, expect to pass through multiple thermoclines with temperature shifts that can exceed 20°C from surface to depth. The site boasts an incredible landscape of hard and soft corals, alive with tiny marine creatures. Macro lovers may spot leaf scorpionfish, pygmy seahorses, frogfish, nudibranchs, and more. And if you glance out into the blue, you might catch a glimpse of bamboo sharks, large marble rays, or banded sea kraits gliding past.

Dive sites: Clown Valley, Mike’s Delight, Kai’s Dream. Total Dive: 4x dives: Just a few hundred meters from the village of Apura is Clown Valley. The name makes sense the moment you dive in; it’s home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of sea anemones, along with countless clownfish darting among their tentacles. You might also spot sea apples, eels, sea snakes, and pufferfish, and with a bit of luck, even thresher sharks or mola mola. On your way back up, it’s common to see local kids diving with hand-carved wooden goggles, holding their breath for impressive lengths of time. On the east coast of Pura lies Mike’s Delight, a fantastic drift dive along a sloping reef with ledges, drop-offs, and vibrant corals teeming with life. The reef starts around 8m and slopes down to 30m, where dolphins and pelagic fish often pass by. As you move shallower, you’ll find an explosion of hard and soft corals, schools of fish, and species like parrotfish, sweetlips, Napoleon wrasse, jacks, lionfish, boxfish, and anthias hovering over beautiful staghorn coral fields. When the current is strong, you can even drift around the tip of the island, but staying close to the reef is a must, as the currents can be powerful. It’s a varied site full of healthy coral, abundant fish, and a good chance to see larger pelagics. Between Kepa and Pura is Kal’s Dream, a legendary seamount named after diving pioneer Kal Muller, who first explored it in the early 1990s. The top lies just 5m below the surface, but strong and unpredictable currents mean conditions must be right, and it’s best suited for experienced divers. When possible, it’s an unforgettable dive: two pinnacles covered in corals and surrounded by incredible marine life. Expect Spanish mackerel, sharks, dogtooth tuna, barracudas, giant trevallies, hunting bluefin trevallies, schools of jacks, fusiliers, surgeonfish, and plenty of macro life tucked into the rocks, from moray eels and scorpionfish to nudibranchs and shrimp.

Dive sites: Bakalang Jetty, Pasir Merah, Bima Wall/ The Great Wall of Pantar Total Dive: 4x dives Bakalang Jetty, found on the northern shoreline of Pantar Island near Bakalang village, is a favorite for muck diving enthusiasts. Featuring a steep sandy slope and two jetties, old and new, the site teems with macro life such as waspfish, ghost pipefish, shrimp, crabs, nudibranchs, ribbon eels, and boxfish. The old jetty’s pillars are covered with vibrant coral and sponge growth. This shallow site offers good visibility and generally calm conditions, making it ideal for macro photography. Pasir Merah (meaning "Red Sand"), situated north of Pura Island, is named after its striking volcanic red sandy slopes. Alongside a wall that drops to around 35 meters, this site is famous for underwater volcanic activity, where gas bubbles escape through vents connected to the Gunung Maru volcano. Marine life includes mandarinfish, hairy shrimp, and other macro critters, along with nurse sharks and bamboo sharks. Bama Wall, also known as The Great Wall is a favourite among divers and is located near Bama Village on Pantar Island. This impressive wall dive lies between sloping reefs rich in vibrant hard and soft corals and bustling schools of reef fish. Pelagic species such as Napoleon wrasse, whitetip reef sharks, and dogtooth tuna are often spotted cruising by. The wall plunges to depths of around 60 meters, making it a thrilling but challenging site. Due to strong currents, timing is crucial, dives are best planned during slack high tide, ideally before noon.

Dive sites: The Arch, The Edge (Umapura), Babylon. Total Dive: 4x Dives The Arch is one of Alor’s most striking dive sites, showcasing a colossal underwater archway that forms a natural tunnel through a coral-covered ridge. Likely shaped by ancient volcanic activity and years of erosion, this dramatic geological structure offers an unforgettable dive with breathtaking scenery and abundant marine life. The Edge (Umapura). This wall dive alone makes the trip to Ternate worthwhile. From the top, the wall seems to drop endlessly into the deep. Along the way, you’ll find overhangs, small crevices, and a landscape covered in sponges, black coral bushes, and large corals. We enjoyed a relaxed dive exploring every nook and cranny with our lights, spotting hidden life along the wall. The highlight came on our way back, during the safety stop, when our guide Bram discovered a white frogfish perched on blue sponges beneath an overhang. We spent the stop mesmerized, watching it lure and yawn between movements. Babylon stands as one of the most celebrated Alor dive sites, offering a spectacular wall dive that showcases the region’s incredible marine biodiversity. This dramatic underwater cliff descends from shallow coral gardens at 5 meters to depths exceeding 40 meters, creating diverse habitats that support an amazing variety of marine life. The wall at Babylon is covered in pristine hard and soft corals, with massive sea fans and colorful sponges creating a vertical garden of extraordinary beauty. Schools of barracuda, trevally, and fusiliers patrol the wall, while reef sharks cruise the deeper waters. The site is particularly renowned for its healthy coral coverage and the abundance of macro life hiding within the reef structure. Diving conditions at Babylon can be challenging due to moderate to strong currents, but these same currents bring the nutrients that keep the reef system healthy and attract larger marine species. The best diving occurs during incoming tides when currents are manageable and marine activity is at its peak.

Dive sites: Kalabahi Bay, Dugong Snorkeling, Visit Takpala Village Total Dive: 1x dives + Dugong Snorkeling + Village Visit Begin your day with a morning dive in Kalabahi Bay, where black sand slopes and scattered coral bommies provide the perfect hiding spots for captivating macro life, including seahorses, ghost pipefish, and colorful nudibranchs. Next, take advantage of a rare opportunity to snorkel alongside Alor’s resident dugong, a gentle and elusive marine mammal. In the afternoon, immerse yourself in local culture with a visit to Takpala Village, where you'll be warmly welcomed with traditional music, dance, and hospitality, offering a meaningful insight into Alor’s vibrant heritage and way of life.

Day 7: Checkout

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