Cruises
Family Diving Cruise

Saleh Bay & Moyo

A new addition to our route stop overs the bay of Saleh is a huge bay just south east of the island of Moyo. Depending on where the beginning of the trip starts it is almost always possible to move the ship into this bay for a day and see the traditional fishing boats the locals call ‘Bagan’. Wake up before sunrise and take a view of the dark scenery out on the deck and watch as many of these local fishing boats attach anchovies and krill into their nets. By attracting them with lights the ships look like intensely shimmering stars right on the horizon where sky meets the sea. Once sunrise comes the fishermen bring up the nets and sort their catch for the day, and here is the important part; The locals and the whale sharks in the area have formed a symbiotic relationship with each other, as the whale sharks come up and feed on the fisherman catch that spill over when hauling in their nets. This then will be our chance to take you snorkelling with a few whale sharks.

Sangeang

A definite highlight of the dive site are the hot underwater springs. The volcanic island send up gas bubbles from the black sand forming a magnificent contrast to the huge black corals and sea fans. If you look closely here you can find pygmy seahorses on the sea fans. Other Dive sites around the island, such as Masuk Sungai, Pohon Mera and Tanjung Barat offer fascinating dives. Soft and hard corals are fighting for the best places, countless nudibranchs, pipefish, frogfish, seahorses and cuttlefish can be admired.On the island itself there are two active volcanoes, the Doro Api and Doro Montoi. At the hot and dry coastal area, savannah-like grasslands have formed with shrub vegetation. From the deck of the Pindito you can regularly observe large water buffalo grazing. Due to the volcanic origin the sand is black, which offers a stunning contrast to the remaining vegetation, both above and below water.

Banta

Banta has two of the most famous dive sites, the “Banta Corner” and the “GPS point”. With regular strong currents in the open water, these dive sites are just for big fish encounters. With a little luck you will find swarms of surgeon fish, red snapper, mackerel of all kinds, and of course barracudas, white tip sharks and grey reef sharks.  For lovers of night-dives “Critters” is a highlight of the tour! Here, all the animals “hang” out in the sand: hunting lionfish, stonefish and wandering octopuses. The stars of the evening, however, are the Stargazers who bury themselves almost unrecognizable in the sand, waiting to be discovered.

Tatawa Besar & Gili Lawa Laut

The small island of Tatawa Besar is located to the north of Rinca which means warmer waters! The island always has some slight current. It is perfect for a relaxing drift dive along the approximately 0.6 mile long island. You drift very relaxed along a slanted slope that is covered with beautiful yellow and orange soft coral. With a bit of luck, Mantas can be seen here. “Karang Toko” and “Batu Batu Dekat” at Gili Lawa Laut are first class dive sites. These are two drop offs which are perfect for divers. You’ll be taken in by the amount of fish in the water and hardly have time to notice the stunning beauty of the surrounding reefscape. Again the whole array of pelagic fish will come in from jacks in all shapes and forms to white tip and grey reef sharks. If you like adrenalin rushes, the “Shotgun” will top this experience with a roller coaster dive. This beautiful wall, surprises ever again with its varying strong currents.

Komodo National Park

Komodo National Park was declared a World Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991. It lies in the region of the Sunda Islands (aka Nusa Tenggara). The National Park includes the three larger islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous smaller islands. The total area covers 1817 km2. Originally the Park was established as a protection zone for the Komodo goannas. Later the focus was changed to the conservation of the regions entire flora and fauna, on land as well as underwater.

The dive spots around Komodo offer unbelievable variety. One day you can admire rare macro creatures in the morning (“critters”) and in the afternoon drift along with giant mantas and schools of big-eye trevally jacks. There are patch reefs, bommies (pinnacles), sheer walls, and shallow coral gardens to be explored. There are more than 1000 fish species, 260 species of corals, 70 different sponge species, 17 species of whales and dolphins and at least 2 different kinds of sea turtles living in the waters of Komodo National Park. You will love it!

The famous Komodo Islands with their “Komodo Dragons” will be visited on every Family Dive Cruise. Komodo dragons are actually giant monitor lizards, the largest of all the lizards reaching a length of nearly 10 feet and weighing 150lbs! A guide from the National Park Service will lead this excursion keeping everybody safe and sound. They are experts in the local flora and fauna (water buffalos, birds, goannas, dragons, etc.) and they’ll share their knowledge during treks along island paths through the bush.