Has anyone personally seen hammerhead schools in the Banda Sea?

[Dan]

How warm was the water? Did you forget to breathe? The hammerheads came so close!!!

I wanted to sit there on the rocks & watching the parade passing by forever, but my DC complaining about NDL with still 1000 psig in my AL80.

The temperature ranges from 77 to 82F. It’s rainy season there now, so a bit on the cool side. However that cooler water bring the hammerheads to the shallow where we can enjoy the parade for a long time. I wore 5mm with hood.

 

[Dan]

BTW, I’m going back to Cocos in 2020. PM me if anyone wants to join me.

Trip report is on the works.

 

[Saldiac]

I wanted to sit there on the rocks & watching the parade passing by forever, but my DC complaining about NDL with still 1000 psig in my AL80.

The temperature ranges from 77 to 82F. It’s rainy season there now, so a bit on the cool side. However that cooler water bring the hammerheads to the shallow where we can enjoy the parade for a long time. I wore 5mm with hood.

Wow, fantastic vids! I think lots of folks will be jealous, I know I am ha!
At what depth did you see these hammerheads?

 

[moorish8idol]

Also very interested in doing Banda Sea fall 2019 so would love to hear people's experiences with that trip in the "peak hammerhead season" (September-November). Cocos is also on the list (I am interested in 2020 Dan!) but its still €2,000 more than even some of the nicer LOBs doing the ROF/Banda Sea (the Mantas being the exception as their prices seem almost comparable to Cocos).

 

[Dan]

Wow, fantastic vids! I think lots of folks will be jealous, I know I am ha!
At what depth did you see these hammerheads?

80-85' (24-26m), perfect for EAN32.

 

[Diving Dubai]

@Dan T is now on my Ignore list

great Videos - I'm so envious... I'm going to do some research right now...

 

[Wingy]

Yes. Not the schools of hundreds in videos from other years but 2016 I saw 6 first dive out of Ambon and a thresher and sporadically saw a few more solitary hammerheads (I hope there were more I just didn't see) the rest of the trip - Oct on Tambora.

 

[Dogbowl]

@Dan_T , did you see any Tiger sharks? I think they’d be scary.

 

[outofofficebrb]

The water temps at Cocos are OOO wetsuit acceptable! Hmmmmmmmmm.......I don’t have anything for 2020 yet.

 

[Dan]

@Dan_T , did you see any Tiger sharks? I think they’d be scary.

None seen during my trip, but those who went in August saw a huge one. If I saw it then, I may have uncontrolled blader movement and be ready to put my camera in between me & it.

The DM guide carried a meter long poker stick. We were instructed to stay together during a safety stop and returned to the skiff one at a time. The DM got back to the skiff last.