Carlos Diver
Contributor
This is like getting live updates from a football game lol. Great stuff guys.
Real Time Blue Manta Review: Banda Sea 9 – 19 Sept 2019
- Thread starter billt4sf
- Start date
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Dan
Contributor
We are done the last dive today & sailing to Ambon. Did 30 dives.
Looking back, my 1st attempt of crossing from Ambon to Raja Ampat via Banda Naira to see schooling hammerheads in late November, 2017 with La Galigo went through a bad storm as we sailed towards Banda Naira and had to skip it & turned back to Ceram for some engine repair then continued on to Raja Ampat. The diving in Raja Ampat made up the missing dives in Banda Sea. It was the best diving I have had in Raja Ampat.
This trip with Blue Manta in early September is my 2nd attempt to dive in Banda Sea (Ring of Fire). We finally got to see the schooling hammerheads, but the visibility was bad and the water was cold 73-77F (23-25C).
May be October would be a better time to dive in Banda Sea, as it’ll be spring time in Australia, which would bring a warmer, hopefully clearer water. So, @outofofficebrb I’m looking forward to your upcoming trip report of Ring of Fire trip on Mermaid I.
Looking back, my 1st attempt of crossing from Ambon to Raja Ampat via Banda Naira to see schooling hammerheads in late November, 2017 with La Galigo went through a bad storm as we sailed towards Banda Naira and had to skip it & turned back to Ceram for some engine repair then continued on to Raja Ampat. The diving in Raja Ampat made up the missing dives in Banda Sea. It was the best diving I have had in Raja Ampat.
This trip with Blue Manta in early September is my 2nd attempt to dive in Banda Sea (Ring of Fire). We finally got to see the schooling hammerheads, but the visibility was bad and the water was cold 73-77F (23-25C).
May be October would be a better time to dive in Banda Sea, as it’ll be spring time in Australia, which would bring a warmer, hopefully clearer water. So, @outofofficebrb I’m looking forward to your upcoming trip report of Ring of Fire trip on Mermaid I.
If you want warm waters with great visibility, go to the banda sea in April. However you're unlikely to see the schools of hammerheads as they are much deeper below the thermocline. Unfortunately to see the schools you need to go this time of the year where the thermocline is shallower, however it also means murky cold waters.
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
It sounds like you still hit the jackpot as you still saw them and got to spend time on an AMAZING looking boat.
I leave for the airport next week and will be in Ambon looking for a psycho for a week before I get on the Mermaid then will roundout with Komodo. I’ll be back with a review for sure! Thanks for the updates throughout!
Dan
Contributor
Jay
Need to dive more!
Today our group saw a Thresher shark as well as Hammerheads.
On this trip we’ve ‘only’ seen them schooling once but have seen the in smaller numbers multiple times. I started counting them only to give up at thirty and there were around three times as many.
Last night we watched doing their ritual before our BBQ dinner ... which was more like a 5 star charcoal BBQ feast. You name it we had it, perfectly cooked. There was some light after dinner entertainment by some of the crew.
I’m not really into macro but there was a tonne of that.
Vis was moderate and the temperature was less than what the crew said that expected for this time of year by 1-2 degrees.
The crew is awesome and as you’ve read there were some hiccups along with way thanks to nature but the crew rallied together to get things sorted as they could. Sure we lost the use of a tender, a couple of stools for the shower (which we sit on whilst our wetsuit is pulled off our legs), but ... cue the FirstWorldProblem hashtag!!
Net net an awesome experience
On this trip we’ve ‘only’ seen them schooling once but have seen the in smaller numbers multiple times. I started counting them only to give up at thirty and there were around three times as many.
Last night we watched doing their ritual before our BBQ dinner ... which was more like a 5 star charcoal BBQ feast. You name it we had it, perfectly cooked. There was some light after dinner entertainment by some of the crew.
I’m not really into macro but there was a tonne of that.
Vis was moderate and the temperature was less than what the crew said that expected for this time of year by 1-2 degrees.
The crew is awesome and as you’ve read there were some hiccups along with way thanks to nature but the crew rallied together to get things sorted as they could. Sure we lost the use of a tender, a couple of stools for the shower (which we sit on whilst our wetsuit is pulled off our legs), but ... cue the FirstWorldProblem hashtag!!
Net net an awesome experience
Dan
Contributor
It sounds like you still hit the jackpot as you still saw them and got to spend time on an AMAZING looking boat.
I leave for the airport next week and will be in Ambon looking for a psycho for a week before I get on the Mermaid then will roundout with Komodo. I’ll be back with a review for sure! Thanks for the updates throughout!
Hopefully you’ll find it.
We are heading back to Bali tomorrow & will have a day of diving in Nusa Penida to see mantas & mola mola before flying home on Sunday.
Have a blast of long dive trip!
Take care,
Dan
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
Luko
Contributor
Komodo or/and Alor.One day I will dive Bali. I think it’s on the calendar for Fall 2020. But as you know, I must ask....what else should I pair with it?
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
Hm...Maybe. I'm still licking my wounds with the new regulations on Batu Bolong (and sad). Komodo this year and next?
I will be visiting Alor in a few weeks via the Banda crossing. Do you feel it's worth doing again? Any other place in Asia that I should also consider that time of year? Maybe muck diving? Oh, there's always Lembeh at NAD....Philippines might be hard as it's still typhoon season....Similar threads
