Ambon in Jul-Aug (rainy season)? Other suggestions for Indo this summer...+

[cephalopod2]

oc those are outrageously beautiful lacies -- thanks for sharing your wonderful photo! Your lighting really made their colours 'pop'.

 

[cephalopod2]

While I am asking, has anyone dove Nusa Laut from land?

A friend just came back raving about it (she was on a Banda liveaboard). Andy (of Maluku) pointed me to Cape Paperu which says it does trips to Nusa Laut, so I am now thinking I will combine a week/+ in Ambon with some time in NusaLaut - making an even stronger case for dry season I think. Looks like transportation will be by boat (which will be interesting with the amount of heavy kit I have to carry).

Is it worth hauling to Saparua? Luko it sounds like you have dove there. Do you have recommendations for accomodations or dive sites? How many days would you recommend? How is the other Saparua diving?

N

 

[Luko]

Is it worth hauling to Saparua? Luko it sounds like you have dove there. Do you have recommendations for accomodations or dive sites? How many days would you recommend? How is the other Saparua diving?

I'll mail you.

 

[ocdiver1]

Thanks Natasha And, yes, Andy is a great guy and there could be few more knowledgeable about Maluku diving that he...surprised they are now open in the summer, even when I was there last month the manager Marcel was still talking about being closed during that period. They also apparently haven't spotted the new frogfish since last May. I've always seen quite a few flamboyant cuttles every time I've been in Lembeh, regardless of the time of year, hopefully you get lucky this time.

 

[cephalopod2]

Luko thanks for all your help and oc thanks for the flambo encouragement. Oc it is also extremely helpful to know that the Maluku frogfish hasn't been seen in a while - I definitely need to reset my hopes on that front.

So now that Ambon/NusaLaut is sidelined for summer, I am back to square 1.

Lembeh looks good for a couple weeks, and seeing Luko's suggestions, I think I will try to make it to Bangka as well. I may just try to dive it from Lembeh, since my dive buddy is not a fan of shuffling around. But if anyone has Banka dive op recommendations please let me know.

That would leave roughly another 2 weeks. Is it possible to dive Alor area landbased? But maybe summer is the wrong season for that...

Is there any point thinking about a Manado extension to dive some of the mainland sites there? When I was in Bunaken I dove almost 100% Bunaken, so I think I have only dove one or two of the mainland Manado area sites (one of which I remember had a nice strong downcurrent, followed by a strong side current). The dive op websites I read suggest that area offers mostly current dives -- is that true? I have heard that there are some good spotters on that coast as well.

Basically any place with great dive guides/spotters and more out of the way reefs I am up for. Since I will already be in Sulawesi - anywhere else in that region I should consider? (Excluding Wakatobi area).

Your suggestions welcome,
N

 

[Luko]

But if anyone has Banka dive op recommendations please let me know.

Gangga island resort exepnsive but veeeery good dive center.
Murex Bangka, Aswar is a great and cheerful dive guide. He knows the place of every critter around Bangka/Pulisan area.

Is there any point thinking about a Manado extension to dive some of the mainland sites there?

You may dive the most interesting ones from Bangka. That is if you stay with one of Bangka's operators.
You may also combine Manado/Bangka dives with Murex who have operations located on each place.

Is it possible to dive Alor area landbased?

Absolutely and summer is a season to.

Since I will already be in Sulawesi - anywhere else in that region I should consider?

How about Halmahera just in front of Lembeh, looking east ?... Ternate is only only one hour flight from Manado and a new dive frontier.

 

[ocdiver1]

+1 on Murex Bangka..just stayed there on my last trip, also saw flamboyant cuttlefish there . I've done Alor landbased and you'd be thinking of going at a great time...I stayed at Eco Resort there which I'd highly recommend.

 

[cephalopod2]

Thank you both - this is exciting news. I will look into both Gangga (have checked before I know) and Murex (dove with one of the co-owners on a LOB last year) for Bangka.

Do either of you have trip reports or photo galleries for Bangka? Komodo reefs are the ones I know the best -- can you give me a comparison of Bangka or Alor to Komodo (or anywhere else you think might be helpful)? Are there a lot of current dives there? My buddy is not a huge drift diving fan, and it is not easy for photography often.

Luko I imagine you have dive op suggestions for Alor too Is it mostly muck or mostly reef?

Halmahera - yes I have heard of that region and was curious. But one site I found says Oct-Dec & Mar-Apr are the best times to dive there. Recommendations for dive op? Weda maybe?

N

 

[Luko]

Do either of you have trip reports or photo galleries for Bangka?

That's a work in progress for Bangka and Lembeh though, most of them are Bangka shots. UW Bangka & Lembeh - a set on Flickr.
Some currents but not often ripping, often a good viz. I repeat this again and again, but Sahaung2 is one of the most beautiful dive sites I have seen.

Can't help though with Alor, it's on my bucket list, I have lots of documentation/discussion but no first hand experience. From what I understand it's a Komodo bis, with gin clear waters, ripping currents, both coral and macro areas and sometimes a pod of killer whales in the middle of the channel.
Met in Paris and discussed with Gilles owner of www.alor-divers.com (the eco resort OCdiver is talking about), nice guy.

Halmahera is a mystery. It looks like there are different weather patterns depending on the location. Though I can assume from my local contacts you should skip december to march period, at least on the western side. Weda bay and the north east might be different, looks like it's not diveable in summer... Rob will certainly chime in for Weda.
But Halmahera is large and there are more places than Weda for adventurous divers.

 

[funscuba]

Wooooow, freakin' awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope to see those one of these days.