Ambon

[scubajunky17]

HI All,
Is Ambon all about muck diving or is the reef diving excellent too ?

 

[matts1w]

Ambon is really all about muck but the coral dives outside of Ambon Bay are absolutely worth a day or two depending on how long you visit. Pintu Kota is a great blue water dive, and the boil-the-egg and the flashlight-fish-cave sites are fun. In the end, however, Ambon's muck diving is perhaps the best in the world and after a day in the ocean, most are glad to be back in the bay.

 

[Luko]

In the end, however, Ambon's muck diving is perhaps the best in the world and after a day in the ocean, most are glad to be back in the bay.

I don't fully agree with you, there are lots of coral dive spots out of Ambon island in the Lease group where some companies may take you out for day trips.

Saying that Ambon area is only worth for the bay muck is like for instance saying that North Sulawesi is only worth diving Lembeh and overlooking Bangka.

Ameth/Nusa laut, Haruku or South Molana are for instance spots that are worth more than a day providing you like abundance of corals, lots of reef fish and gin clear viz.

 

[matts1w]

Jeeze, Luko. You and I need to go out and drink together and sort our differences. I thought I gave the blue water side of Ambon props. If I didn't, I need to work on developing my narratives more. My bad.

 

[Adelaar Cruises]

Reef diving around Ambon and the outer islands can be quite enjoyable. Besides the most amazing critters in Ambon harbor, I've seen small groups of Hammerhead sharks, bueatiful walls, schooling jacks & baraccuda, and colorful hard and soft coral reefs.

 

[Luko]

Jeeze, Luko. You and I need to go out and drink together and sort our differences. I thought I gave the blue water side of Ambon props. If I didn't, I need to work on developing my narratives more. My bad.

Probably the conjunction of the words "dives outside of Ambon Bay" with "worth one day or two" (sic) that doesn't quite fit with my appreciation of Lease islands diving.
I could stay a week out there : it's a full dive destination, there are also operators that cater diving in this area while skipping Ambon bay (Cape Paperu or Mahu Lodge)..

PS : I drink wine.

 

[matts1w]

PS : I drink wine.

We are in complete agreement here.

 

[scubajunky17]

"quite enjoyable " If I'm going somewhere for my once a year trip I want to go somewhere better than quite enjoyable !

 

[Luko]

"quite enjoyable " If I'm going somewhere for my once a year trip I want to go somewhere better than quite enjoyable !

Well, well, well...

If I believe your dive profile 6 to 10 years diving while you say you have a trip once a year. That doesn't make many destinations traveled. I also read in one of your posts that you seemed to enjoyed Malapascua which is a bore for me apart for the one circus dive where you spot threshers (added with mantas and mobulas at the time I went).

As for a comparison I have been diving since 23 years, traveling 3 times a year, I enjoy more than quite the diving in Maluku, one of its charm is that you're ALONE : you won't bump into any other group of divers like for instance Raja Ampat became.

I also read that you dropped the idea of diving Alor because you aren't guaranteed to see whatever you want to see, I went three times and never was disappointed... You know, one of my friends photographer is coming back from Malpelo -he sells to big magazines- he complained he couldn't see a ceilingfull of hammerheads, only 10 at a time, and a few silkies, other than that walls of fish. I guess spending 10k$ for a purpose trip can make you unhappy.
A trip with boatloads of divers can make you (me certainly) unhappy.

Now since you're going to Ambon (you know what the bay of Ambon is about, right?) a side trip within Maluku won't cost you as much as 10k$, neither are you a photographer on a mission to shoot walls of hammerheads, nor will you be tucked into a big group of lousy divers attracted just by the name of the destination, besides that Malapascua level of diving is OK for you.
That "quite enjoyable" diving should be fine.

 

[scubajunky17]

Well, well, well, Assumption is the mother of all "fkups" as they say. I'm not here to be a keyboard warrior.
I have visited over fifty countries and have been diving for 18 years. I have also been privileged to have dived some of the best destinations on the Planet. I was not dissing the OP but just saying that if I'm travelling for a day and a half to dive somewhere and spending my hard earned cash, on my annual or bi annual dive trip, I want it to be better than "quite enjoyable"
Malapascua is incredible, nowhere else in the world can you consistently dive with T Sharks on a daily basis, I also love the locals and it's a lovely little island, granted the rest of the diving is crap but it's worth it for the Thresher sharks in my opinion.
I'm not satisfied with average diving, I want to visit the best places which my budget will allow.
I love this forum because it's great to network with other people with the same passion and get real feedback on places by people in the know, until your last post I always considered you to be a valued member of that community.