Diving Under Kaimana Bagan

[MissMango]

I like White Manta & its sister ship, Blue Manta. I have been on both boats twice each. I’ll be back to Blue Manta in September for Banda Sea & in February next year for North Raja Ampat.

I enjoy the stay, good food, huge & clean cabin (200 sqft / 20 sqm), good massage service, etc. like in 5 star hotel. Low engine noise, no creaking sound like in wooden boat that would wake you up in the middle of the night during cruising in rough sea.

I left a 10ft paddle board on the boat for you to use between dives. .

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Thank you very much! Now I'm even more excited!
Their Ambon trip is amazing, apparently. We were looking at the fall Ambon trip as well, but then decided to first fulfill our big dream and head to Raja Ampat/Misool.

Should I use the paddle board and make a fool of myself, I will share a photo with you

 

[Dan]

Thank you very much! Now I'm even more excited!
Their Ambon trip is amazing, apparently. We were looking at the fall Ambon trip as well, but then decided to first fulfill our big dream and head to Raja Ampat/Misool.

Should I use the paddle board and make a fool of myself, I will share a photo with you

That paddle board is pretty solid like a cardboard. If it starts to sag, just ask the crew to pump it up some more psi into it.

About the Banda Sea, it’s going to be on 14-22 September. I charter Blue Manta for that trip after seeing this video:


I went to Banda Sea for the first time in 2017 with La Galigo and saw no hammerheads then. Apparently El Niño was just started then and brought the hammerheads to deeper water, beyond recreational diving depth. Then I came back with Blue Manta in 2019 and saw some hammerheads, but not as many as what they saw in 2015.

That September 2024 video shows tons of hammerheads. I guess La Niña is back to Banda Sea. I have never seen so much rains around eastern Indonesia lately.

September is also peak season for Mola Mola. So we are heading to Bali for 2 days of diving in Nusa Penida, before heading to Ambon. I set up a boat to be in Crystal Bay at 7am to see the Mola Mola there before the rest of the late riser scare them away.

So, come & join me while I still have some spots on the boat.

 

[MissMango]

Amazing videos!

We will be diving Komodo in September and we'll arrive in Bali on Oct 1st only. We would have loved joining you!

Chartering a boat to hit up Crystal Bay before the crowds is a brilliant idea!
We heard some horror stories about the crowds there and dive centers taking DSDs who occasionally get lost or join the wrong dive groups underwater. That's why - after years of diving around Bali - we still have not been to Crystal Bay (or Manta Point).

Now please excuse me, I have to re-watch both videos

 

[Dan]

Amazing videos!

We will be diving Komodo in September and we'll arrive in Bali on Oct 1st only. We would have loved joining you!

Chartering a boat to hit up Crystal Bay before the crowds is a brilliant idea!
We heard some horror stories about the crowds there and dive centers taking DSDs who occasionally get lost or join the wrong dive groups underwater. That's why - after years of diving around Bali - we still have not been to Crystal Bay (or Manta Point).

Now please excuse me, I have to re-watch both videos

Thanks!

I’ve been diving in Bali since 2007, but never heard about dive operators taking DSD to Crystal Bay, which is known for down current. It’s more for advance divers. That’s nuts.

Enjoy Komodo in September! It’ll be on liveaboard or resort?

Oct. 1 is still good time to see Mola Mola. We’re going to miss each other. I’ll be returning home after Banda Sea. Plan to do Sardine Run in Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico in October

 

[MissMango]

Thanks!

I’ve been diving in Bali since 2007, but never heard about dive operators taking DSD to Crystal Bay, which is known for down current. It’s more for advance divers. That’s nuts.

Enjoy Komodo in September! It’ll be on liveaboard or resort?

Oct. 1 is still good time to see Mola Mola. We’re going to miss each other. I’ll be returning home after Banda Sea. Plan to do Sardine Run in Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico in October

We'll be staying with Scuba Junkie Komodo. Looking forward to it as we've heard great things about them.

 

[Dan]

We'll be staying with Scuba Junkie Komodo. Looking forward to it as we've heard great things about them.

I referred SJ to a couple friends. They are going to be there 2-9 September. However, they are not divers. They are snorkellers.

 

[Dan]

I’ve been on 3 other bagans in Indonesia:
1. Cendrawasih Bay
2. Tali Sayang
3. Saleh Bay

Amongst all 4 Bagans, Kaimana is the best. Watch the other 3 under the bagan videos and judge for yourself:

1. Cendrawasih Bay
I was there in 2015, before I started filming and uploading videos into my YouTube channel, Dan Tirto so I found one from other YouTuber.



2. Tali Sayang
This is part of the trip to Sangalaki with White Manta.



3. Teluk Saleh
This is part of the Bali-Komodo-Bali trip with MY Agnes & Mermaid 1.

 

[MissMango]

I’ve been on 3 other bagans in Indonesia:
1. Cendrawasih Bay
2. Tali Sayang
3. Saleh Bay

Amongst all 4 Bagans, Kaimana is the best. Watch the other 3 under the bagan videos and judge for yourself:

1. Cendrawasih Bay
I was there in 2015, before I started filming and uploading videos into my YouTube channel, Dan Tirto so I found one from other YouTuber.



2. Tali Sayang
This is part of the trip to Sangalaki with White Manta.



3. Teluk Saleh
This is part of the Bali-Komodo-Bali trip with MY Agnes & Mermaid 1.

I could watch such videos over and over again!

I meant to ask you: wasn't diving under kaimana bagan stressful? It looks so full with all these beautiful creatures and everybody constantly moving out of the way for the whale sharks, dolphins and the sailfish.
They sure put on a nice show for you guys!

 

[Dan]

The huge fish can be intimidating if that’s your first time being with them. However, they have no teeth, move slow & are gentle fish. You can get away from them easily. If they are on your back, you’ll be just being pushed away. You can feel the streaming water pushing you before their fins touching you.

I had a blast just hanging in the water column and enjoying the show. Dive operator would tie a rope on each corners of the bagan, where you can just hang on to it and enjoy the show.

What you don’t want to do is to chase them around, up & down the water column in order to get a good shot or footage. In the first 10m (30 ft) depth, the hydraulic pressure changes from 1 to 2 atmosphere. That’s a huge pressure change. If you move up & down too much, you can stress up your eardrums to the point of swelling Eustachian tube and retaining fluid in cavity behind your eardrums (Middle ears) and it would take a week to drain the fluid out of your middle ear.

Some of us just hang on the ropes & stick with U dive profile. Some of us that have good buoyancy control, use V dive profile starting few minutes just below the surface, as this dive usually starts very early (7am) with limited sun light, but good visibility, then went down to 5m to see the Whaleshark coming from the depth to the surface, then went down to 10-15m to see the dolphins and sailfish that mostly stay at depth and slowly ascend to 5m, where the morning sunlight was brighter, until we have enough or ran out of gas, as shown in the video. I think most of us dove there close to 2 hours.

 

[Plutonist]

We'll be staying with Scuba Junkie Komodo. Looking forward to it as we've heard great things about them.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but out of six mid-range operators in Indonesia, two of them in Komodo, this was the only one where I observed absolutely unacceptable and brazen abuse of wildlife for the amusement of guests. See the "The Ugly" section in this post: Trip Report - Scuba Junkie Komodo: sketchy diving practices

I don't think it is due to the operation targeting a more budget-conscious demographics, but rather a we-are-so-awesome crowd. I highly recommend you spend a bit more and go on a liveaboard with good reviews. They will be much more respectful towards wildlife and your safety.