outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
I have a friend in Ambon right now and is going to Banda Neira for resort based diving. He has been in contact with them and they have been saying they’ve been seeing them everyday lately, so who knows..... 
Has anyone personally seen hammerhead schools in the Banda Sea?
- Thread starter Kelle
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Great info all, and good point on the brand new boat nudisusie. Has anyone heard any reviews on this board for SY Adelaar? I can't find any. It looks like a stunning LOB (with a stunning price tag of course). Not sure if their itinerary in Sept. would be what I'm looking for - "Komodo Extended (Bali - Labuan Bajo) - 10 nights" doesn't mention anything about searching for hammerheads.
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
Komodo is great diving. You won’t find schooling hammerheads there but it is some of the best diving outside of Raja Ampat that I have done. I hear from friends the diving on the way to Komodo from Bali leaves something to be desired so I would focus on doing Komodo proper and fly into Labuan a Bajo from Bali instead.
I just got back from Banda Sea with Raja Manta....The experience are out of this world...check out the video I just posted. Now is the time to see them before they are gone. With the large number of LOBs going there plus threats of commericial fishing, it is hard to say how long they be there in the future.
billt4sf
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I'm not so sure there are "large" number of LOBs going there, though I'm sure more every year. Crossing trips are pretty hard to find. I think most LOBs do quite a number of RA tours every season, and one or two crossing trips to get there from Komodo. That's what I thought, anyway.
- Bill
Unlike RA where there are many dive sites within short distance, the cruise director can plan to dive at alternative site if another LOB is around.
It is not possible for Banda sea as islands are far apart. let say if we met 3 boats which is a lot already on one of the island and everybody want to dive at this hammerhead site, imagine 20 x 3 boat of divers + their DMs in the water at the same time, I doubt u see any hammerhead as they go deep as soon as some idiot start to chase them. Not difficult to find one in a big group.
So what they did is some dived at 4:30pm while another boat at 5pm etc. Despite the best effort of our cruise director, there is one dive that crash with another boat during a morning dive because the boat say they are diving at another site but end up change last min and dive at same site with us. So what happen is a mass orgy of 50+ dives at a small site. End result is predictable, no hammerhead seen for that dive.
It is not possible for Banda sea as islands are far apart. let say if we met 3 boats which is a lot already on one of the island and everybody want to dive at this hammerhead site, imagine 20 x 3 boat of divers + their DMs in the water at the same time, I doubt u see any hammerhead as they go deep as soon as some idiot start to chase them. Not difficult to find one in a big group.
So what they did is some dived at 4:30pm while another boat at 5pm etc. Despite the best effort of our cruise director, there is one dive that crash with another boat during a morning dive because the boat say they are diving at another site but end up change last min and dive at same site with us. So what happen is a mass orgy of 50+ dives at a small site. End result is predictable, no hammerhead seen for that dive.
Dan
Contributor
Those liveaboard operators in Banda Sea should learn from the guys in Galápagos & Cocos. Although they are not as many as you saw in Banda Sea and the visibilities weren’t as clear as that of Banda Sea, we have good luck seeing schooling hammerheads there in Galápagos & Cocos. We just sit & wait for the parade passed by.
oh wow - that sounds like a disaster I saw one day in the Maldives with boats chasing whalesharks. (well, actually it couldn't be anywhere near as bad as that was.)
Love the discussion on the Banda Sea search for hammerheads. Those who have seen them are so incredibly fortunate! That's a dream.
We're leaning towards Raja Ampat now, after realizing the ring of fire trips a year from now are pretty booked up already. Also, have had a chance to think about the water temps (yes, I'm fragile). Thinking now about doing a trip in early January. On that note has anyone heard any reports on the Mutiara Laut?
Love the discussion on the Banda Sea search for hammerheads. Those who have seen them are so incredibly fortunate! That's a dream.
We're leaning towards Raja Ampat now, after realizing the ring of fire trips a year from now are pretty booked up already. Also, have had a chance to think about the water temps (yes, I'm fragile). Thinking now about doing a trip in early January. On that note has anyone heard any reports on the Mutiara Laut?
My ROF trip is booked about 1.5 years ago. That is how popular this Banda sea trip are nowaday. Water temp is typically 28-29 DegC in Raja Ampat when I am there 3 years ago.
For the hammerhead dive, it only goes down to 26 DegC. Any higher than thaf, nearly no chance of seeing these elusive creatures as they be deep under us.
For the hammerhead dive, it only goes down to 26 DegC. Any higher than thaf, nearly no chance of seeing these elusive creatures as they be deep under us.
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