Indonesia closed for foreigners 01 - 14 January 2021

[Dan]

Going to Banda Sea and Ring of Fire. Paid the dive shop which required full payment way before covid 19 was a common word. Yes will definitely do trips a bit differently from now on.

You will be on the right boat for Ring of Fire trip. I was on Blue Manta for Ring of Fire trip in September 2019 (see my trip video, below). November is a bit late. You might get a bit of rough sea, but Blue Manta can certainly handle it well.

I went on a smaller Phinisi boat in November 2017 from Ambon to Bandaneira & up to Raja Ampat, but we hit bad weather on the way to Banda, lost stirring, and had to turn back to Seram and sent some crew with a skiff to get parts back in Ambon, loss a day in Seram, skipped Banda & went straight to Raja Ampat. Thank goodness the remaining trip to Raja Ampat was fantastic, kind of made it up the lost day in Banda, but no schooling hammerheads that we wanted to see.

 

[Weightless Wonder]

You will be on the right boat for Ring of Fire trip. I was on Blue Manta for Ring of Fire trip in September 2019 (see my trip video, below). November is a bit late. You might get a bit of rough sea, but Blue Manta can certainly handle it well.

I went on a smaller Phinisi boat in November 2017 from Ambon to Bandaneira & up to Raja Ampat, but we hit bad weather on the way to Banda, lost stirring, and had to turn back to Seram and sent some crew with a skiff to get parts back in Ambon, loss a day in Seram, skipped Banda & went straight to Raja Ampat. Thank goodness the remaining trip to Raja Ampat was fantastic, kind of made it up the lost day in Banda, but no schooling hammerheads that we wanted to see.

 

[Weightless Wonder]

Looks like incredible diving. Schools of sea snakes!

 

[Dan]

Looks like incredible diving. Schools of sea snakes!

You’ll see them in dive sites around Manuk island. There are 2 kinds of sea snakes I saw then and they are harmless. One of the DMs demonstrated it to me, as shown, below.

 

[Luko]

they are harmless

I would more likely state that Laticauda colubrina seakraits (the one you show in your image) are quiet and not agressive, rather than using the word "harmless" because they are extremely venomous, I discovered once a Laticauda nest laying under a big rock on the Lagoon Hotel beach in Vanuatu : mum's girth was impressive, probably about 10cm diameter as I remember, intertwined with a dozen babys, I really wouldn't have put my hand and played with her.
The ones showing in your Manuk video are Laticauda semifasciata, also venomous.

 

[Dan]

I would more likely state that Laticauda colubrina seakraits (the one you show in your image) are quiet and not agressive, rather than using the word "harmless" because they are extremely venomous, I discovered once a Laticauda nest laying under a big rock on the Lagoon Hotel beach in Vanuatu : mum's girth was impressive, probably about 10cm diameter as I remember, intertwined with a dozen babys, I really wouldn't have put my hand and played with her.
The ones showing in your Manuk video are Laticauda semifasciata, also venomous.

OK, they are quiet and non aggressive to human, but very venomous to their prey.

This Jonathan Bird’s Blue World video may explain it better:

 

[NootFish]

Also as I understand it, the venom-dispensing teeth are quite far back, and they would have trouble sinking them into any part of you. They are SO curious though! I can't wait to go back there!!!

 

[Blackcrusader]

Also as I understand it, the venom-dispensing teeth are quite far back, and they would have trouble sinking them into any part of you. They are SO curious though! I can't wait to go back there!!!

Very rare but they can bite and kill you.

British man dies from sea snake bite in Australia

 

[Blackcrusader]

Looks like incredible diving. Schools of sea snakes!

Seen several at same time in Moalboal Cebu Philippines as well on some of my dives.

 

[Blackcrusader]

We decided to reschedule our August 2021 trip to sometime next year.

Is that for a Raja Ampat trip?