Ring of Fire September 9-19, 2019

[Dan]

I’m gathering my gang to go to Ring of Fire, including Alor, Gunung Api, Manuk, & Banda, sailing from Maumere to Ambon with the best liveaboard operator for the area, White Manta Diving - Home. You can see the following promotional videos of the trip, here:




This “Ring of Fire” region is also known as the Cocos of Indonesia with schooling of hammerheads, but with additional incredible natural phenomenon to see other than the fish, like active volcano island, schooling of sea snakes in Manuk island as shown by Jonathan Bird of Blue World here:


The detail of trip itinerary can be found here: White Manta Diving - Maumere-Alor-Banda-Ambon

The trip date will be from 9 to 19 of September, 2019 (trip code: BMROF1), White Manta Diving - Schedules & Rates for KM Blue Manta

I have a group of 9 so far. Need 3 more nutty divers who love to dive in Indonesia like you all & me. If I get all 12 people (including me), I plan to split 2 free of charges ($12,000) equally amongst all 12 of us. That will be a significant discount for everyone. If anyone is interested, PM me for more detail group rate that I can get you.

Cheers
Dan

 

[Dogbowl]

@Dan_T , now I cannot sleep...I am blaming it all on you. I’m taking a look at the details now...

 

[Dan]

@Dan_T , now I cannot sleep...I am blaming it all on you. I’m taking a look at the details now...

Sorry!

It’ll be a once in a life time trip, before you retire

I’ve been going back to Indonesia for 10 years (6x to Raja Ampat, 3x to Komodo, 10x to Bali, Wakatobi, Lembeh, Bunaken, Ambon, Alor, Maratua Atoll) but have never been to Banda, but always wanted to. I finally bit the bullet & commited to this awesome trip.

 

[Dogbowl]

Sorry!

It’ll be a once in a life time trip, before you retire

I’ve been going back to Indonesia for 10 years (6x to Raja Ampat, 3x to Komodo, 10x to Bali, Wakatobi, Lembeh, Bunaken, Ambon, Alor, Maratua Atoll) but have never been to Banda, but always wanted to. I finally bit the bullet & commited to this awesome trip.

Well, you’re definitely one of the Indonesian experts here on SB so I trust it will be a fantastic trip!

 

[Dan]

May 2017 Ring of Fire Trip video:

 

[Dan]

Another Ring of Fire trip video (2015)

 

[billt4sf]

Is there such a thing as a hammerhead "season"? If so, what is it? And where is it?

- Bill

 

[Dan]

Is there such a thing as a hammerhead "season"? If so, what is it? And where is it?

- Bill

I think around Banda in September to November. I have never been there. I welcome some Banda experts to comment, or SB members who have been there like @dirtfarmer

From White Manta Diving - Maumere-Alor-Banda-Ambon
“Day 4-7. (3 dives x4 days) Ring of Fire; diving around Volcanic Islands and stunning seamounts in search of hammerheads, encounter many sea snakes, huge schools of fish, reef sharks, tunas, & other pelagic superstars.
Day 8-9. (3 dives x2 days) Diving around Banda Islands with excellent visibility, fantastic coral coverage and tremendous numbers of fish along with potential Hammerhead sightings, plus a visit to one of the Spice Islands.”

From Banda Dive sites information - Scuba Diving Resource
“Karang Hatta is a reef located South East of Pulau Hatta. Its dive sites are the ones closest to the 6000 m deep Banda trench, which makes diving interesting as the chances to see big pelagics are the best here. Schooling trevallies, barracudas, tunas and even chances to see bigger sharks (hammerheads and grey reef sharks), as well as many turtles can be seen close to this underwater mountain...”
“Ai Island: north and south-west coast surrounded by beautiful reef wall, full of caves also the habitat for harbors fish. Just as Pulau Hatta, Ai offers some of Banda’s best reefs. The northern sites of the island, for example the dive site Batu Payung (= Umbrella rock), have a rather steep wall with lots of cracks and overhangs whereas the southern reef areas are sloping off down to the sand bottom at 40-50 m. In the south of Ai, occasionally Hammerhead sharks have been sighted, giving this dive site its name “Hammerhead point”. Napoleons and turtles can often be seen here, as well.”

From Dive Spots of Banda Sea - Calico Jack Adventures
“Pulau Nils & Pulau Dusborgh
Pulau Dusborgh has only recently been uncovered to be a hot spot for schooling hammerheads at this particular time of year.

Nils Desperandum
Nil Desperandum, which when translated means “don’t despair”, possibly refers to
 the ship that was wrecked here centuries ago. A big atoll with a very steep drop off, schooling sharks including hammerheads, silky and gray reef sharks can be spotted in the deep.”

 

[Dan]

The Ring of Fire 2017 by bugDreamer.com

 

[Dan]

I was greeted by a huge pod of dolphins when I was in Alor in 2012