DIVES TOTAL: 20
Day 1 (Dives Total: -)
Check-in on board Mermaid II between 13:00-15:00 hours at Benoa Harbour in Bali. You’ll set up equipment and you can settle into your cabin, and after we will do a boat and safety briefing, Dinner will be served at 19:00 hours as Mermaid II cruises into the sunset on her overnight journey to Moyo Island, north west Sumbawa.
Day 2 (Dives Total: 3)
Start your adventure with 2 great dives around Moyo Island in the calm, clear waters of Angel Reef, Little Angel Reef or Panjang Reef at Moyo Island. Massive elephant ear and barrel sponges and beautiful corals offer great homes for massive moray eels, schools of longfin bannerfish and red tooth triggerfish, frogfish, nudibranchs, surgeonfish, snappers and dogtooth tuna. Gentle currents find small white tip sharks snoozing lazily under massive table corals, and the massive garden eel garden on Angel Reef is a sight to behold A world class night dive along the shallow reefs at Labuanhaji off the Moyo village – frogfish, bobtail squid, cockatoo wasp-fish, daily octopus, devil scorpionfish, nudibrancs galore – you name it, it’s probably there! Afterwards, Mermaid II will cruise around to Saleh Bay formed by Moyo Island and the long coast of Sumbawa Island for the morning’s adventures with the whale sharks of Saleh Bay.
Day 3 (Dives Total: 4)
An early start in Saleh Bay diving and snorkelling with whale sharks! Mermaid II will discover which bagan (fishing platform) is being well visited by the whale shark of Saleh Bay in Sumbawa – jumping in around 6:30-07:00 for approximately 3 hours with these amazing creatures. After we head north to Satonda Island for macro/reef dive followed by a world class night dive after watching a million bats fly at sunset. Cruise overnight to Gili Banta and the Komodo National Park.
Day 4 (Dives Total: 4)
Today is all about the best dives for the conditions on offer in the north of the Komodo National Park starting maybe with Gili Banta’s awesome GPS Point, currents allowing, or on to the delights such as Batu Monco, Crystal Rock, Castle Rock, Lighthouse Reef - a fish day with loads of reef fish, big action from giant trevally, jacks, snapper, unicorn fish and surgeon fish in their hundreds, eagle rays, and chance for white tip and grey reef sharks and stunning scenery.
Day 5 (Dives Total: 3)
Today the south of Komodo Island calls with its world-famous Manta Alley for 2 dives then we head up back up the Komodo channel to Loh Liang for an exciting visit to Komodo National Park to walk with the dragons! … after sunset there’s a truly special night dive.
Day 6 (Dives Total: 4)
2 fabulous dives around Gili Lawalaut/Gili Darat area in North Komodo at sites such as Batu Bolong, Shotgun, Gili Darat Passage then Mermaid II will make her way to Gili Banta and on to Sangeang Volcano for a fantastic critter night dive and village visit at Bontoh village – a true treat! Overnight, we cruise to Sumbawa area.
Day 7 (Dives Total: 2)
You will enjoy two fantastic dives at Sumbawa and Moyo Islands for more chances for ghost pipe fish, ribbon eels, turtle, cuttlefish and “fish soup” before cruising overnight to Benoa in the south of Bali.
Day 8 (Dives Total: -)
Disembark at Benoa Harbour after breakfast at 8 am.
This is a sample itinerary and is subject to changes beyond the operator’s control. The exact itinerary, route and number of dives for your cruise may be adapted to best suit the weather conditions, tides and currents, season and other prevailing events.