from: Bitung, to: Ternate
This is a sample itinerary. Itineraries may change without further notice due to weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances.
The first two days will be spent in the famous Lembeh Strait. Some say this area is the Capital of muck diving. The black sandy slopes here provide habitats for numerous weird and wonderful critters. Guests can look for octopus, frogfish, nudibranchs, pipefish – there really are critters galore here! There will be four dives on the first day and three on the next day before the boat travel to the next stop.
Tifore is home to a huge school of barracuda, said to number over 1,000! Tifore is a small island between Halmahera and Lembeh. Just off the island there is a submerged reef that slopes down to healthy hard and soft corals and huge shoals of schooling fish. Grey reef sharks sometimes pass by here too.
South Halmahera has pinnacles, walls and coral gardens to enjoy. The pinnacles are full of schooling fish, the walls covered in stunning soft corals and sea fans and reef sharks swim around the coral gardens. Napoleon wrasse, bumphead parrotfish, turtles, blacktips, whitetips, schools of jacks and barracuda all populate the reefs here. There are black sandy slopes providing excellent critter filled muck diving, especially for the night dives.
The Goraici Islands with white sandy beaches are the boat's next stop. The people here have been actively protecting their reefs here, keeping them healthy and in good condition. The reefs are packed with fish and there are pristine hard coral gardens. At another dive site there is a wall covered in corals where black tip reef sharks cruise around.
Pantini Strait is a channel between Halmahera and Bacan Island. The islands in the Pantinti Strait are rarely visited. There are healthy reefs covered in orange soft corals and large coral heads. Large numbers of anthias add colour to the reefs. Currents can bring in reef sharks including grey reefs, plus tuna and barracuda. There is a great drift dive through a channel. Walking sharks can be seen on the night dive.
On Bacan the crew can offer a land excursion organised by the Tourism Department of South Halmahera. There is an old Portuguese fort, traditional dancing and a local market. Southwest Bacan is where guests will concentrate their diving for the next day and a half. Stunning walls and canyons are open to the ocean so guests can expect some currents on some dive sites. Sea fans, soft corals and large coral heads decorate the coral gardens where guests can see reef sharks, napoleons, bumphead parrotfish and large schools of barracuda and jacks. There is a good muck night dive here too.
In Makian there is black sand diving, similar to Lembeh Strait. An excellent macro dive site where good critters life can be found. Strange creatures are seen here, including bobbit worms, nudibranch, frogfish and even walking sharks.
Guests will finish the trip with two dives in Ternate. There are a few wrecks in front of the mosque at a good dive depth, perfect for guests' last dives. Nudibranch, crocodile fish, ghost pipefish have all been spotted here. After lunch, the boat make its way back to Ternate for hearty goodbyes.