liveaboards

This is the thirty fourth in a series which introduces and describes the various dive services and sites for worldwide liveaboard dive safaris.  This one focuses on the Tuscan Archipelago.

In addition to this series on liveaboard diving, the best worldwide dive resort locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards / Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a a title from the list.

Tuscan Archipelago Scuba Diving

Elba – The centerpiece of the Tuscan Archipelago is the historic and scenic island of Elba.  Memorable to many as the site of Napoleon’s 10 month exile, it also has a coastline of caves, coves and 150 sandy beaches in its 225 square kilometers (140 square miles).  In 1950 it was opened to tourism which started the move by the locals to preserve the natural setting.  This led to the creation of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park which includes Elba, the third largest island in Italy, and the islands of Pianosa, Capraica, Giglio and Giannutri.

Undersea World – The natural richness combined with the conservation efforts of the National Park has created one of the top scuba diving locations in the Mediterranean.  On Elba alone there are, at last count, 15 dive centers servicing the many thousands of tourists coming each year.  The wild life is characterized by interesting macro critters including scorpionfish, nudibranchs, seahorses, octopus, lobsters, thread worms, leopard snails and hermit crabs.  In addition there are lots of sponges, sea fans and small red corals with conger, moray and sea grass eels, flounder, bamboo sharks, sunfish, grouper, barracuda, schools of amberjacks and tuna, eagle rays, dolphins and whales. There are hidden anchorages, secluded coves, walls, caves, canyons, pinnacles and a number of historic airplane and ship wrecks to explore.  Sites are available to suit all skill levels

Seasons and Conditions – The climate in the archipelago is typical of the region with warm summers and cooler, wetter winters.  Most of the diving is done from May through October when temperatures may reach highs of 28°C (82°F).  Average temperatures at that time range from 19-25°C (66-78°F).  Water temperatures during this warm season are from 15-22°C (59-73°F). Be sure to bring the suitable thermal protection.  When conditions are cooler from November through April, a lot of the fauna have departed for warmer water including the eagle rays, amberjacks and tuna.  Visibility is good, but variable, and can be up to 50 meters (165 feet) in some locations.

Best Liveaboard Dive Boats – Tuscan Archipelago

There are many dive shops on Elba, but only the Norseman runs liveaboards in the archipelago which cruise during the warm season from May to October.  The very reasonably priced safaris usually accept a maximum of 6 divers, providing a personal service and cozy atmosphere.  The Captain and divers have a discussion and based on the sea conditions and the desires and skill levels of the guests, the itinerary is arranged.  It can include the 7 islands of the archipelago, Corsica and Sardinia.  You can decide together what wrecks, wildlife or types of underwater terrain to explore and go from there.  The Captain is a diver and known to be extremely knowledgeable of the entire region.

Norseman ($179/day)

 

Key Details:

• From May to October, 7 day/6 night cruises with itinerary planned by the divers and Captain
• Built 1922, renovated 1978
• Length 18.5 meters
• Max guests: 6, number of cabins: 3, number of bathrooms: 1
• Audio & video entertainment, library, sun deck, indoor saloon, warm water showers, outdoor dining, charging stations
• Fine cuisine including local food with vegetarian options, board is charged separately at €237/trip
• The crew speaks English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian
• Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
• No scuba equipment on board, available at local dive shops
• Price includes 5 dives, additional dives cost €25/dive
• Dive courses can be arranged
• Tender for diving

Check further details at Liveaboard.com

Elba Island Hotels

Elba is serviced by several regional airlines at Marina di Campo Airport, but flights are very limited.  Ferries, which can transport cars and passengers from the Italian mainland port of Piombino, take 1 hour and are frequent.  On Elba there is train and bus service.  Car rental and hitch hiking are both popular.

A variety of hotels starting at $50/night are available around the island.  There are 15 dive shops that can rent equipment and provide diving services including day charters.  This website is a good source for the available options and can arrange booking:  Elba Island Hotels

Elba Island Attractions (aside from scuba diving)

With 150 beaches, enjoying the sun and the sand are a primary option.  Other seaside activities that are popular are windsurfing, kite surfing, fishing and sailing.  Going inland, hiking, cycling or horseback riding on trails into the mountains may suit your interest.  This is Italy, so great wines, Tuscan seafood and quaint restaurants and shops should not be missed.  Ancient staircases and fortresses inhabited by the Spanish, Romans and Etruscans who fought with the French, English and Germans and Napoleon’s exile home provide something of interest for the archaeologically and historically motivated tourist.

Tuscan Archipelago Photos

With the macro life, wrecks, clear water, beautiful, diverse reef, lots of fish and historic topside scenery, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:  Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

I hope you found this post on Tuscan Archipelago liveaboard diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

This is the thirty third in a series which introduces and describes the various dive services and sites for worldwide liveaboard dive safaris.  This one focuses on Alor and Flores Islands, Indonesia liveaboards.

In addition to this one on liveaboards, the best worldwide dive resort locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or other liveaboards, click on Liveaboards / Resorts on the menu at top and choose a a title from the list.

Alor Diving

The Alor Archipelago is volcanic in origin at the eastern end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, east of Flores. Alor Island is the largest of them at 2,800 square kilometers (1,750 square miles) with a population of 145,000.  Subsistence agriculture is the primary livelihood, but the government has been promoting production of nuts, spices and wood and the development of mineral and other natural resource extraction.

The scuba diving is characterized by large schools of fish, big pelagics, great macro creatures and a healthy reef. There are also excellent muck diving areas.  It is remote and little traveled with substantial drift, at times, suitable for more advanced divers.  The coral life is amazing and dolphins and pilot whales are often sighted.

There are only a couple of dive resorts there that focus primarily on the Pantar Strait, so a liveaboard is the best way to take in the most sites spread over a broad area.

Highlighted Alor Dive Sites

Kal’s Dream: The colorful sea mount can have substantial current for the diver and a great variety of fish including anthias, fusiliers, surgeonfish, snappers, barracudas, grey reef sharks and rays.

Shark’s Galore: Located off of Pura Island, this site is calmer drift-wise, but chances of seeing grey reef sharks and whitetips in numbers is high, along with big dog-toothed tuna.

The Twilight Zone: This freaky site starts near the steamy hot springs and lava flow off of Biangabang village on Pantar Island in the black volcanic sand.  In the shallower water are macro critters of interest like snake eels, mantis shrimp, Pegasus seamoths, octopus, gurnards, soapfish, bobbit worms and Spanish dancers, which are large enough, but also the extremely rare and huge Djibouti Giant nudibranch, which can reach lengths of 60 cm (2 feet). The reef extends to 40 meters (130 feet) in depth.

Diving is good year round with a January-February wet season when the surface can be rougher and visibility reduces.  Stronger current occurs from March to December and in October and November.  From May to September is the southeast monsoon, which means more wind, rather than rain. The visibility may decrease to 12 meters (40 feet), but this is when the plankton bloom happens and increases feeding activity.  Outside of the monsoon season visibility is usually 25-30 meters (85-100 feet).  Mola Mola are more likely to be spotted in September. Water temperatures year round are in the range of 25-32°C (77-89.6°F).

Alor Reef Summary

• Depth: 12-40m (40-130ft)
• Visibility: 12-30m (40-100ft)
• Currents: occasionally strong
• Surface conditions: occasionally rough
• Water temperature: 25-32°C (77-89.6°F)
• Experience level: advanced
• Number of dive sites: 15+

Flores Diving

Flores Island is the tenth largest in Indonesia and to the east of Sumbawa just next to Komodo and west of Lembata and the Alor Archipelago. Its name means flowers in Portuguese and it has a population of 1.8 million.  Komodo Dragons are living wild in the western section and the island was the home of the dwarf stegodon, which became extinct 12,000 years ago, and the Flores Man, known as the Flores Hobbit, that died out, by most recent estimates, at least 50,000 years ago.

The area around Maumere, the largest city, suffered in the past from dynamite fishing and the 1992 tsunami.  It has recovered and developed since that time and today there is great diversity and new coral development. Overall, the diving around Flores is to the north of the island and characterized by great diversity and macro life.  The conditions are suitable for intermediate and advanced divers and it is remote enough that there is not a lot of diving traffic there.  The sites are fairly well spread out geographically making a liveaboard the best way to take in the best sites.

Highlighted Flores Dive Sites

Maumere: The sea around this city is far from pristine, but there are a number of wrecks and macro life worth exploring.

Adonara Island, in Eastern Flores: Wildlife includes ribbon eels, frogfish, weedy scorpionfish and the wonderpus octopus.  Many uncharted sites are in channels and headlands along the coastline ripe for exploring.

Babi Island:  There is a healthy reef wall to 50 meters (165 feet) frequently with excellent visibility.  Moray and ribbon eels, snappers, parrotfish, angelfish and a great diversity of reef fish are prevalent.  A rich variety of corals, sponges, gorgonians, crinoids and other invertebrates flourish to depths as great as 35 meters (116 feet).  Strong currents, at times, make for exciting drift diving.

Lambata Island: The Lamalera Village headland has boulders and coral slopes that hold a variety of reef fish including fusiliers, butterflyfish and anthias, to name a few, and gorgonians with their pygmy seahorses, along with reef sharks.  It is a traditional whaling village, regrettably, but that is an indication of cetaceans in the area.

South Pangah Baland: Soft and leather corals cover the sloping wall that descends to 28 meters (95 feet).  The occasional strong currents can keep you busy as you swim with meter long bumphead parrotfish, sharks and eagle rays with garden eels, mantis shrimp, leaf fish and other macro critters near the bottom.

Wai Terang: This Japanese WWII freighter is resting on its side in 12-25 meters (40-84 feet) just 70 meters (230 feet) from shore.  The encrusting life that has grown since the 1940s has created a fairly rich coral reef with a lot of small fish and invertebrates. Highlights are lionfish, eels, nudibranchs and cuttlefish.

The dry season is from April to December.  From January to March, it is wetter, but that generally doesn’t interfere with the diving for a significant amount of time.  Rain, though, will result in increased run-off in the western mountainous regions which can reduce visibility.

Flores Reef Summary

• Depth: 12-28m (40-94ft)
• Visibility: 8-30m (25-100ft)
• Currents: occasionally strong
• Surface conditions: occasionally rough
• Water temperature: 25-30°C (77-86°F)
• Experience level: intermediate and advanced
• Number of dive sites: ~10

Best Liveaboard Dive Boats – Alors and Flores

There are a number of vessels that tour Alor and Flores.  Most make a few cruises per year spaced between others to nearby areas.  Two devote a large portion of the year to the region.  The Seven Seas has 11 trips specifically to Alor and Flores.  The MY Oceanic go to Alor and Flores for 10 trips and do another 4 to Alor and the Forgotten Islands (to the east).

Here is a summary of the diving tours of the boats that go to Alor and Flores:

• The Seven Seas – Eleven 13-15 day trips to Alor and Flores annually; other cruises to 1) Raja Ampat 2) Komodo & Sumbawa
• MY Oceanic – ten 10-12 day trips to Flores & Alor annually; four 11-12 day trips to Alor & Forgotten Islands annually; seven 8 day trips to Komodo & Flores annually; other cruises to 1) Komodo North 2) Komodo South 3) Komodo & Sumbawa
• KLM Tidak Apa’Pa –  one 14 day cruise annually to Banda Sea, Ambon, Alor & Flores; other cruises to 1)  Raja Ampat 2) Komodo 3) Banda Islands & Ambon
• MV Empress II – two 11 day cruises annually to Banda Sea, Ambon, Alor & Flores; two 13 day cruises to Banda Sea, Ambon & Alor; other cruises to 1) Raja Ampat 2) Komodo 3) Raja Ampat, Banda Islands & Ambon
• MY Emperor Raja Laut –  three 10 day cruises annually to Alor & Flores; other cruises to 1) Raja Ampat 2) Komodo 3) Banda Islands & Ambon 4) Komodo, Sumbawa & Lombok
• SY Adelaar – three 12 day cruises annually to Alor & Flores; other cruises to 1) Komodo & Sumbawa

Click on the names of the vessels or the Dive the World banner in the right sidebar to get full details on all the cruises.

Of the two primary vessels touring Alor and Flores, The Seven Seas is a little larger with a higher level of luxury.  The MY Oceanic serves much smaller groups and is considerably cheaper.

All the boats listed are well outfitted for diving and provide a very high quality of service.

The Seven Seas

• Cruises Komodo, Raja Ampat, Alor, Flores
• Eleven 13-15 day trips to Alor and Flores annually
• Alor and Flores Itinerary: South Pantar, Solor, Alor, Reong Island, Wetar, Lembata, Ghost Town, Komba Volcano fireworks, beachcombing, whaling village visit, local market visit, excursion Kelimutu Lakes, weaving village visit
• Air conditioned saloon, aircon cabins, audio & video entertainment, warm water showers
• Sun deck
• Western, Indonesian and vegetarian cuisine
• Indoor saloon
• Photography station, separate rinse for u/w camera
• Charging stations,
• Experienced English-speaking divemasters (max 8 divers per DM)
• Onboard kayaks
• Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
• Nitrox available (free)
• 2 x life rafts (max. 45 passengers)
• 3 x 40 HP dive tenders

Check it out on Liveaboard.com

Check it on Dive the World by clicking the banner in the right sidebar

MY Oceanic

• Cruises Komodo, Flores, Alor and Forgotten Islands
• Sixteen 10-12 day trips to Flores, Alor and Forgotten Islands annually
• Alor and Flores Itinerary: Maumere, Maragajong, Pulau Besar, West Serbete,Watu Peni, Soangi, The Brewery, West Lembata, West Pantar, Straits of Alor, and village visit to Lamakera
• Alor and Forgotten Islands Itinerary: Kalabahi Bay, Pertamina jetty, Wetar, Reong, Nyata, Nus Leur, Terbang Utara, Teun, Nila, Nil Desperandum, Dai, Dawera, Nisnitu, Karang Barasadi, and Reong land excursion
• Daily housekeeping, air conditioned saloon, aircon cabins, en-suite bathrooms, audio & video entertainment, library
• Sun deck
• Indoor saloon
• Warm water showers
• Camera room with table and charging point
• Charging stations
• Western, local and vegetarian cuisine
• The crew speaks English, French, Spanish, and Indonesian
• A minimum of 50 logged dives or Advanced Open Water certification or equivalent is required to join trips on the Oceanic
• Experienced English-speaking divemasters (max 4 divers per DM)
• Dive deck
• Nitrox available, sidemount diving
• Tenders for diving
• Emergency rafts

Check it out on Liveaboard.com

Check it on Dive the World by clicking the banner in the right sidebar

	The Seven Seas	MY Oceanic
Length	35 m	28 m
Guests	24	12
Crew	20	Unlisted
Equipment	$30/day	$34/day
Nitrox	Free	$11/day
Snorkeler Friendly	Yes	Yes
Kayaks	Yes	No
Single Supplement	$50 off/night	+65%
Non-diver Rate	None	15% off
Price/Day	$457	$292

Alor and Flores Accommodation

If you would like to have a dive adventure from a land base, there is a choice of accommodation in Maumere, Flores.  Places to stay in Alors are a little harder to find. This website is a good source for available options and can arrange booking: Flores, Indonesia Accommodation

Scuba Dive Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

I hope you found this post on Alor and Flores liveaboards interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

This is the thirty second in a series which introduces and describes the various dive services and sites for worldwide liveaboard dive safaris.  This one focuses on Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesia liveaboards.

In addition to this one on liveaboards, the best worldwide dive resort locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or other liveaboards, click on Liveaboards / Resorts on the menu at top and choose a a title from the list.

Cenderawasih Bay Diving

Cenderawasih Bay, which means Bird of Paradise Bay in Indonesian, located to the northwest of the Indonesian province of Papua and east of West Papua Province, is more than 300 kilometers (187.5 miles) wide and 700 kilometers (437.5 miles) long with several rivers emptying into it.  The western portion of the bay is a protected marine reserve that is part of Teluk Cenderawasih National Park.

For the scuba diver the highlights are whale sharks, manta rays, great bio-diversity and macro life. Dr. Gerald Allen, the prominent ichthyologist, refers to Cenderawasih Bay as “the Galapagos of Indonesia’s reefs.”  This remote area has very healthy reefs, World War II wrecks and moderate to strong current making it suitable for intermediate to advanced divers.

The most spectacular attraction is the whale sharks that live there year round.  Adults, the newborn and juveniles congregate in masses around fishing platforms at depths of a few meters, feeding on fish fry and don’t appear to be bothered by snorkelers and divers swimming among them.  This makes for some great photo opportunities with several sharks and humans in the same frame.

During World War II the Japanese anchored in the bay near Manokwari, while the allies were located at Biak Island to the east.  There were many altercations resulting in numerous planes, ships and boats now resting on the seabed. Some are yet to be discovered and several are not often dived.

Cenderawasih Bay is also renowned for muck diving with a great variety of macro life and for the four species of turtle (green, hawksbill, pacific Ridley and leatherback) which can be observed.

Popular Dive Sites

Kwatisore Bay – This is a famous whale shark area on the southern coastline of Cenderawasih Bay near the town of Nabire. As described above, whale sharks can be found in numbers there that allow swimmers and divers to mingle with them.

Shinwa Maru – Resting on the seabed near Manakwari at depths from 16-34 meters (53-112 feet), this 120 meter (394 foot) vessel is a Japanese transport ship.  Two blast holes on the starboard side sent her to her fate.  Her name translates as “friendly spirit” which didn’t help her much that day.  Today she is richly covered with sponges and corals with schools of jacks, moray eels and great macro life including nudibranchs.  Scattered cargo of dishes, beer and sake bottles, batteries, chopsticks and two old style diving helmets still remains in place.

Sungei Omiand is one of many muck diving sites around the bay.  It has black volcanic sand with rocks and coral clusters which are the home to a great diversity of macro creatures such as pygmy seahorses, sea kraits, snake eels, tiger prawns, cuttlefish, frogfish, nudibranchs and blue-ringed octopus.  Many of the best places to discover such creatures are in areas of marine rubbish close to settlements.  Of course the rubbish is off-putting, but does have the benefit of providing great habitat for such animals.

Liveaboard diving in Cenderawasih Bay only takes place from July to September.  There are no local dive shops in the area.  From July to September the winds and rain can make the surface conditions a little rough outside the bay, so several of the Raja Ampat liveaboards opt to cruise to Cenderawasih because it is better protected from the elements and has some fantastic diving.

Whale sharks are in the bay year round.  There is no special season for them.

There are two wet seasons, November/December and July/August, but the region has rain throughout the year.

Water temperatures run to 27°C (86°F) from May to October and 30°C (86°F) from November to April. I can’t imagine you will want any thicker than a 3mm wetsuit.

Conditions Summary

• Depth: 5-40+m (16-130+ft)
• Visibility: 10-30m (33-100ft)
• Currents: moderate to strong
• Surface conditions: usually calm
• Number of dive sites: >50

Cenderawasih Bay Liveaboard Dive Boats

There are four excellent yachts cruising Cenderawasih Bay.  The Dewi Nusantara has a slightly higher level of service and facilities and is a bit more expensive.  Unfortunately, three out of the four only do 2-3 cruises to the bay annually.  Only the KLM Sea Safari has a substantial number at ten.  So, without local dive operators and so few liveaboards, I can suggest that it is a rare opportunity to go to and enjoy such a remote and special place.

• KLM Sea Safari 8
• MV Pearl of Papua
• Dewi Nusantara
• Calico Jack

KLM Sea Safari 8

• 7 day cruises to Rajah Ampat and Cenderawasih Bay
• 10 trips to Cenderawasih Bay from July-September
• Cenderawasih Bay itinerary includes – Purup Island, Lonley Rock, The Corner, Small Lagoon, Tanjung Ayami, Tanjung Busura, Ayami Corner, Tanjung Kecil, Silver Linning, Tanjung Batu, Whale Shark Point, Ripon Island, Zero Airplane, Pulo Kecil, The Corner, Rippon Reef, Wairundi Reef
• Laundry service, daily housekeeping, , air conditioned saloon, aircon cabins, ensuite bathrooms, warm water showers, library, audio & video entertainment
• Leisure deck, sun deck
• Photography station, separate rinse for u/w camera
• Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
• Indonesian and international dishes, including Chinese, Japanese and BBQs, and vegetarian options
• Crew speaks English and Indonesian
• Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
• Nitrox available, tech diving, rebreather support,sidemount diving
• Dive deck
• 3 x Life rafts
• 3 x Yamaha tenders – 1 x 85 HP and 2 x 40 HP

Check it out on Liveaboard.com

Check it on Dive the World by clicking the banner in the right sidebar

Pearl of Papua

• 8-11 day cruises to Rajah Ampat and Cenderawasih Bay
• 4 trips to Cenderawasih Bay in July and August
• Cenderawasih Bay itinerary includes – Manokwari: Wrecks, Butsiuri Reef, Maruni and Tanjung Mupi; Yembekiri Island, Roon Island and Mangguar: Weka’s Point, Tanjung Mangguar, Ben Mon Wall, Napenyaur Village; Kwatisore: Kwatisore Beach and Kwatisore Home Reef; Pulau Roon: Groovy Passage, Pulau Auri, Tanjung Ayami, Pulau Roon (North Point); Yembekiri: Tanjung Cidi; Yali Ali: Tanjung Kalung; Pulau Purup; Warkopi Oni: Sungai Omi
• Laundry service, daily housekeeping, , air conditioned saloon, aircon cabins, ensuite bathrooms, warm water showers, library, audio & video entertainment
• Sun deck
• Photography station, separate rinse for u/w camera
• Asian and international meals
• Crew speaks English and Indonesian
• Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
• Nitrox available, sidemount diving
• Shaded dive deck
• 2 life rafts (for 15 passengers each)
• 2 x 40 HP Yamaha motorised dinghies

Check it on Liveaboard.com

Check it on Dive the World by clicking the banner in the right sidebar

Dewi Nusantara

• 10-12 day cruises to Raja Ampat, Cenderawasih Bay
• 3 trips to Cenderawasih Bay in July and August
• Cenderawasih Bay itinerary includes – North of the Birds Head, Amsterdam, Cenderawasih Bay, Whale Shark Bagans (Fishing platforms)
• Extra large cabins, ensuite bathrooms, hot water showers, 45m² air-conditioned saloon with TV, DVD, iPod docking station and sound system, Computer with CD burner – Photo and video editing, movie and book library, games and magazines – fish ID and diving books
• Dedicated air-conditioned restaurant, outdoor dining area
• Shaded outside area – 100m² sun decks with sun loungers and hammocks
• Onboard boutique
• Separate rinse tank for cameras, camera table
• Massage (after-dive and full body)
• International cuisine, Chinese and Japanese cuisine, local specialities, BBQs and vegetarian
• Crew speaks English and Indonesian
• Sea kayaks
• Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
• 100m² dive deck
• Nitrox available
• 2 Yamaha 200 HP dinghies
• 50 person capacity life raft

Check it on Dive the World by clicking the banner in the right sidebar

Calico Jack

• 9-12 day cruises to Raja Ampat, Banda Islands & Ambon, Cenderawasih Bay
• 2 trips to Cenderawasih Bay in August and September
• Cenderawasih Bay itinerary includes – Numfor, Num, Rumberpon, Mios Waor, Roon, Tanjung Ayami, Tanjung Manguwar, Kwatisore and Ahe
• Laundry service, daily housekeeping, aircon cabins, en-suite bathrooms, air-conditioned indoor saloon & dining area, audio & video entertainment, library
• Shaded open-air social area, sun deck, leisure deck
• Charging stations
• Photography Station
• Chinese, Italian, BBQ and international main dishes, outdoor dining
• Warm Water Showers
• Onboard kayaks
• Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly
• Nitrox available
• Shaded diving deck
• Life rafts (20 pax)
• 85 HP and 40HP Yamaha dive dinghies

Check it at Liveaboard.com

Check it on Dive the World by clicking the banner in the right sidebar

	KLM Sea Safari 8	MV Pearl of Papua	Dewi Nusantara	Calico Jack
Length	34 m	28 m	57 m	30 m
Guests	24	15	18	10
Crew	18	13	22	11
Equipment	$35/day	$45/day	$300/trip	$38/day
Nitrox	$20/day	$5/fill (only one per day)	$10/fill	€15/day
Snorkeler Friendly	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Kayaks	Yes	No	Yes	No
Single Supplement	+75%	+$175	+65%	+80%
Non-diver Rate	$30/day off	10% off	None	10% off
Price/Day	$386	$306	$476	$318

Dive Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

I hope you found this post on Cenderawasih Bay liveaboards interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

This is the thirty first in a series which introduces and describes the various dive services and sites for worldwide liveaboard dive safaris.  This one will focus on Wakatobi, Indonesia liveaboards.

In addition to this series on liveaboards, the best worldwide dive resort locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards / Resorts on the menu at top and choose a a title from the list.

Wakatobi Diving

Wakatobi, a marine conservation area that is part of the Wakatobi National Park, is situated southeast of Sulawesi between the Banda Sea to the northeast and the Flores Sea to the southwest.  The name comes from the first two letters of four of the bigger islands in the group, Wangi Wangi, Kadelupa, Tomea and Binongki.  In all there are 143 islands, only 7 of which are inhabited, with a total population of around 100,000.  The indigenous people living in the park are seafaring nomads known as the Bajau people.  There are strict fishing limitations that the local people are willingly maintaining.

The climate is quite dry, for the region, so that run-off is minimal and the water is remarkably clear. There is good variety in the underwater topography which is formed from uplifted limestone, the result of fossilized reefs.  Several types of reef are in the park including coral atolls, fringing reefs and Indonesia’s largest barrier reef.

The underwater life is characterized by big schools of fish, healthy hard and soft corals, pelagics and great macro life.  When Jacques Cousteau went there he described it as “underwater nirvana” and the “finest dive site in the world.”  Wikipedia indicates Wakatobi has the highest number of global fish species (942) and 750 out of the 850 coral reef fish species in the world.  Many locations these days are describing their area as having great diversity, so you can take such claims with a grain of salt, but in this case, you ought to be able to believe Cousteau.  In addition to very rich fish life, Wakatobi also has 396 different soft and hard coral species in a distinctive seascape with bommies, pinnacles, walls, ledges, overhangs, drop-offs and boulders.  With the great visibility, abundance of small animals and a very healthy reef, the diving is very attractive for photographers and marine biologists.

Animal diversity highlights include: whale sharks, whitetip reef sharks,  nurse sharks, manta, eagle and mobula rays, blue-spotted stingrays, pilot whales, dolphins, flounders, snake and garden eels, resident schooling trevallies and barracuda, shrimp gobies, shrimp, crabs, nudibranchs, scorpionfish, batfish, fusiliers, red-tooth triggerfish, pygmy seahorses, banded sea snakes, leaf fish, comet fish, goatfish, green, hawksbill and less frequently olive ridley turtles and a pristine coral reef with many, many small critters.  Take a look a the video below for a concrete view.

March to December is the high season with busiest times in April/May and July/August.  July/August is particularly attractive as this is the spawning season luring a great volume of fish. Mantas and whale sharks can be seen year round with November through April the season for pilot whales.

January and February are the wettest time of the year, but it is still reasonably dry, not interrupting the diving to any great extent.  Water temperature ranges from 25°C (77°F) in August to 30°C (86°F) in October.

Reef Summary

• Depth: 5 to  >40 meters (16 to >130 feet)
• Visibility: 15 to 80 meters (50 to 260 feet)
• Currents: gentle
• Surface conditions: calm
• Water temperature: 25-30°C (77-86°F)
• Experience level: beginner – advanced
• Number of dive sites: >50

Wakatobi Liveaboard Dive Boats

There is only one yacht devoted to touring the Wakatobi Archipelago, based out of the Wakatobi Dive Resort.  It provides luxury service for a maximum of 10 guests, including the round trip air charter from Bali to the resort.

MY Pelagian

• Cruises Wakatobi Archipelago based out of the Wakatobi Dive Resort
• Itinerary: Tomia, Kaledupa, Binongko, Hoga, Kapote, Wangi Wangi, and Buton – Pasar Wajo and Batuturo
• Air service from the international airport in Bali to Wakatobi is arranged
• Ensuite bathrooms, air-conditioned saloon with library, VCD & music system, free wi-fi
• Asian & international main meal dishes and continental breakfast
• Sundeck with deck chairs
• Camera workshop with E-6 photo processing
• English and Dutch speaking crew
• English-speaking divemasters (max 5 divers per DM)
• Tanks filled on dive tenders
• Rebreather friendly
• Snorkeler friendly
• Kayaking
• Diving suitable for beginners to advanced
• Diving deck
• 2 x 5.8m 60 HP rigid (RIB) motorised dinghies
• 4 life rafts

Check further details and book by clicking the Dive the World Banner on the right sidebar.

	MY Pelagian
Length	36 m
Guests	10
Equipment	$45/day including computer
Nitrox	$200/7 nights
Snorkeler Friendly	Yes
Kayaks	Yes
Single Supplement	+75%
Non-diver Rate	$80/day off
Price/Day	$439

Wakatobi Dive Resorts

If you would like to have a dive adventure and be based on land with a beach and seaside activities, there are a couple of resorts in Wakatobi that provide air transfers from Bali and also in house dive shops to accommodate you. This website is a good source for available options and can arrange booking: Wakatobi Accommodations

Dive Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

I hope you found this post on Wakatobi liveaboards interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

This is the thirtieth in a series which introduces and describes the various dive services and sites for worldwide liveaboard dive safaris.  This one will focus on the trips that embark from Phuket, Thailand and sail the southern Andaman Sea.

In addition to this series on liveaboards, the best worldwide dive resort locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at top and choose a a title from the list.

Phuket Thailand Scuba Diving

Phuket is situated on the west coast of Thailand, centrally located on the shore of the Andaman Sea.  At 21 km (17 miles) wide and 48 km (30 miles) long, it is the largest island in Thailand, and though having a very developed tourist industry, still has many relatively unspoiled natural areas on land, as well as in the sea.  It is known for its beautiful beaches, scuba diving, water sports, resorts, Thai cuisine, ornate temples and night life and is also well positioned as the port for liveaboards to the Similans and Burma Banks in the north and also the southern Andaman Sea, as well. The southern Andaman sites are usually thought of as day trip dives, but there are liveaboards that do an excellent job providing access to the best sites there without having to go back and forth to shore.

Twenty six years ago I first went to Phuket and took part in several day trips to dive.  I was impressed with the rich coral reef and the variety of fish and macro creatures.  Some of the featured sites are:  Shark Point with its leopard sharks, Koh Doc Mai – walls covered with macro life, the King Cruiser Wreck, Hin Daeng and Hin Muang – sea mounts, Anemone Reef, Racha Noi and Yai, Phi Phi Islands and Koh Ha. Highlighted wildlife includes whale sharks, mantas, schooling barracuda and jacks, snappers, grouper, moray and zebra eels, leopard sharks, blacktip and whitetip reef sharks, red tooth, clown and titan triggerfish and schooling baitfish all on a bio-diverse coral reef.  Check out the videos for more.

Diving is possible year round in the Andaman Sea.  The best time is between November and April when it is dry and less windy.  Tourists really flock there in December and January, so early booking is advisable.  The monsoon season is March to October with September and October the rainiest time. There can be more surface chop due to wind during the monsoon season.

Air temperatures are highest in April with an average of 31°C (87°F) and coolest in December at 26°C (79°F).  Water temperatures reach 26°C (79°F) in January and February and 30°C (86°F) in May and June.  In March and April thermoclines may be encountered  with downward decreases of 2°C (3.6°F).  A 3mm wetsuit is probably adequate for most divers.

Visibility is variable based on the area and season, but ranges from 10 meters (35 feet) to 30 meters (100 feet).

The northern Andaman Sea embracing the Similans and Burma have liveaboards specifically for those areas.  To find out details of the available boats, services and dive sites, please go to these two posts:                 Andaman Sea Thailand       Andaman Sea Burma

Liveaboard Dive Boats Thailand

Three boats are providing liveaboard dive safaris to the southern Andaman Sea departing from Phuket.

The Merdeka 3 promotes a relaxed atmosphere of up to two dives a day and a lot of island hopping and shoreside activities, all in the southern sector.

The MV Giamani runs two different cruises, one to the southern Andaman and another to the northern Andaman, back to back.  This allows divers to do one or both. This boat is more encouraging for advanced and tech divers.

The MV Gentle Giant, like the Merdeka 3 runs just a single cruise, but this one encompasses both the northern and southern Andaman Sea.

• Merdeka 3 ($184/day)
• MV Giamani ($181/day)
• MV Gentle Giant ($173/day)

Merdeka 3 ($184/day)

• 3-5 day cruises in the Southern Andaman Sea for both divers and non-divers to explore Phi Phi, Koh Ha, Hin Daeng and Hin Muang in the Krabi province
• 2 dives daily (usually in the morning) and afternoons spent exploring the islands, kayaking, snorkeling and relaxing
• Aircon cabins, en-suite bathrooms, warm water showers, audio & video entertainment, daily housekeeping
• Sun deck
• Massage
• Western, local and vegetarian food, outdoor dining
• Crew speaks English, German, Thai, and French
• Separate rinse for u/w camera, charging stations
• Onboard kayaks
• Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
• Experience required: Open Water Certification and 10 minimum logged dives
• Sidemount diving
• Tenders for diving

Check it on Liveaboard.com

MV Giamani ($181/day)

• 3 day cruises to Hin Deang, Hin Muang, Koh Haa, Phi Phi & Phuket followed by 5 day trips to the Similans, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Surin & Richelieu (divers can sign up for one or both legs)
• Air conditioned saloon, aircon cabins, indoor saloon, en-suite bathrooms, audio & video entertainment, library, daily housekeeping, warm water showers
• Sun deck, leisure deck
• Massage
• Photography station, separate rinse for u/w camera, charging stations
• Western, local and vegetarian food, outdoor dining
• Crew speaks English, German, Thai, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian
• Shaded diving deck
• Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
• Nitrox available, tech diving, rebreather support
• Tender for diving – 1 x 3.80m 30HP
• Emergency rafts

Check it on Liveaboard.com

MV Gentle Giant ($173/day)

• December – April 6 day cruises to the Similans, Richlieu, Hin Daeng and Hin Muang
• Air conditioned saloon, aircon cabins, en-suite bathrooms, indoor saloon, warm water showers, audio & video entertainment
• Sun deck
• Separate rinse for u/w camera
• Charging stations
• Western, local and vegetarian food
• Crew speaks English and Thai
• Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
• Nitrox available
• Dive deck
• Emergency rafts

Check it on Liveaboard.com

	Merdeka 3	MV Giamani	MV Gentle Giant
Length	30 m	24 m	27 m
Guests	14	10	20
Equipment	Included	thb800/day	thb500/day
Nitrox	No	thb300/fill	thb200/fill
Snorkel Friendly	Yes	Yes	Yes
Price/Day	$184	$181	$173

Dive Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Phuket Dive Resorts and Hotels

Phuket has many dive shops and is world famous for its hotels and resorts of all levels.  Before and after your cruise you may want to spend some time taking advantage of the sun, beach and night life activities by hooking up with some local lodging.  This website is a good source for available options and can arrange booking: Phuket Accommodations

I hope you found this post on Thai liveaboards interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<