Seven Seas Liveaboard, Indonesia

• • • Departure Port: Labuan Bajo
    • Return Port: Maumere
    • Length: 15 Days / 14 Nights (Approximately 40 dives in total)
    • Experience level: Advanced Open Water – 50 minimum logged dives required.

    Day 1: Seven Seas crew will transfer the Guests from the Airport to the ship. After a nice Welcome briefing by our Cruise Director, cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place, Guests can familiarize themselves with the vessel, set up equipment and get comfortable.

    Day 2-14: A maximum of 4 dives per day are offered on board: 3-day dives and a night dive.

    Day 15: Check out. Seven Seas crew will transfer the Guests to the Airport.

    KOMODO
    With dragons on land and a utopia underwater, you’ll find an array of dive sites to suit every level of experience. Great landscapes, superb hikes, exotic wildlife and stunning views and beaches complete the picture. Hardly surprising then that this is one of our favourite choices

    EAST OF FLORES
    Unspoiled, remote, yet bewitchingly accessible aboard The Seven Seas, the 2 dozen islands East of Flores are now recognized as one of Asia’s top ten dive destinations. Not only World Class muck diving at our new sites in Lembata and Pantar, not only the classical walls and coral reefs that made this area famous, but now also plenty of high voltage diving on rocky corners, islets and pinnacles along the Southern shores and in the straits between these islands.

• Departure Port: Labuan
• Return Port: Labuan
• Length: 13 Days / 12 Nights (Approximately 30 dives in total)
• Experience level: Open Water – 50 minimum logged dives required.

Komodo National Park is a World Heritage site situated in the straits between Sumba and Flores and consists of the three larger islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous smaller ones. Because of its unique geology, the islands have developed equally unique wildlife. With dragons on land and a utopia underwater, you will find an array of dive sites and hiking trails to suit every level of experience.

Komodo sits on the boundary between two great Oceans, with the Flores Sea as part of the Pacific in the north and the Indian Ocean in the South. Two completely different marine environments, with greatly different habitats and rapidly changing species compositions over the North to South gradient. The Indonesian Flow Through results in a net current from North to South, but tidal currents bring Indian Ocean water up North on strong rising tides and offer a mix of species throughout Komodo. Basically the best of both worlds, and all within very short distances making it easy to cover a huge variety of sites with a minimal amount of sailing.

From pristine corals, mantas, sharks, turtles, dolphins, dugong and giant pelagics to tiny pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs and frogfish, you’ll find the diversity of marine life inspiring if not mind-boggling. The islands feature a dramatic wild savannah landscape with patches of forest especially on the southern hills of Komodo and Rinca. White and red sand beaches, blue lagoons teeming with fish and some of the most spectacular underwater scenery in the world entice divers and guests from around the world.

The underwater topography is as varied as the marine life it homes. Dive sites vary from gentle coral slopes to sheer cliff walls, channels, flat bottoms, pinnacles, caves, swim-throughs and a host of hard and soft corals. From the Flores Sea in the north, the warm waters gradually become cooler as you travel southwards into the Indian Ocean.

Komodo boasts countless beautiful deserted beaches, hiking trails, great wildlife, shallow reef snorkelling and lagoons for water-skiing. Perfect for divers to take their family on a holiday, as there is something to be discovered for everyone.

Marine Life: From pristine corals, mantas, sharks, turtles, dolphins, dugong and giant pelagics to tiny pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs and frog fish, you’ll find the diversity of marine life inspiring if not mind boggling. The islands feature a dramatic wild savannah landscape with patches of forest especially on the southern hills of Komodo and Rinca. White and red sand beaches, blue lagoons teeming with fish and some of the most spectacular underwater scenery in the world entice divers and guests from around the world.

• • Departure Port: Maumere
  • Return Port: Maumere
  • Length: 13 Days / 12 Nights (Approximately 40 dives in total)
  • Experience level: Advanced Open Water – 50 minimum logged dives required.

  Unspoiled, remote, yet bewitchingly accessible aboard The Seven Seas, the 2 dozen islands East of Flores are now recognized as one of Asia’s top ten dive destinations. This area ranges from the Eastern tip of Flores itself, in the West, via the islands of Adunara, Solor, Lembata and Pantar, plus numerous smaller islands in between, to the Island of Alor in the East of the Nusa Tenggara Timor island chain. Not only World Class muck diving at our new sites in Lembata and Pantar, not only the classical walls and coral reefs that made this area famous, but now also plenty of high voltage diving on rocky corners, islets and pinnacles along the Southern shores and in the straits between these islands.

  Highly diverse habitats, with hard coral, dominated reefs, pinnacles and walls covered in combinations of hard and soft corals and other invertebrates, various types of sandy habitats (volcanic black, reef white), seagrass beds and even some blue water mangroves! Great fish life on some of the rocky pinnacles and promontories in the South as well as on some of the new reef and wall dives that we have explored in the North. Last but not least some of the very best cetacean diversity and abundance all around and right through this area which forms a migrating and feeding area for several great whales (notably sperm and blue whales) as well as a preferred habitat from many species of dolphins that occur here in staggering numbers. This area like no other lends itself beautifully for a day of whale watching, whether that is close inshore around the deep volcanic slopes in search of blue whales or out wide where the sperm whales are diving! Too much to do and see but do take the time also for some cultural trips in these remote and interesting islands, with arguably the most stunning volcanic scenery that the entire Coral Triangle has to offer.

  Marine LifeThe waters around the islands hold a great diversity in marine life, due to its variety in marine habitats. From dark sandy slopes full of the strangest critters, through lovely coral gardens and into the stronger currents in the narrow straits around Pantar island. Coral reefs are mostly found along the northern coast of the Solor and Alor island group with some coral reefs lining the channels in between major islands.

  The southern coastline of the islands is lined with rocks that hold great soft corals in selected places. The reefs also include rocky bottom habitats with diverse invertebrate life and good fish at some sites in the straits between most of the islands. Spectacular walls, great reefs, rocky corners, pinnacles full of life as well as most interesting critter dive are all on the agenda.

• Departure Port: Sorong
• Return Port: Sorong
• Length: 13 Days / 12 Nights (Approximately 40 dives in total)
• Experience level: Open Water – No minimum logged dives required.

More than 1500 islands make up the Raja Ampat archipelago off the Bird’s Head of West Papua. These islands and their surrounding coral reefs support the richest tropical marine bio-diversity found anywhere in the world.

The area includes 4.6 million hectares of diverse marine habitats and is home to more than 1,000 species of fish, 700 species of molluscs and some 540 species of hard corals (75% of the world’s total!). Larger marine life includes sperm whales, baleen whales and even orcas coming through this area and there are green turtle nesting beaches on the island of Sayang in the North.

No wonder that this ecosystem attracts more and more divers and other tourists and is a focus area for the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Culture as well as for the private sector for eco-tourism development. Several resorts are have started up in the Raja Ampat archipelago, but due to the immense size of the area, the large distances between the top sites and the great variety of islands in different parts of this region, a comfortable liveaboard like the Seven Seas is still the very best way to explore Raja Ampat. And the Seven Seas has all the local knowledge and experience to be your number one choice for this adventure.

Some of the highlights of a Raja Ampat cruise with the Seven Seas include the great diving, snorkeling and cave exploring around the rocky islands off South East Misool, the coral reefs of the Fam Island group, the fish and manta rays of the Dampier straight, the critter diving at Batanta and in Aljui Bay, and of course the great karst formations of the Wayag Archipelago up North.

Kayaking among the bee hive shaped karst formations in the Wagmab Island chain in the South is nothing short of stunning and scattered deserted beaches throughout the Raja Ampat islands make for excellent sunset hideaways. Village visits are unique throughout this region, birds of Paradise can be seen at various locations, and an enormously extended Atoll can be found around Ayau Island in Pacific waters in the far North. Of course, for the real adventurers willing to explore this vast archipelago, there are many islands and reefs still unexplored and many new highlights yet to be discovered…

• Departure Port: Sorong
• Return Port: Sorong
• Length: 13 Days / 12 Nights (Approximately 40 dives in total)
• Experience level: Open Water – No minimum logged dives required.

More than 1500 islands make up the Raja Ampat archipelago off the Bird’s Head of West Papua. These islands and their surrounding coral reefs support the richest tropical marine bio-diversity found anywhere in the world.

The area includes 4.6 million hectares of diverse marine habitats and is home to more than 1,000 species of fish, 700 species of molluscs and some 540 species of hard corals (75% of the world’s total!). Larger marine life includes sperm whales, baleen whales and even orcas coming through this area and there are green turtle nesting beaches on the island of Sayang in the North.

No wonder that this ecosystem attracts more and more divers and other tourists and is a focus area for the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Culture as well as for the private sector for eco-tourism development. Several resorts are have started up in the Raja Ampat archipelago, but due to the immense size of the area, the large distances between the top sites and the great variety of islands in different parts of this region, a comfortable liveaboard like the Seven Seas is still the very best way to explore Raja Ampat. And the Seven Seas has all the local knowledge and experience to be your number one choice for this adventure.

Some of the highlights of a Raja Ampat cruise with the Seven Seas include the great diving, snorkeling and cave exploring around the rocky islands off South East Misool, the coral reefs of the Fam Island group, the fish and manta rays of the Dampier straight, the critter diving at Batanta and in Aljui Bay, and of course the great karst formations of the Wayag Archipelago up North.

Kayaking among the bee hive shaped karst formations in the Wagmab Island chain in the South is nothing short of stunning and scattered deserted beaches throughout the Raja Ampat islands make for excellent sunset hideaways. Village visits are unique throughout this region, birds of Paradise can be seen at various locations, and an enormously extended Atoll can be found around Ayau Island in Pacific waters in the far North. Of course, for the real adventurers willing to explore this vast archipelago, there are many islands and reefs still unexplored and many new highlights yet to be discovered…

• • Departure Port: Maumere
  • Return Port: Saumlaki
  • Length: 13 Days / 12 Nights (Approximately 34 dives in total)
  • Experience level: Open Water – 10 minimum logged dives required.

  Indonesia’s “Forgotten Islands” – also known as the Southeast Moluccas (Maluku Tenggara), are not a single destination, but rather a 1,000 km long chain of archipelagos stretching from Timor to West Papua on the island of New Guinea. Undeveloped, distant from population centres and far off any beaten path, these “Forgotten Islands” have been largely isolated from the rest of Indonesia and the world.

  The terrain of these islands varies from forested mountainous peaks in the Inner Banda Arc of islands (Wetar, Roma, Damar, Nila), with peaks as high as 868 m (on Damer) to essentially flat islands of the easternmost Aru and Kei island groups, dominated by savannah, mangroves and broadleaf forests.

  The Inner Arc islands are volcanic, while the island groups in the Outer Banda Arc (Leti, Luang, Sermata, Babar and Tanimbar islands) are mostly up thrust coralline limestone, often characterized by terracing resulting from periodic uplift and changes in sea level.

  Together, the islands of Maluku Tenggara make up the eastern end of the bio-geographic province of Wallacea, a transitional region between continental Southeast Asia and Australia-New Guinea, with flora and fauna of the easternmost islands the most similar to New Guinea.

  Diving

  The Forgotten Islands offer some of the best diving in Indonesian waters. Attractions include gin-clear waters, patch reefs and coral bommies, spectacular wall dives on impossible drop-offs.

  On our inaugural trips to the Forgotten Islands in 2010, our excited visitors enjoyed seeing rare Weedy, Bumphead parrotfish, Jacks (Big-eye trevallies), Giant trevallies, Spanish mackerel, schooling barracuda, hammerhead sharks, a 3-meter saltwater crocodile, and a whale shark!

  Since 2012 the Seven Seas is offering two expeditions to the Forgotten Islands each year in November/December. One trip starts in Maumere (Flores) or Kupang (West Timor) and ends in Saumlaki, in the Tanimbar Islands, and another trip returns along the same or a similar route. Detailed itineraries in this area will vary according to weather and diving conditions and other factors. But a typical journey through this region might include:

  • • P. Lembata, a traditional whaling island, which usually offers spectacular critters dives
    • Solor/Alor archipelagos. Stops in these islands can include P. Pantar, P. Buaya, P. Alor, Kalabahi)
    • P. Komba, a location of the Batu Tara volcano.
    • P. Wetar. The people of this island live in harmony with saltwater crocodiles!
    • Barat Daya Islands (P. Romang, P. Nyata, P. Kital, P. Laut, P. Telang)
    • Leti island group (P. Leti, P. Lakor, P. Moa)
    • Sermata Group (P. Sermata, P. Luang) P. Sermata is known for the many surviving myths that are still part of Forgotten Islands traditional culture.
    • Babar Islands (P. Dai, etc.) These islands are known for the survival of boat symbolism.
    • Tanimbar Islands

  Marine Life: The Forgotten Islands offer some of the best diving in Indonesian waters. Attractions include gin-clear waters, patch reefs and coral bommies, spectacular wall dives on impossible drop-offs. On our inaugural trips to the Forgotten Islands in 2010, our excited visitors enjoyed seeing rare Weedy, Bumphead parrotfish, Jacks (Big-eye trevallies), Giant trevallies, Spanish mackerel, schooling barracuda, hammerhead sharks, a 3-meter saltwater crocodile, and a whale shark!

• Departure Port: Ambon
• Return Port: Ambon
• Length: 15 Days / 14 Nights (Approximately 38 dives in total)
• Experience level: Advanced Open Water – 50 minimum logged dives required.

Spectacular diving and snorkelling
Sensational kayaking in the shallow bays, especially in the mangrove forests
Slow afternoon cruise with one of the tenders – get up-close-and-personal with the stunning land scenery
Bird spotting – find the illusive Bird of Paradise from the water
Hiking into the forest to experience the diversity of birds and animals
We have a number of contacts with the local people who can guide you in your search for mysterious birds and plants
Fishing – unexplored fly-fishing for bonefish or deep water trolling for marlin and sailfish

>1,000 species of fish >700 molluscs >540 species of scleractinian (hard) corals = 75% of the world total 4.6 million hectares of reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and rocky coastline low resident human population and minimal industrial development