Banda & Beyond

Ambon, just a short domestic flight from Jakarta, is best known for its elusive psychedelic frogfish. However, this macro diving paradise has much more to offer, such as an amazing array of octopuses - mimic, wonderpus, long-legged, coconut, blue ring, and more - and frogfish, including painted, warty, and hairy. 

We spotted so many ornate ghost pipefish that we stopped bothering to point them out. And the marmite of the ocean … nudibranchs. For me, these were firmly in the “it’s a bright slug stop banging your tank!” category, but I confess the mystical waters of Ambon converted me. By the end of the dive day, I was comparing photographs and discussing different species, which were astoundingly varied.

Having taken up underwater photography, I found our guides were invaluable. Their skills in pointing out new critters rivalled the legendary Lembeh divers. Compared with world-leading macro sites like Dumaguete and Lembeh, Ambon is much quieter, but I’d argue that the marine life is just as good.

My next stop was a liveaboard in the Banda Sea, an ocean expanse covering half a million square kilometres and hosting large schools of pelagic fish, including shoaling jacks, barracuda and snapper. After a calm crossing, I enjoyed diving around sea mounds, sloping reefs and the walls of uninhabited islands. I was delighted to discover that the reefs were just as colourful and vibrant as those at Raja Ampat. But Banda’s crown jewel was a site called Babylon.

Diving at dusk, the current was ripping and our reef hooks were at the ready. I took shelter between two giant sponges as shadows started emerging from the deep. At least 50 scalloped hammerheads began to cruise past. The sharks were unfazed by us, but at 30+ metres we couldn’t stay long with these elegant beauties. I still have goosebumps thinking about that encounter.

Raja Ampat brought a delight of colours, diversity, and density; from shoaling silver and spade fish at Four Kings, to inquisitive oceanic manta rays which circled our group at Magic Mountain. My personal favourite dive was an underwater plateau that sits from about six to 30 metres at Sardine Reef, close to Cape Kri.

Bommies had developed on a coral-encrusted wall, and as we dropped, we were met by schooling barracuda picking off fusiliers and a sleepy tassel wobbegong perched under a coral overhang. I barely moved during that dive, entranced as I was by bumphead parrot fish, giant trevally, tuna, sweetlips, and streams of shoaling fish - life was all around us!

The Banda Sea has many hidden gems to be discovered, and can only be dived during two short periods of the year. The transit sailings allow a wonderful cross-section of diving, which I highly recommend. I returned home with a rambling log book, pictures that I’ll show anyone who will let me, and memories that still make me smile.

If you'd like to make Indonesia your next diving destination, check out our Indonesia trip ideas today, or contact our expert team for any diving holiday queries.