The Ring of Fire Liveaboard is probably the most adventurous cruise we have to offer. Only reachable by boat, these isolated islands of the Banda Sea are full of surprises.
Our vessel sails along the coasts of these volcanic islets commonly called The Ring of Fire. An island-hopping journey (approximately 80 nautical miles to sail every day), which allows us to wake up every morning facing a new and out of time landscape.
Crossing the Banda Sea is also synonym of a direct access to untouched and intact reefs full of marine life. This area has been preserved from any human commercial activity and its deep waters are a perfect environment to spot pelagic and sea mammals. Many species of dolphins and whales are often seen from the boat and invite us to a snorkeling session.
The must during this cruise in the Ring of Fire, is the quest of the scalloped hammerhead sharks. Indeed, from the months of August to September, the strong South East winds push the warm waters of the surface while upwelling currents bring the cold waters from the abyss rich in nutrients and particularly enjoyed by the hammerhead sharks. The Banda Sea becomes our favorite playground. The schools of scalloped hammerhead sharks can reach up to 200 individuals
Join us for the unbelievable cruise off the beaten tracks!
Alexis, CEO and founder of the agency Konjo Cruising, will be escorting you on board to lead this Ring of Fire diving cruise. Thanks to the 7 years he spent on Liveaboards in Indonesia, he takes you to this unforgettable voyage. He shares with you his knowledge and offers you the very best of the Banda Sea. Organizing a once in a lifetime encounter with schooling Hammerhead Shark to top it all. He will personally guide one of the dive groups.
Teman is a comfortable and friendly Phinisi, which can host up to 12 guests. Specially built to offer Scuba diving Liveaboard around the archipelago, she is a reliable vessel. Designed through the expert eyes of her owners, and having a skilled and dedicated crew, Teman make the perfect vessel for our Banda Sea crossing. This vessel has the soul of the original indonesian Phinisi.
EXPLORE
Alor, with its healthy coral reefs, muck diving, and spectacular topography, is a really eclectic scuba diving area. Its seamounts, outstanding walls and sandy slopes, host a rich underwater life, from critters to big fish and Pelagic. There are so many dive sites in Alor that it will be difficult to elect only 4 of them.
Pick up at Kalabahi airport (in the morning), or the hotel of your choice. Transfer to Teman, located in the close harbor (around 30 min by car). A welcome juice and a quick breackfast will be provided on board. Installation to your cabin. General briefing about life and security rules on board, and we get ready for the first dive!
Check dive in the Kalabahi Bay. Muck diving.
Anchoring for the night inside the Kalabahi Bay.
We would rather focus on reef diving this day. We will choose the dive sites regarding the current, which can be ripping in this area. If the current allows us, we will dive The wall of Death in between Pura and Pantar island. The Arch is a great dive site around the island of Reta, with this huge swimthrough covered of sponges and sea fans. Tanjung Muna can be challenging, but rewarding with the hypothetic chance to get schooling Hammerheads around.
Overnight sailing to Reong. 100 miles | 14 hours.
Every day of navigation leads you deeper into the heart of the Banda Sea. Our Ring of Fire Liveaboard, is steaming every night to reach the next volcanic Islet. Steep walls covered with sea fans, and huge barrel sponges drops into the abyss. Indeed, it makes the perfect playground for Pelagic and Schooling fish. But in reality, special encounter could happen at each dive. This is what is magical in a Banda Sea cruise.
The best reef of Reong is located on the Northwest side of the island. We offer 3 dives in different sections of this beautiful curving wall, that we named Reong Star. Easy to spot schools of yellowtail barracudas, Napoleon, white tip sharks, groupers and schools of jacks. The South offers a great wall for our afternoon dive.
Overnight navigation to Nyata island. 80 miles | 11,5 hours.
We will explore 3 different diving spots in the small island of Nyata. In the South (Amira), a beautiful underwater ridge full of fish and exposed to the current, in the North (Sandy Paradise), a nice wall-to-slope dive and around the west (The Fairy Arch) a beautiful wall with swimthrough and overhangs.
Overnight navigation to Nusleur. 70 miles | 10 hours.
An amazing place with splendid walls, overhanging into the deep blue of the Banda Sea. Massive barrel sponges and seafans, schools of redtooth triggerfish and butterfly fish, huge dogtooth tunas… This day announces the start of our Journey into the heart of the Banda Sea.
Navigation to Teun. 50 Miles | 7 hours.
Teun island, a one of the bigger islands in the area, it offers a good anchorage to rest for a night before the Hammerhead Quest properly starts. The North of Teun offers the best dive sites, with a epic ridge. Dogtooth Tuna, Big Napoleon and schooling fish are welcoming you!
Our vessel will rest until 2am at the anchorage, then navigate to Karang Dusborgh. 24 miles | 3,5 hours.
After few nights of navigation, passenger get really excited. Because they know we are getting closer to the Hammerheads shark dive sites. We may already have seen few individuals in Alor, or on the way, but since now, we will be in their favorite playground. Large schools can be expected at any dive. It grows frustration sometimes, and even desperation. But remember this a quest, and that we are not in a zoo. But then it works like a charm, and they show up. This may probably become the best experience of your life, as a scuba diver.
This submerged reef, lost in the middle of nowhere, is sitting on the deep seas of the Banda Sea. Full of coral trouts and schools of Jacks, this spot is also famous for its schools of scalloped hammerhead’s sharks (easier to spot from the month of September to November). We will do 3 dives there, the last one for sunset.
Teman will drop the anchor until 2 am in Pulau Nika. Navigation to Nil Desperendum. 24 miles | 3,5 hours
This place is one of the hotspot for schooling Hammerheads Sharks. Sometimes, the group can reach, if you are lucky, up to hundred individuals. This horseshoe shaped submerged reef hosts some of the most incredible marine fauna in Indonesia as well. If the shallow part of the reef is not the best, this thrilling reef is just full of fish. The amazed onlookers couldn’t look away from the show given by Big eyes trevallies, Napoleon, Dogtooth Tuna, or groupers.
After the classic sunset dive, our Pinisi will seek for a good anchorage in Serua to spend the night. 24 Miles | 3,5 hours
Serua is an inhabited island with 3 villages dispatched around the island. If the king of the island, Edu, has changed since I started cruising there the villagers from Jerili seems to be still involved in the conservation, and fighting against the sharks poaching. Serua’s nickname is “Shark Republic”, and often deliver the best Hammerhead shark experience. We usually dive the same site 3 times, because we know they are there. Your guide will just need a bit of luck, and a good planification from his Cruise director.
Departure for Manuk after the Sunset Dive. 50 miles | 7 hours.
Crossroad for Ring of Fire Liveaboards, Manuk lies 80 miles south of the legendary Banda islands. This place is really magical! A nesting place for many seabirds, this rock hosts a huge quantity of frigates birds. With them always flying above your head, and the Yellow sulphur smoke coming out from the slopes and the crater, Manuk offers a really special atmosphere. Underwater, this geological phenomenon attracts hundreds of sea snakes, which choose the area for nesting. Hammerheads have been spotted there also. With Coconut Corner, Sulphur Inferno or Long Ridge our guests will live an unforgettable scuba diving adventure.
Departure for Suanggi after the sunset dive. 85 miles | 12 hours.
Suanggi is Magical! This rock is the visible part of a large plateau (sitting at 400 meters below the surface), dropping in the deep ocean of the Banda Sea. Famous for Hammerheads, Thresher sharks, and even oceanic sunfish have already been spotted there. Schools of blue fin trevallies, Napoleon wrasses, barracudas, and massive groupers are doing the show to amaze the visitors.
Departure after the Sunset dive to Pombo Island. 75 Miles | 11 Hours.
We will need to desaturate a bit before flying the day after. So only one dive this day 12. Pombo is nice, an easy sloppy, sandy and colorful reef to finish the diving trip easily. Our dedicated crew will then take care of rinsing the whole gear, to have it dry for the flight. There is a gorgeous little white sand beach in the North of Molana island. Indeed, perfect for our dear divers to relax and have a swim. Just the time to enjoy a last sunset full of unforgettable memories, and Teman will start to steam back to Tulehu, Ambon.
20 miles | 4 hours.
After a light breackfast, taxis will wait for you on the jetty of Tulehu harbour. Located East of the Ambon island, you will need an hour to reach the airport of Laha.
We won’t have time to explore the mythical Banda Islands archipelago in this cruise. At 3 hours of navigation from Bandaneira, Suanggi is the closer we will get. Our guests will see looming the Gunung Api volcano from Suanggi. If visiting and diving the Banda sea Islands was the main reason of your visit, please have a look to our Ambon to Sorong itinerary. But there is so many ways to cruise the Banda sea!
Konjo favorite part of the game is to find you the right vessel to visit the area you want to explore. And to lead you to some hidden gem of the archipelago. Those are limitless itineraries, that we could organize for you in the Banda Sea: Ambon/Ambon, Ambon/Saumlaki, Ambon/Triton Bay, Alor/Saumlaki, Saumlaki/Triton Bay etcetc…
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