Sapphire Seram Sea
From Raja Empat via the Banda Sea to Ambon

This 13days/12nights cruise departs from Sorong, the main starting point for diving cruises to Raja Empat, and arrives in Ambon, capital of the Moluccas.

The Tambora will sail out of Sorong and head straight to the Sagewin Strait for a day of critter diving in the many bays along the South shore of Batanta, one for the four kings that make up Raja Empat. After an overnight sail south, we will arrive in the labyrinth of islands, islets and rocks east of Misool. Here, we will spend a couple of days diving what are widely recognized as the world’s most prolific coral reefs. Big schools of reef fish as well as manta rays are also often sighted in the waters around Misool.

Another southbound overnight steam will take us to Koon Island, in the Seram Laut group; here, strong currents from the depth create an environment that attracts feeding fish, big and small. The Banda archipelago, a volcanic mini-archipelago rising out of 5,ooom of water, is our next stop. We will be diving along the walls at the outer edge of the caldera, on the lava flow from the most recent eruption which has since been covered by a vast field of cabbage coral, and right in the center of the protected lagoon to check out mating mandarin fish. Some of the best muck diving in the country, right in Ambon Bay, will round things up on the day prior to disembarkation.

Access to Sorong, our port of embarkation, is easiest via Jakarta, Manado and Ambon. Upon arrival in Ambon, you can catch an onward flight to many destinations across Indonesia, or stay on for a couple of days to take in the varied cultures and sights of the central Moluccas.