Page 99 - Diving Indonesia 21 November 2019

The Banda Islands and Banda Sea

Conditions Dive Site and
Marine Life
The amazing dive
sites of the Banda Highlights of the
Islands are best visited Banda Islands and
in March and April and during the Banda Sea
September to December period. These
two periods offer more consistently
calm conditions. Due to the vast area covered by the
Banda Islands and the Banda Sea there
THE BANDA ISLANDS Visibility begins to clear up from are a phenomenal range of dive sites,
topographies, marine life and reef
August and then during the best
formations to discover. Here are just a
months it can reach the higher end
and BANDA SEA of the range (15m to 30m). Water few of some of the highlights of both
the islands and the Banda Sea.
temperatures do not vary much during
the diving seasons and hold steady
between 26 to 29°C
he Banda Sea is Limited human impact has left the reefs in great Diving the Banda Islands Batu Wali is located on the western side
located in the central health, and the rich waters that they lie in are of the northern tip of Banda Besar and
Tregion of Indonesia home to an unbelievable array of life. You will Pulau Ai is an isolated low lying island it is the core zone of the islands’ marine
see big numbers of pelagic fish, most notably
and was once known for impressive numbers of Napoleon wrasse, dog- to the west of Banda Neira. Due to the protected area that encompasses the
its lucrative spice trade toothed tuna and squadrons of mobula rays at island’s location and surrounding deep islands of Pisang, Banda Besar, Banda
Neira and Gunung Api. It achieved
where foreigners came sites throughout the Banda Islands area. And the waters and drop offs, Pulau Ai is one of this status primarily due to it having
from all over the world to schools of fish in the Banda Sea need to be seen to the top dive sites in the Banda Islands an astounding coral reef and it being a
for shark encounters – particularly when
trade in that most valuable be believed – including schooling hammerheads the currents are running. Hammerhead spawning area for an important fishery
and frequent cetacean sightings!
of commodities, nutmeg. sharks are not unusual here and thresher species, the pelagic plectropomus
The Spice islands are full Banda Islands highlights include sites like Batu and silvertip sharks are occasionally grouper.
of historical significance Kapal, Gunung Api and Batu Belanda. Further out sighted too. Wahoo and giant trevally visit Batu Kapal (Ship Rock) takes its name
and you can visit old into the Banda Sea you will dive in spots such as the island, and chevron barracuda and from its large central pinnacle that breaks
bluefin trevally hunt here in large schools.
Dutch forts and learn Koon Island, Nusa Laut, and the critter haven of Look out for groups of mobula rays the Banda Sea’s surface and looks not
about the history of this Ambon (see Ambon section in this chapter) “flying” overhead! surprisingly like a ship. It lies to the north
once great trading route. west of Pulau Pisang. The main features
that make this site such a favourite are
Nowadays the region is Because the Banda Sea is located centrally in Batu Udang literally translates from its interesting topography, and enormous
Indonesia’s vast diving area, it borders many
attracting overseas visitors other wonderful diving regions. The Banda Islands Indonesian to English as “Shrimp Rock”. gorgonian fans and barrel sponges.
This sloping reef site is packed with fish
for very different reasons. and the Banda Sea are most commonly dived by – look out for whitetip reef sharks, eagle
The waters of Banda and liveaboard and due to the location, liveaboard rays, large schools of bluetail unicornfish If you are hoping to dive with immense
Ambon promise riches trips often combine other regions into their Banda and Hawksbill turtles. Maori wrasse, numbers of fish then Karnobol is a must-
dive site. The abundance and density of
beyond the wildest Itineraries – popular combinations include Alor, the pinnate batfish and black and white marine life here is breathtaking.
Spice Islands and the Forgotten Islands to name
dreams of many ‘big but a few. snappers are some of the prevalent larger
fish species.
name’ dive destinations
worldwide.

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