Day 1: Check-in on board MV Mermaid between 14:00-16:00 hours in Benoa Harbour Bali. After the boat and safety briefing, we’ll set up equipment and you can settle into your cabin. Dinner will be served at 19:00 hours as we cruise into the sunset on an overnight journey to Moyo Island, northwest Sumbawa.
Day 2: Start your adventure with a great dive in the calm, clear waters of Angel Reef at Moyo Island. Massive elephant ear and barrel sponges, schools of longfin bannerfish, and red tooth trigger In their hundreds, frogfish, nudibranchs, eels, surgeonfish, snapper, dogtooth tuna checking out what is for lunch! Visit the local village, then it’s lunch for us! Next is a great dive at Panjang Reef – are the pygmy seahorses here? Then, we cruise 2 hours to Satonda Island for a world-class night dive after watching a million bats fly at sunset. After a great dive and dinner, we cruise overnight to Sangeang Island, off the north coast of Sumbawa.
Day 3: 2 dives at Sangeang Island for rare nudibranchs, pygmy seahorse, and underwater hot springs that support this very unique marine life Cruise to Gili Banta for exhilarating dives at Tanduk Rusa turtles, colorful reef stonefish, Spanish dancers – calm sea- a great place to stay the night
Day 4: If the tide is right, we hunt grey reef sharks and dolphins at Taka Toko Gili Lawa Laut. Dive 2 is a fast drift with pelagics and manta at Lighthouse Reef or the Old Passage. Then, Crystal Rock awesome soft corals and the chance for sharks, turtles, giant Maori wrasse, a ‘fish soup” dive with a high chance of eagle rays too! Then, we cruise south for fascinating night dive at Pink Beach near the entrance to the Komodo National Park.
Day 5: Start your day with an exciting visit to Komodo National Park to walk with the dragons! Then, relax as we cruise 2 hours south to Horseshoe Bay Raja Island. Spectacular Then, relax as we cruise 2 hours south to Horseshoe Bay Rinja Island. Spectacular diving awaits at the world-famous site Cannibal Rock – rare nudibranchs, frogfish, spectacular corals, sponges, ascidians, huge black coral bushes, turtles, cuttlefish, loads of reef fish too. Watch dragons on the beach, monkeys, deer, wild pigs along the shore, go beachcombing. Maybe even a chance to follow whales and dolphins feeding in the calm bay. We overnight at this peaceful place, night diving at one of the many fabulous spots.
Day 6: The Three Sisters call us to Padar Island for sharks and nudibranchs, surgeonfish, and devil Rays. Manta Alley or Takat Makasar follows for the chance for a manta aggregation – WOW! Batu Bolung aka “Current City” is the home for large Napolean Wrasse, turtles, bluefin trevally, Or maybe a dive at Tatawa Kecil – we check out the currents first to make sure the dive will be cool for everyone on board! Then, we say goodbye to Komodo National Park with a fabulous Night dive at Gili Banta with Coral Cat Shark or we cruise west enjoying a post-dinner night dive along the way. Overnight, we cruise to Satonda Island.
Day 7: We enjoy two fantastic dives at Sumbawa Surprise – macro enthusiasts will be in 7th heaven then on to Moyo Islands for more chances for ghost pipefish, ribbon eels, turtle, cuttlefish, and 2 9 more before we cruise overnight to Benoa in the south of Bali. Off gas, as we cruise into the sunset with the crew rinsing and packing your equipment for you…paradise Mermaid Liveaboards style!
Day 8: After breakfast, we transfer you ashore at 8.30 am to continue your vacation, or it’s time to head home to start planning your next Mermaid Liveaboards cruise!
Marine Life: Soft corals, gorgonians, pygmy seahorses, turtles, Manta Rays, amazing muck diving, wobbegongs, crocodile-fish, toadfish, frogfish and so much more!
