Our first two days will be spent in the famous Lembeh Strait. Some say this area is the Capital of muck diving. The black sandy slopes here provide habitats for numerous weird and wonderful critters. We can look for octopus, frogfish, nudibranchs, and pipefish – there really are critters galore here! There will be four dives on the first day and three on the next day before we travel to our next stop.
Tifore is home to a huge school of barracuda, said to number over 1,000! Tifore is a small island between Halmahera and Lembeh. Just off the island, there is a submerged reef that slopes down to healthy hard and soft corals and huge shoals of schooling fish. Grey reef sharks sometimes pass by here too.
South Halmahera has pinnacles, walls, and coral gardens to enjoy. The pinnacles are full of schooling fish, the walls are covered in stunning soft corals and sea fans and reef sharks swim around the coral gardens. Napoleon wrasse, Bumphead parrotfish, turtles, blacktips, whitetips, schools of jacks, and barracuda all populate the reefs here. There are black sandy slopes providing excellent critter-filled muck diving, especially for the night dives.
The Goraici Islands with white sandy beaches are our next stop. The people here have been actively protecting their reefs here, keeping them healthy and in good condition. The reefs are packed with fish and there are pristine hard coral gardens. At another dive site, there is a wall covered in corals where black tip reef sharks cruise around.
Pantini Strait is a channel between Halmahera and Bacan Island. The islands in the Pantinti Strait are rarely visited. There are healthy reefs covered in orange soft corals and large coral heads. Large numbers of anthias add color to the reefs. Currents can bring in reef sharks including grey reefs, plus tuna and barracuda. There is a great drift dive through a channel. Walking sharks can be seen on the night dive.
On Bacan we can offer a land excursion organized by the Tourism Department of South Halmahera. There is an old Portuguese fort, traditional dancing, and a local market. Southwest Bacan is where we will concentrate our diving for the next day and a half. Stunning walls and canyons are open to the ocean so we can expect some currents on some dive sites. Sea fans, soft corals, and large coral heads decorate the coral gardens where you can see reef sharks, napoleons, Bumphead parrotfish, and large schools of barracuda and jacks. There is a good muck night dive here too.
In Makian there is black sand diving, similar to Lembeh Strait. An excellent macro dive site where good critter’s life can be found. Strange creatures are seen here, including Bobbit worms, nudibranch, frogfish, and even walking sharks.
We will finish our trip with two dives in Ternate. There are a few wrecks in front of the mosque at a good dive depth, perfect for our last dives. Nudibranch, crocodile fish, and ghost pipefish have all been spotted here. After lunch, we make our way back to Ternate for hearty goodbyes.
(*) the itinerary description provided by the boat operator.
Sample itineraries and maps are for illustrative purposes only. The exact route and sites visited are subject to change based on local regulations, guest experience, weather, and logistics, and are at the Captain’s discretion.
