Banda Islands

Posted on May 9, 2025May 10, 2025 by Annabel Thomas

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Banda Islands

The Banda Islands are one of Indonesia’s top destinations for divers. Both experts and beginners will enjoy themselves here as the diving ranges from the shallow lagoon between Banda Neira and Gunung Api, to the vertical walls of Hatta Island, the most easterly in the group.

Located in Maluku (Molluca) province, the Banda Islands are 200km from the nearest port town of Ambon, and are made up of 9 islands. Long known for their spices, these islands have attracted regional and international traders for more than 3.000 years. The first Europeans arrived in 1500. The biggest and most valuable commodities were nutmeg and cloves as, at that time, they were only found in the Banda Islands.

Diving in Banda

Set in the heart of Indonesia, the remoteness of the Banda Islands along with the low levels of human population, have meant less fishing and pollution pressures resulting in a vibrant, natural and healthy reef system.

Diving in the Banda Islands offers amazingly colourful walls, drop-offs, bommies and pinnacles!

The very clear and nutrient-rich upwelling waters bring in schools of hammerhead sharks, and pelagics such as sunfish (Mola-Mola), Dogtooth tunas, reef sharks, and sailfish. There are various ‘hammerhead hotspots’ where – at certain times of the year (Sep-Nov is best) – schools of more than 200 hammerheads have been witnessed. Whales also frequently pass through the strait.

Banda Diving Season

Diving is usually comfortable with average visibility of 15-30 meters, mild currents and calm waters. December/January (NW monsoon) June-August (SE monsoon) can have turbulent seas. The ‘best’ months are April and October 🙂

How to reach Banda

The Banda Islands are often included in some liveaboard schedules when crossing from Komodo, Raja Ampat, Alor or Flores.

And of course dive resorts offer attractive diving/accommodation packages. There are domestic flights from Jakarta and Bali to Ambon via Ujung Pandang (Makassar), and from there to the Banda Islands.

For more info on the safari routes and durations at Banda Islands, and to start your planning, please make sure your AMD-B Travel Consultant is aware of your needs. As always, they will be more than happy to offer recommendations and make arrangements to suit your preferences. Contact us on Tours@AquaMarineDiving.com today!

Indonesia Scuba Diving Discounts

Posted on March 14, 2025March 14, 2025 by Annabel Thomas

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Indonesia Scuba Diving Discounts through AquaMarine

AquaMarine can book an entire Indonesia diving package for you.

Book with AquaMarine and you will receive personalised service, direct one to one communication with your AMD-B Dive Travel Consultant. We can book dive resorts, liveaboards, land-based activities, and domestic air tickets. We will find the right trip for you!

Whether your planned scuba diving in Indonesia will be a long or short trip, or multi centre, to well known or obscure areas, AquaMarine can put everything together for you.

By booking through AMD-B you may be eligible for exclusive Indonesia Scuba Diving discounts. These may include:
– free add ons,
– free domestic flights,
– accommodation upgrades,
– extra dives,
– private guides,
– free Nitrox
and much more.

For more information and advice on Indonesia Scuba Diving discounts, please e-mail.

Beyond Bali Special Offers

Indonesian Archipelago

Indonesia consists of thousands of islands. There are both large and small islands, but there are two things they all have in common. Their natural, exotic beauty and fascinating cultures.

Indonesia is world renowned for its incredible marine biodiversity.

Some Indonesia dive destinations are already famous. Komodo National Park is known for drift diving with pelagics. North Sulawesi includes the critter haven of Lembeh Strait, and the rich walls of Bunaken Marine Park. Raja Ampat has amazing underwater limestone scenery. Dive Wakatobi Islands with their long, pristine reefs.

Bali is not the only place in Indonesia with phenomenal diving. Therefore, to ensure we provide a comprehensive service for our clients, AquaMarine Diving – Bali is an agent for other reputable dive resorts and liveaboards throughout Indonesia.

We can arrange for you to dive in Bali to prepare for your Indonesia adventure. For example, take a PADI Wreck Diver Course before going to Cendrawasih Bay. Or learn Drift diving before a Sangalaki trip.

Exclusive AMD-B Special Offers

We Make Diving Indonesia Easy!

Scuba Diving in Indonesia

Posted on February 14, 2025February 14, 2025 by Annabel Thomas

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Scuba Diving in Indonesia

If you have not yet dived Indonesia, you are missing out!

The Indonesian archipelago consists of thousands of islands, both large and small, but there are two things they all have in common: Their natural, exotic beauty and fascinating cultures. Indonesia is also world-renowned for its incredible marine biodiversity.

Indonesia’s Diving Destination

Some Indonesian dive destinations are already famous: Komodo National Park for drift-diving with pelagics, and muck dives; North Sulawesi with the rich walls of Bunaken Marine Park and the critter haven of Lembeh Strait; the underwater limestone scenery of Raja Ampat, or the Wakatobi Islands with their long, pristine reefs.

However Indonesia also offers other wonderful underwater treasure troves:

With their amazing coral formations, Alor and Pantar Islands (Flores) are favourite dive locations for adventure-loving divers.

Ambon and Halmahera in the Spice Islands (Maluku) offer outstanding muck diving and healthy reefs.

Bangka Island (N Sulawesi) is popular with divers seeking more isolated areas. The dive sites can have currents but offer colourful corals swarming with small, tropical fishes and many hunting pelagics.

In West Papua, Cendrawasih Bay is famous for the resident Whalesharks that feed at fishing platforms and Manokwari Bay for its WWII Japanese shipwrecks.

In the Gulf of Tomini (central Sulawesi), Gorontalo aka “The Sponge Capital of the World” remains relatively unexplored, while the Walea Strait offers an ideal environment for healthy and gorgeous coral life along with very calm seas.

Maratua and Sangalaki (Borneo) have impressive drop-offs with great drift diving to see pelagics.

These areas, and many more, make up the world’s richest marine biogeographic zone: Indonesia.

Indonesia’s Diving with AquaMarine

AquaMarine Diving – Bali is proud to represent reputable dive resorts and liveaboards throughout the archipelago.

Whether you would like a long or short trip, or multi-centre; to well-known or obscure parts of Indonesia, AquaMarine’s ‘Beyond Bali’ Dive Travel Consultants can book the entire package for you: Dive resorts, liveaboards, land-based activities, and domestic air tickets – often with free add-ons, domestic flights, accommodation upgrades, extra dives, private guides, Nitrox.