Latest News & Updates

Lembeh Resort - Lembeh, Indonesia

"Lembeh Resort is still great.  They`ve improved meals and snacks and the pool area significantly since we were last there.  The resort GMs are still amazing - e.g. they were doing spot checks on the chef to make sure he was using the vegetarian soup base for soups rather than chicken or beef while I was there so that I could eat the soups.  They previously worked at Wakatobi which IMO shows.  I also managed to hit Fish Geek week which was amazing - heard talked from Mark Erdmann and Gerry Allen and got to dive on their boat and see them in action underwater.  Super cool.  Anita felt there were less critters this trip than last time she went (I think in 2012) and I would tend to agree.  Definitely fewer mimics.  I still had a good time looking for obscure nudis (but that`s not Anita`s cup of tea).  My favourite guide who I have dove with the past 3 visits managed to find me 3 phyllodesmium rudmani`s after many days of searching (which I had been on a mission to see - see SB post) so that was exciting.  I still don`t love the food there (I ate vegetable soup for dinner every night for the entire length of our stay) but that`s partly because eating any raw veggies even at tourist oriented dive resorts tends to result in stomach sickness.  I thought the old dive shop managers had a better system of focusing on the best/hopping dive sites rather than the new dive managers' current system, which just rotates through the entire list irrespective of quality or current activity levels.  Dimpy the marine biologist remains terrific for IDing obscure nudis." 

Natasha S - Toronto, Canada

We are now booking the Tiger Blue Liveaboard in Indonesia

Tiger Blue is a traditional 34m timber phinisi yacht, which sails around the stunning islands of Eastern Indonesia. The boat has five en-suite cabins, sleeping up to 12 adults, leaving you with plenty of room to relax and take in the incredible scenery. She can be chartered privately or on an individual cabin basis with three core itineraries throughout the year, which can easily be tailored to suit your requirements. Perfect for a family adventure, a once in a lifetime trip among friends or a diving and fishing holiday, Tiger Blue offers an ideal opportunity to spend time together.

A journey on board is full of unforgettable moments, be it finding dragons on the Komodo islands, searching for birds of paradise in West Papua or snorkelling with huge manta rays then kayaking over coral gardens in Raja Ampat. Follow in the footsteps of Sir Francis Drake and discover the spice route of olden days in the Banda islands, where nations fought tooth and nail to secure this exotic and lucrative trade. Embark with a sense of adventure. Switch off your phone and reconnect with each other and with nature. Gather around the large dining table at the heart of the boat and enjoy a leisurely meal to tales of the day's activities.

Contact us for cabin availability or full boat group charters. And ask for our discounted rates…!

Dewi Nusantara Liveaboard - Luxury Diving in Indonesia

 We are pleased to be offering the Dewi Nusantara charters in Indonesia, Raja Ampat, Komodo and other prime destinations. Contact us for space and discounted pricing on this fabulous vessel.

Amira Liveaboard - Komodo Last Minute 25% Discount

We have one cabin available offering a last minute 25% discount on the Amira Liveaboard to Komodo for the following dates:

• 11-22 August 2014 - 11 Nights, One Cabin
• 8-19 September 2014 - 11 Nights, One cabin

July & August - Raja Ampat on the Pearl of Papua - Last Minute 20% OFF

2016 Arenui Komodo Focus 12 Day / 11 Night

Bima to Labuanbajo Cruise  $6270 Per Person

Join our group on the Arenui for an amazing excursion in Indonesia, cruising the waters of Komodo. This is another bucket list destination. The charter embarks in Bima and disembarks in Labuanbajo. When you enquire about our charter, ask for our agent's discount. Dates for this charter are 29 July to 09 August 2016. Email us for a detailed trip itinerary.

Added Fees: Port $150; Fuel Surcharge $100; Marine Park Fee $90.

Standard Inclusions: Full board accommodation in deluxe cabin; shore activities/excursions according to the program; soft drinks, water, tea, American/Balinese coffee; five meals per day, up to 4 dives/day; tanks, weights and weight belts; airport transfer; government taxes; 1/2 hour welcome massage.

Standard Exclusions: administration/port clearance fee; National Parks fee; fuel surcharge; international and domestic air; hotels and meals before and after the cruise; alcoholic drinks, espresso, cappuccino; dive equipment rental; nitrox; massages and spa treatments; travel insurance; onboard purchases; private tours; laundry; on-board telecommunications; crew gratuities. 

This famous dive destination is located in the within the Coral Triangle, an area that boasts the world's highest marine biodiversity. Situated 200 nautical miles east of Bali in Nusa Tenggara province - in the Lesser Sunda Islands - the Komodo National Park has a total land area of 75,000 hectares and encompasses a number of islands, the largest of which is Komodo (34,000 hectares). A total of 112,500 hectares of the surrounding waters is also under the jurisdiction of the park rangers, allowing for the protection of over 1,000 species of fish and hundreds of different corals.

Komodo's dive sites stretch from the warm waters of the Flores Sea in the north to the chillier waters down south in the Indian Ocean. The underwater terrain presents many contrasts, with sheer cliff walls, pinnacles, sandy flat bottoms, underwater plateaus, slopes, caves, swim-throughs and channels - all with differing colors, sizes and types of both hard and soft corals.

As an example of how Komodo truly represents diving diversity, 2 popular dive sites at Gili Lawa Laut - Crystal Rock and Castle Rock - offer opportunities for critter spotting, as well as big fish action.In fact, Castle Rock offers a nice opportunity to try out a 'reef-hook' dive, as you secure yourself to the rock and float in the current, watching the schooling fish and predator/prey action!

 

 

Dive at other famous sites such as Cannibal Rock, Manta Alley, Yellow Wall, Angel Reef, Torpedo Alley, Pink Beach, Unusual Suspects, Crinoid Canyon and Gazer Beach. Visit the very best that Komodo has to offer, from Pulau Moyo, Pulau Banta and Bima Bay, to Pulau Satonda and Pulau Sangean.

In Moyo, you'll find spectacular corals and crystal clear waters. Banta is famed for its stunning wall dives and drop-offs, with beautiful corals covering the walls like an Andy Warhol painting. Bima Bay offers world-class muck diving with black coral covered reefs. Satonda is famous above the water for its fruit bats (which take off every sunset for a nights feeding) and below the waves for its sheltered bays and remarkable critters. Try something unique at Sangeang Island as we dive in the shadow of an active volcano, feeling the hot springs bubbling up under the black sand.h, Unusual Suspects, Crinoid Canyon and Gazer Beach. Visit the very best that Komodo has to offer, from Pulau Moyo, Pulau Banta and Bima Bay, to Pulau Satonda and Pulau Sangean.

In Komodo, expect encounters with pelagics, such as manta rays, eagle rays, sharks, mola-mola (sunfish), tuna and even whales. Get your macro lens ready for unusual critters such as ornate ghost pipefish, different kinds of pygmy seahorses, rare clown frogfish, weird and wonderful nudibranchs, blue-ringed octopus, pipefish, scorpion leaf fish, coleman shrimp, boxer crabs, zebra crabs. Fill your memory cards with bumphead parrotfish, napoleon wrasse, juvenile batfish, stonefish, devilfish, seahorses, dragonets, turtles, cuttlefish, banded sea-snakes, snake eels, stargazers, slipper lobsters, fire-urchins and sea-apples.

The Arenui has offered us a last minute deal of the 22 July 2014 charter to Alor and Komodo. There are only two remaining cabins, one master suite and one deluxe, available on all of the Arenui charters in 2014 and only a couple remaining cabins in 2015. If you want to dive the Arenui, now is the time to get a discounted cabin. Here's the sample itinerary:

Day 1 Embarkation in Labuanbajo

Day 2 Loh Liang or Loh Buaya (walk with dragons) / Komodo-Flores Channel, Day 3 Gili Lawa Laut, Day 4 Gili Lawa Laut / Sabolan,

Day 5 Pamana, Day 6 Serbete Reef / Adonara Island, Day 7 Kawula Island, Day 8 Suangi / Lamalera, Day 9 Pantar Island,

Days 10, 11 Alor / Pantar Strait, Day 12 Bacatan / Pulau Komba, Day 13 Pulau Babi, Day 14 Disembarkation in Maumere

This charter is normally $6,500 USD for the Deluxe cabin and we will discount this published price $1,000 to $5,500 USD (no credit cards). Book this space fast!

Another fin-tastic offering for the 2013 Beneath the Sea Dive Show is Raja4Divers, located on Pulau Pef, a scenic exclusive private resort island, in remote central Raja Ampat West Papua. This resort features 6 water bungalows on stilts with a maximum of 18 guests at any time.

Raja4Divers redefines the Raja Ampat diving holiday by offering an authentic Papuan experience, one with nature, without compromising on quality, comfort and service. The pristine beauty of the Raja Ampat both above and below the water is truly un-rivalled. Dramatic lime-stone island outcrops dot the azure ocean, while on the larger islands, coastal mountain ranges punctuate the lush, verdant forest canopies that sweep downhill towards coconut palms on white sand beaches. The incredible topside scenery is only the beginning - as soon as you drop beneath the surface, a fairy tale wonderland awaits. The Raja Ampat is deemed a species factory for marine life, with scientists proclaiming the region as one of the Earth’s richest seascapes.

We are offering 7 night packages including full board accommodations, all gourmet meals, unlimited diving, free nitrox, 1 overnight in Sarong for transfer, water transfer from Sarong to Raja Ampat. Package $3,075 ppdo at 2013 rates.

 ** SOLD OUT **

Our 2014 Premier Indonesia Liveaboard Charter

Alor-Komodo August 6-19, 2014 

Arenui The Boutique Liveaboard 

Join us on the Arenui, Indonesia's finest liveaboard for a charter that will take us through Komodo and Alor for some of the finest diving found in the Flores Seas. The Arenui features a crew of 22 ready to serve you on this fantastic charter. And a fantastic bonus on this charter will be the photographic talents of underwater professional Liz Rogers. Liz will be conducting evening seminars on improving your underwater photos and skills that will result in professional quality images.

Liz Rogers is an underwater and cave diving photographer and explorer, who regularly travels to remote areas where serious dedication is required to get the shot. Part of the thrill of visiting rarely seen areas is the opportunity to share the experience with others - both in person and with pictures. Liz has brought back images that have been published in both the diving and mainstream press, and placed in major international photography competitions.  

She writes regularly on her website, explaining the backstory to her images each week.

Liz is looking forward to sharing some great diving and photographic adventures aboard the luxurious Arenui as we cruise through the waters of Komodo and the Flores Seas. 

Check out Liz's website at http://lizrogersphotography.com 

Transform your dive dream into reality! 14 Days / 13 Nights Maumere to Lubuanbajo

Komodo

This famous dive destination is located in the within the Coral Triangle, an area that boasts the world's highest marine biodiversity. Situated 200 nautical miles east of Bali in Nusa Tenggara province - in the Lesser Sunda Islands - the Komodo National Park has a total land area of 75,000 hectares and encompasses a number of islands, the largest of which is Komodo (34,000 hectares). A total of 112,500 hectares of the surrounding waters is also under the jurisdiction of the park rangers, allowing for the protection of over 1,000 species of fish and hundreds of different corals.

Komodo's dive sites stretch from the warm waters of the Flores Sea in the north to the chillier waters down south in the Indian Ocean. The underwater terrain presents many contrasts, with sheer cliff walls, pinnacles, sandy flat bottoms, underwater plateaus, slopes, caves, swim-throughs and channels - all with differing colours, sizes and types of both hard and soft corals.

General information: Currents can be strong; dive depths 5-30 meters; number of dive sites, 53; seas are generally calm; visibility 10-40 meters; water temperature 22-28 degrees C; suitable for intermediate to advanced divers.

Alor

As well as being one of the best kept secrets for diving in paradise, including rare finds like the beautiful rhinopias but also plenty of pelagic action, this area boasts stunning topside scenery and impressive volcanoes.

Cruises in Alor and Flores offer widespread muck diving, sharks and large schools of fish, WWII wreck dives, untouched reefs and unexplored coral gardens, magnificent soft corals and stunning hard coral formations. We also visit the famous Pura Island villagers, who splash out of their wooden dugout canoes and dive underwater with home-made goggles fashioned from wood and glass bottles.

General information: Currents can be gentle to strong; dive depths 10-30 meters; number of dive sites, 47; seas are generally calm; visibility 10-40 meters; water temperature 2-29 degrees C; suitable for intermediate to advanced divers.

The Dive Sites

Some of the incredible dive sites we will visit include Serbete Reef and Adonara Island, Tanjung Waiwowan,Suangi Island and Lamalera, Beang Abang, Tanjung Kanang, Pura Island, Sabolan, Tatawa Besar, Tatawa Kecil, Crystal Rock, Castle Rock and many others.

Expect to experience reef shallows with ribbon eels and nudibranches; ledges and walls with white tip reef sharks and rhinopias; reef sandy slopes with blue ring octopus and bamboo sharks; sea mounts and crevices with bumphead parrot fish and sea turtles; pelagic sites with dramatic drop-offs with passing whales and Mola Mola; black sand beachfronts with muck dives revealing sea horses, frogfish, and rhinopias; and sites like Anemone City where there is the largest field of sea anemones in the world. Form the macro to the magnificent, you will fill your camera memory card with memories.

Published Rate: $6,500 USD per person plus fees

Fuel Surcharge Fee: $100 USD

Port Clearance Fee: $150 USD

National Parks Fee: $60 USD

INCLUSIONS: Full board accommodations, shore excursions according to itinerary, soft drinks, water, tea, coffee, 5 meals a day, up to 4 dives per day, tanks, weights, weight belts, transfers to embarkation/disembarkation airport, welcome massage.

EXCLUSIONS: International and domestic air fares, hotels and meals before and after cruise, alcoholic beverages, espresso, dive equipment rental, spa treatments, onboard purchases, travel insurance, private tours, crew gratuities.

We have 3 remaining cabins, either upper deck twin or lower deck deluxe, available on the Grand Komodo itinerary. This 11-night trip offers many of the wonders of nature from muck dives to giant mantas. Most of the charters in 2013 are sold out. Grab a cabin fast! $5280 per person. Email us for details.