Alor & Flores
Trip highlights: dolphins, dugongs/manatees, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track
Dive sites and activities: Flores: Maumere, Alor, Kumba, Buaya, Ternate, Pura, Pantar, Marisa, Solor, Kawula and Adonara
Day 1
Picture this: you have just arrived at Maumere Harbour, Flores, and the wooden decks of the Pindito are now beneath your feet. The crew greets you like old friends, offering a laid-back safety briefing before you casually set up your scuba gear. As the sun softens over the horizon, you share a relaxed dinner, feeling the gentle vibration of the engines as the vessel begins its quiet, overnight drift toward the mysterious Alor islands.
Core Days
A Pindito liveaboard cruise into Alor and the Solor archipelago is a masterclass in diversity. Over the course of the safari, the Pindito will work the nutrient-rich Pantar Strait, volcanic slopes and protected bays that separate Flores from the remote islands further east. The dive programme remains flexible, guided by more than 3 decades of local knowledge. Conditions change quickly here, and your guides will adjust the daily plan to catch the right tide and the clearest water.
The Pantar Strait is the engine room of the trip. Between the islands of Alor, Pantar, Pura, Ternate and Buaya, cool, nutrient-heavy currents sweep through the channel, attracting big fish. ‘The Bullet’ and ‘Sharks Galore’ live up to their names: you can expect grey reef sharks, whitetips, giant groupers and, with luck, hammerheads or manta rays passing through. At Pura, local children swim out from Yan village with homemade wooden goggles to greet divers on the surface, a charming reminder that some of these communities have lived alongside these reefs for generations. The walls here are thick with sponges, and shallow hard coral gardens hold pygmy seahorses, ribbon eels and the occasional weedy scorpionfish.
When the Pindito needs a quieter pace, it turns to the muck sites inside Kalabahi Bay and around Kawula. This is world-class macro territory. On a single dive at Ampera or Tanjung Waiwowan you might find rhinopias, several species of ghost pipefish, wonderpus and blue-ringed octopus, all within the span of a black sand slope. At night, bamboo sharks hunt among the jetty posts, and frogfish reveal themselves in the torchlight. The area around Maumere offers a gentler but still rewarding experience: healthy reefs with large gorgonian fans, pygmy seahorses and sloping walls that host barracuda and batfish close to the surface.
Above the water, the Pindito makes time for village visits. On Alor you can walk through a local market where stallholders sell exotic fruit, spices and handwoven ikat cloth. On Pantar, the crew may arrange a stop at a hillside village where Christians and Muslims live side by side, offering a glimpse into a part of Indonesia that sees very few tourists. This is not a whipped-in, orchestrated cultural show. It is a quiet, respectful hour or two among people who are genuinely curious about the boat and its guests.
Final Day
Wake for an early breakfast as the Pindito arrives back in Maumere. Disembark after a final coffee with the crew, with your camera card full and your logbook considerably thicker.
Eastern Indonesia (Cetacean Special)
Trip highlights: shark action, dolphins, manta rays, whales, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, onboard experts on minke whales
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: For cruises that use the port of Sorong - Raja Ampat: Dampier Strait, Wayag, Gam, including whale and dolphin tracking and monitoring (24 dives);
For cruises that use the port of Ambon - Ambon, Banda Islands, Banda Sea, including whale and dolphin tracking and monitoring (20 dives);
Day 1
The adventure begins when you board the yacht at either Sorong or Ambon Harbour. After a required safety briefing and introductions to the specialist crew, divers need to put together their own equipment. Dinner is served, and then the yacht makes a carefully planned night crossing, heading straight to the whale and dolphin observation area to begin viewing at sunrise.
Core Days
A Pindito liveaboard cetacean special is a different kind of expedition. These trips are led by Dr. Heike Vester, an ecologist who has spent years studying the social behaviour and bio-acoustics of whales and dolphins. From the upper deck, Heike maintains constant visual watches, and she uses a hydrophone to pick up the unique calls of animals below the surface. The crew is organised into observation teams, scanning the water for blows, dorsal fins or any sign of surface activity. Some species are silent at the surface and can only be located acoustically. Heike knows the preferred habitats of these large marine mammals, and her trained eye does the rest.
If your cruise departs from Sorong, the Pindito will work the Dampier Strait, Gam and the limestone seascapes of Wayag. Raja Ampat’s waters host Omura’s whales, Bryde’s whales, pilot whales, sperm whales and even occasional orcas, plus several dolphin species. Mornings are spent tracking and monitoring these animals at a respectful distance, learning about their behaviour from Heike’s running commentary. Afternoons bring 24 dives across the trip, exploring some of the most bio-diverse reefs on the planet. Current-swept channels at Mansuar and Arborek offer schooling barracuda, wobbegongs and manta rays. The shallows around Gam are thick with pygmy seahorses, walking sharks and endless nudibranchs.
For departures from Ambon, the Pindito heads into the deep waters of the Banda Sea. This is blue whale territory, the largest animal ever to have lived. You will also encounter pilot whales, sperm whales and melon-headed whales, along with Risso’s dolphins. The Banda Islands themselves offer extraordinary diving: sheer volcanic walls at Hatta and Run, coral gardens at Ai, and the famous muck sites around Ambon Bay. Harlequin shrimp, stargazers, ornate ghost pipefish and blue-ringed octopus are all on the macro list. Over the course of the cruise you will complete around 20 dives, with each morning dedicated to patient cetacean observation and each afternoon spent underwater in the Banda Sea’s rich, lesser-visited sites.
Throughout the trip, the Pindito remains a calm, stable platform. There is no rushing. You will learn to listen as much as look. Heike shares her data and her passion freely, turning each sighting into a quiet lesson in marine biology. On the penultimate day, the Pindito turns back towards port, giving you one last sunset on deck with your notes and photographs.
Final Day
After an early breakfast, you will disembark in Sorong or Ambon, depending on your cruise. Say goodbye to the crew and to Heike, with a logbook full of cetacean sightings and a new understanding of these deep-water giants.
Komodo & Sumbawa (Whale Shark Special)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, dugongs/manatees, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Sumbawa: Saleh Bay, Moyo Island, Sangeang, Komodo Islands: Banta Wall, GPS Point, Horseshoe Bay, Cannibal Rock, Yellow Wall of Texas, Gili Lawa Laut, Tatawa Besar, Maumere, and Komodo dragon land visit
Day 1
The clock starts now. Your mission to intersect with migrating whale sharks begins the moment you step onto the Pindito at Benoa Harbour, Bali, where divers waste no time rigging their apparatus. After a no-nonsense safety orientation from the crew, you will fuel up with a sunset meal. There is no delay: the vessel immediately thrusts into the night, racing across the dark water to ensure you are positioned over Sumbawa’s feeding grounds by first light.
Core Days
A Pindito liveaboard expedition is a masterclass in Indonesian diving variety. Over the course of the safari, the Pindito will navigate the very best of Komodo’s legendary sites before heading west into the wilder, less-visited waters of Sumbawa. Conditions change by the hour, and your dive guides, seasoned veterans of these channels, will adapt the daily plan to catch the perfect slack tide for each site.
In Komodo’s north, you will drift through the current-swept pinnacles of Castle Rock and Crystal Rock, where grey reef sharks, giant trevallies and schooling barracuda patrol the blue. At GPS Point, a submerged seamount decorated in pastel soft corals, dogtooth tuna hunt on the edges of visibility. Further south, the underwater topography becomes more dramatic. Cannibal Rock is a riot of colour: sea apples, vibrant anemones and purple gorgonian fans cover almost every surface, with pygmy seahorses and rare nudibranchs tucked among the fronds. Nearby, the Yellow Wall of Texas lives up to its name, a sheer face glowing with yellow crinoids and soft corals, best explored on a gentle morning drift.
Between dives, you will step ashore on Rinca or Komodo island for a guided trek into the dragons‘ territory. Accompanied by a ranger, you will walk through dry savanna in search of the world’s largest lizard, a humbling reminder that this is one of the last places on Earth where prehistoric giants still rule the land.
Crossing into Sumbawan waters brings a shift in focus. At Sangeang Island, an active twin-peaked volcano, hot springs push gas bubbles through the black sand, creating an almost lunar seascape. Soft corals and huge black sea fans thrive in the warmth, while frogfish, seahorses and ornate ghost pipefish hide in plain sight on the volcanic slopes. Then comes the highlight of the Sumbawa leg: Saleh Bay. Before sunrise, the Pindito will position itself among the traditional ‘bagan’ fishing platforms. As the local fishermen haul in nets of anchovies, whale sharks gather below to feed on the spillage. You will slip into the water for a snorkel encounter with these gentle giants, the largest fish in the sea, as they circle calmly at the surface.
Moyo Island offers a gentler pace: clear water, pristine hard corals and the chance for a drift dive past sheer walls frequented by tuna and reef sharks. At Banta Island, the current picks up again. Banta Wall and GPS Point are big-fish sites, with swirling schools of red snapper, mackerel and white-tip reef sharks making the most of the nutrient-heavy flow.
On the final full day, the Pindito will arrive off Maumere on Flores. Here the pace slows once more, allowing for 2 morning dives over black sand slopes and muck sites. Frogfish, mimic octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish and countless nudibranchs reward patient eyes. It is a quiet, contemplative end to a week of big currents and big animals, a reminder that in Indonesia, the smallest creatures are often the most memorable.
Final Day
Wake for an early breakfast as the Pindito makes its final approach to Maumere harbour. Farewell the crew, pack your camera gear one last time and disembark. Your flight home awaits.
Raja Ampat & Triton Bay
Trip highlights: whale sharks, shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Triton Bay: Namatota, Aiduma, Adi, Kurkap; Pulau Pisang, Momon, Raja Ampat: Misool (on trips that use port of Sorong)
Day 1
Board the Pindito at Kaimana Harbour, where modern diving meets ancient history. After the crew’s welcome and a thorough safety drill, lunch is served. As the vessel weighs anchor and glides past Bitsari Bay, you will witness thousand-year-old cliff paintings, a humbling prelude to the deep. Only then do you turn to configure your dive gear, followed by dinner, before the ship slips into the night, sailing toward the pristine sites of Triton Bay.
Core Days
A Pindito liveaboard expedition through Triton Bay and Raja Ampat covers 22 of the most biodiverse marine regions on the planet, and the diving reflects that richness. In Triton Bay, the Pindito works a string of lesser-known sites around Namatota, Aiduma, Adi, Kurkap, Pulau Pisang and Momon. The area remains relatively unexplored, with huge forests of black coral, rugged volcanic rocks and soft coral gardens that seem to go on forever. Whale sharks appear with some regularity, often near the surface. Epaulette sharks hunt in the shallows at night. Resident pilot whales pass through the channels, and squadrons of bumphead parrotfish grind their way across the reef. On a single dive at Kurkap or Adi, you might find frogfish, several species of ornate ghost pipefish and nudibranchs in every colour imaginable. The guides know where to look.
If your cruise includes Misool in Raja Ampat (for departures from Sorong), the diving shifts into a higher gear still. Misool’s northern and eastern coasts are protected within a vast marine reserve. The channels at Fiabacet and Boo are famous for a reason: schooling barracuda, dogtooth tuna and grey reef sharks patrol the blue, while the shallows hold pygmy seahorses, wobbegongs and mantas that come to the cleaning stations. The walls are draped in soft corals, gorgonian fans and sea whips, with snappers and soldierfish hovering in the current. A wide-angle lens earns its keep here, but so does a macro setup: the endemic wobbegong often lies motionless on a ledge in plain sight.
On the last full day of the safari, only 2 dives are scheduled before the Pindito begins its way toward port, giving you time to edit photographs and pack in daylight. Above the surface, the scenery alone is worth the trip: limestone karsts rising sheer from the sea, hidden lagoons, and the occasional village where children wave from wooden canoes.
Final Day
After one last breakfast, you will disembark in Sorong (or Kaimana for the reverse itinerary). Exchange farewells with the crew and your fellow divers, swap photo files and promise to return. Your logbook is full; the memories will last longer.
Raja Ampat National Park
Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: from Raja Ampat: Misool, Vreni's Garden, Island visit, Wayag, Kawe, Waigeo, pearl farm visit, Jef Fam, Red Wall, Kofiau, Mansuar, Dampier Strait, Koon
Day 1
Here is how your first day unfolds. After boarding at Sorong Harbour, you will attend a mandatory crew introduction and safety briefing. Next, allocate 30 minutes to preparing your personal dive equipment. A critical step follows: a supervised check dive in local waters to fine-tune your weighting. Post-dive, dinner is served. Finally, the Pindito commences its overnight voyage, taking you directly at the park's premium dive locations by morning.
Core Days
The Pindito liveaboard experience in Raja Ampat covers the full spectrum of this remarkable archipelago. Over the course of the safari, the Pindito moves through Misool, Wayag, Kawe, Kofiau, and the famous Dampier Strait. Each area offers its own character. In Misool, the limestone karsts rise hundreds of metres from the sea, and dive sites like Vreni's Garden and the Red Wall are draped in massive gorgonian fans, sea whips and soft corals in every shade. Currents here attract schooling barracuda, dogtooth tuna and grey reef sharks. Between dives, you will visit a pearl farm in Waigeo, where local workers explain the cultivation process.
The Dampier Strait between Mansuar and Kri is a reliable place to find mantas. Several cleaning stations lie in shallow water, and the big females come in with remoras attached, hovering patiently while wrasses pick parasites from their gills. Wobbegongs lie motionless on sandy ledges, their intricate patterns providing perfect camouflage. At Jef Fam and around Koon, the sheer volume of fish can feel overwhelming: fusiliers, trevallies and giant clams the size of suitcase. For macro enthusiasts, the Pindito's guides know exactly where to find pygmy seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish and endless nudibranchs.
Above the surface, the Pindito makes time for an island visit and the iconic view from Wayag. Climbing to the viewpoint is rewarded with a panorama of dozens of mushroom-shaped karsts rising from turquoise water. The crew also arranges a stop at a local village on Waigeo or Kofiau, offering a quiet glimpse of daily life in a part of Indonesia that remains largely traditional.
On the last full day of the trip, only 2 morning dives are scheduled before the Pindito cruises back towards Sorong, giving you time to edit photographs and pack at a relaxed pace.
Final Day
After an early breakfast, you will disembark at Sorong harbour. Say goodbye to the crew and your fellow divers, and carry the memories of Raja Ampat's reefs with you.
Raja Ampat, Banda Sea & Alor
Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: From: Banda Sea and Banda Islands, Serua, Manuk, Gunung Api, Lucipara. Trips that use ports in Alor, Flores or Ambon will also visit dive sites there, trips that use the port of Sorong will also visit dive sites in Raja Ampat.
Day 1
Get ready to move. You are welcomed onto the Pindito at Sorong Harbour, where the crew’s safety briefing is short and sharp. You rig your scuba gear immediately, then splash for a necessary check dive to confirm your buoyancy. A hearty dinner fuels you for what comes next: the vessel thrusting into the Seram Sea under a canopy of stars, cutting through the night toward the volcanic seascapes of the Banda Sea and beyond to Alor.
Core Days
A Pindito liveaboard cruise that links Raja Ampat, the Banda Sea and Alor is a true crossing of eastern Indonesia. If your trip departs from Sorong, the Pindito will spend the first several days exploring Raja Ampat’s limestone karsts and current-swept channels. Dives at Misool and the Dampier Strait offer the full spectacle: wobbegongs on sandy ledges, oceanic mantas at cleaning stations, and schools of barracuda and trevallies hunting in the blue. The macro life is just as rich: pygmy seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish and nudibranchs in extraordinary numbers. From there, the Pindito heads west across the Banda Sea.
The Banda Sea crossing is a different kind of diving. Remote volcanic islands such as Manuk, Serua, Gunung Api and the Lucipara group act as oases in deep water. Manuk is famous for its sea snakes. hundreds of them, banded and yellow-lipped, weaving through the shallows. At Serua and Gunung Api, nutrient-rich upwellings attract large schools of surgeonfish, Spanish mackerel, giant jacks and mobula rays cruising along the walls. If you are lucky, hammerhead sharks pass through in loose formations. The Pindito also makes time for a land visit to the Banda Islands, the historic Spice Islands, where nutmeg plantations and old Dutch forts offer a glimpse of a turbulent colonial past.
For trips that continue towards Alor and Flores, the diving shifts again. The sites around Alor, including the Pantar Strait and the islands of Pura, Ternate and Buaya, are known for exceptional macro life: hairy frogfish, Halimeda ghostpipefish, rhinopias, wonderpus and several species of pygmy seahorses. But there are also bigger animals: whitetip reef sharks, bamboo sharks and squadrons of bumphead parrotfish grinding across the coral. Night dives here are particularly rewarding, with Spanish dancers, bobtail squid and sleeping parrotfish adding to the logbook.
On the last full day of the trip, only 2 morning dives are scheduled before the Pindito cruises to port, giving you time to pack and review your photographs.
Final Day
After an early breakfast, you will disembark at the finishing port, typically Maumere (Flores), Alor or Ambon, depending on the cruise direction. Say farewell to the crew and your fellow divers, with a logbook that spans 3 of Indonesia’s finest marine regions.
Raja Ampat, Banda Sea & Ambon (12 Days / 11 Nights - 30 Dives)
Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Ambon, Nusa Laut, Banda Neira, Koon, Raja Ampat: Misool, Fabiacet, Magic Mountain, Dampier Strait, Manta Sandy, Cape Kri
Day 1
Guests are welcomed aboard the Pindito at Sorong Harbour. An obligatory safety briefing, accompanied by proper crew introductions, precedes the assembly of one’s scuba equipment. A gourmet dinner is subsequently served on the open deck. As the final course concludes, the vessel commences its refined overnight sail, charting an eastward course through the Seram Sea toward the remote Banda Islands and ultimately, Ambon.
Core Days
A Pindito liveaboard scuba expedition linking Raja Ampat, the Banda Sea and Ambon covers an extraordinary range of diving. If you start from Sorong, the Pindito first explores the limestone karsts and current-swept channels of Raja Ampat. At Misool, sites like Fabiacet and Magic Mountain deliver the full spectacle: schooling barracuda, dogtooth tuna and grey reef sharks patrol the blue, while wobbegongs lie motionless on ledges. In the Dampier Strait, Manta Sandy lives up to its name with oceanic mantas queue at the cleaning stations, hovering within metres of divers. Cape Kri holds the world record for fish species counted on a single dive; you will understand why as soon as you descend into the wall of fusiliers, snappers and trevallies.
Crossing west into the Banda Sea, the Pindito heads for the remote Banda Islands. Dives around Banda Neira and the volcanic cone of Gunung Api reveal pristine hard coral gardens, enormous gorgonian fans and clouds of anthias. This is also a region for bigger animals: hammerhead sharks pass through the deeper channels, and both dolphins and whales are regularly spotted from the deck. A land visit to Banda Neira offers a walk through the historic Spice Islands, where nutmeg plantations and old Dutch forts recall a time when these islands were the most valuable real estate on Earth. At Koon, just south of Ambon, a submerged pinnacle attracts large pelagics: giant trevallies, Spanish mackerel and schools of bumphead parrotfish.
The final leg of the cruise brings you to Ambon. The famous muck sites of Ambon Bay, Laha, Rhino City and Air Manis, are a macro photographer’s dream. On a single black sand slope you might find several species of frogfish, rhinopias, wonderpus, blue-ringed octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish and the elusive psychedelic frogfish. The dive guides know exactly where to look. Nearby, Nusa Laut provides less-visited reefs with exceptional soft coral cover and a high chance of encountering the endemic Ambon scorpionfish.
On the last full day of the trip, only 2 morning dives are scheduled before the Pindito cruises to port, giving you time to edit photographs and pack at a relaxed pace.
Day 15
After an early breakfast, you will disembark at Ambon harbour (or Sorong for the reverse routing). Say farewell to the crew and your fellow divers.
Raja Ampat, Lembeh & Halmahera
Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Raja Ampat: Kafiau, Halmahera: Joronga, Maregarano, Tifore, Bangka Island, Lembeh Strait: Angel's Window, Nudi Retreat
Day 1
Let the excitement begin! You’ll board the Pindito at Sorong Harbour to a round of smiles from the crew. After a quick, upbeat safety briefing, you’ll dive straight into setting up your scuba gear. The energy stays high through a thrilling check dive, and by the time dinner is served, the whole boat is buzzing. Then comes the magic: the Pindito powers into the night, sailing toward Raja Ampat’s legendary sites.
Core Days
A Pindito liveaboard expedition that links Raja Ampat, Halmahera and Lembeh covers 3 distinct marine worlds. In Raja Ampat, the Pindito works the lesser-visited area around Kofiau. Here the reefs are exceptionally healthy, with massive hard coral tables, soft coral gardens and schools of fusiliers in the shallows. Currents attract trevallies, barracuda and the endemic spotted wobbegong. Above the water, Kofiau’s karst islands rise from a turquoise lagoon, offering a peaceful anchorage.
Crossing into Halmahera, the diving changes. The Maluku islands receive far fewer liveaboard visits than Raja Ampat. At Joronga, Maregarano and Tifore, you will find pristine coral gardens, ancient volcanic slopes and even the occasional wreck. Bait balls attract hunters - tunas, mackerel and bonito patrol the blue, and with luck, hammerheads or oceanic whitetip sharks pass through. Under the docks at Makian and Lilai, you can search for critters: frogfish, scorpionfish and colourful nudibranchs.
Bangka Island offers a mix of gentle sloping reefs and current-swept pinnacles, with turtles, bumphead parrotfish and Napoleon wrasse common on almost every dive. The Pindito crew knows these waters intimately, having explored them over many seasons.
The final leg brings you to the Lembeh Strait. Here the Pindito focuses on the famous black sand muck sites, including Angel’s Window and Nudi Retreat. No other place on Earth offers such a concentration of rare and unusual critters. On a single dive you might find mimic octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, harlequin shrimp, several species of frogfish and seahorses, plus skeleton shrimp and countless nudibranchs. The guides are expert spotters; they know exactly which patch of sand holds a hairy frogfish or a blue-ringed octopus. Day after day, you will want to extend your bottom time.
On the last full day of the trip, only 2 morning dives are scheduled before the Pindito cruises back to Bitung port, leaving time to pack and review your macro photographs.
Final Day
After an early breakfast, you will disembark in Bitung for the transfer to Manado airport. Say farewell to the crew and your fellow divers, with a logbook that spans 3 of Indonesia’s finest and most varied regions.
Triton Bay, Banda Sea & Ambon (12 Days / 11 Nights - 38 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, whales, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Triton Bay: Namatota, Aiduma, Adi, Kurkap, Kaimana, Pulau Pisang, Momon, Koon, Seram, Banda Islands (including land visit), Nusa Laut, Ambon
Day 1
Step aboard the Pindito at Kaimana Harbour, where the sea air and a warm crew welcome instantly settle your mind. After a gentle safety orientation, you take your time assembling your dive gear. The vessel slips away mid-day, and as it drifts past Bitsari Bay, you silently absorb the ancient cliff paintings, a quiet conversation with history. A golden sunset dinner follows, and then the engine hums a low, soothing rhythm as the Pindito glides into the night, carrying you toward the untouched dive zones of Triton Bay, where tomorrow’s underwater wonders wait in silence.
Core Days
A liveaboard trip on the Pindito through Ambon, the Banda Sea, and Triton Bay spans 3 very different marine environments. The journey starts in Triton Bay, where the Pindito explores lesser-known sites near Kaimana, Namatota, Aiduma, Adi, and Kurkap. This area remains relatively unexplored. Black coral forests rise from deep waters, and rugged volcanic formations create stunning scenery above and below. Sightings may include whale sharks, epaulette sharks, and resident pilot whales. Schools of bumphead parrotfish graze across the reef. In a single dive at Kurkap or Adi, you can find frogfish, ornate ghost pipefish, and nudibranchs in remarkable numbers.
Sailing into the Banda Sea, the Pindito visits Koon and the Banda Islands. Around Koon, strong currents attract large pelagics such as giant trevallies, Spanish mackerel, and schools of bumphead parrotfish. At Nusa Laut and Seram, pristine hard corals and massive gorgonian fans shelter clouds of anthias, damselfish, and angelfish. A land excursion to the Banda Islands, the historic Spice Islands, reveals nutmeg plantations and old Dutch forts that tell a story of colonial conflict. Whales and dolphins are often sighted from the deck, and there is a good chance of encountering endemic species like the Ambon scorpionfish.
The final stretch brings you to Ambon Bay, known for its world-class muck diving. On dark sand slopes, macro lovers can spot multiple frogfish species, rhinopias, wonderpus, blue-ringed octopus, and flamboyant cuttlefish. The guides are experts at finding the hidden creatures.
On the final full day, only two dives are scheduled before the yacht heads toward port, allowing time for photo editing and relaxed packing.
Day 12
Your cruise comes to an end. Share goodbyes and photos with fellow divers and the crew. Disembark in Ambon.
Keep in mind that this itinerary sometimes runs in reverse, so always confirm port details before booking.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
The experience of diving Indonesia is intrinsically linked to life aboard a liveaboard, and the Pindito liveaboard provides a daily structure where rest and exceptional dining are highly valued by the operator. Catering commences upon your arrival on the first day.
The routine begins early, setting the pace for the day’s diving. Before the first descent, a self-serve pre-breakfast of muesli and fruit is available. A more substantial, cooked-to-order breakfast is served between the 2 morning dives, ensuring adequate sustenance. This full breakfast features fresh options such as à la carte eggs, pancakes, jams, and freshly baked bread.
Lunch is a fixed meal, served family-style with waiter service in the saloon. The meal allows for a relaxing surface interval before the afternoon dive, which is typically scheduled around 2:30 pm. The menu is varied, there is no fixed offering, combining Asian and Western dishes. A typical midday meal on Pindito includes 2 main selections of Indonesian and Chinese main meal dishes, such as a fragrant Chicken and Basil Stir-fry or a rich Beef Rendang, served with accompanying vegetables and rice or noodles.
Following the afternoon dive, complimentary afternoon snacks and cakes are provided. Dinner, another fixed family-style meal, is served in the lounge, creating a social atmosphere for guests to share photos and videos. After dinner, a fourth dive (dusk or night) is often offered based on guest interest.
The Pindito offers extensive complimentary beverages: coffee, tea, soft drinks, juices, drinking water, beer, and spirits are all included free of charge. Wine is available for purchase. The crew attempts to accommodate all dietary requirements, including vegan and vegetarian options, provided you send us your needs in advance.
