Banda Sea & Ambon
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, 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: Ambon Bay, Banda Islands: Pulau Ai, Run, Banda Neira, visit to a Spice Island, Ring of Fire, Serua, Manuk, Damar, Hukruila Cave, Molana
Day 1
Boarding occurs at Ambon harbour. The crew delivers a warm welcome, followed by cabin allocation and a full safety briefing. A conditional check dive on Ambon Bay's black-sand slopes may be fitted in, dependent on your arrival time. Dinner is then served in the main saloon. Post-meal, the vessel prepares for an overnight sail, setting a direct course into the Banda Sea. You wake at the edge of volcanic reefs.
Core Days
This voyage pushes into the volcanic heart of eastern Indonesia, tracing the Banda Sea’s remote islands. The White Manta begins with the Banda Islands themselves. At Pulau Ai and Run, you drop onto deep‑water walls where hammerhead and silvertip sharks are regular visitors, schools of chevron barracuda and giant trevally patrol the blue, and squads of mobula rays ghost past. A land visit to Banda Neira brings a walk through a centuries‑old nutmeg plantation and a glimpse of the Dutch forts , a reminder that these were once the most valuable spice islands on earth.
Heading further south, the White Manta liveaboard dives the Ring of Fire. At Manuk Island, known as ‘Snake Island’, you drift among hundreds of olive sea snakes and banded sea kraits as they hunt across pristine coral gardens. Around Serua and Damar, nutrient‑rich currents attract huge schools of baitfish, which in turn bring dogtooth tuna, jacks and reef sharks. The underwater topography is dramatic: steep walls, volcanic outcroppings and coral‑covered seamounts that feel genuinely untouched.
The final leg takes you back toward Ambon. A dive at Hukurila Cave takes you through 2 rock arches into a shallow cavern decorated with sponges and soft corals. Another day at Molana offers a shallow wall with sloping patches of sand, where ribbon eels and pygmy seahorses hide among the coral.
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Only 2 dives run on the last full day, leaving the afternoon for the White Manta to cruise back to Ambon while the crew washes and dries your gear, ready for packing.
Final Day
Enjoy a light breakfast on board before disembarking at Ambon harbour. The White Manta leaves you with a logbook full of Banda Sea classics: hammerheads, sea snakes, spice‑island history, and the satisfaction of diving one of Indonesia’s most remote marine frontiers.
Halmahera & Lembeh
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, manta rays, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Pulau Tifore, Halmahera: Bacan, Kusu, Strait of Patinti, Tolimau, Goraichi, Tidore, Lembeh Strait
Day 1
This story begins at the port in Bitung, the gateway to North Sulawesi. You board the White Manta, and the crew welcomes you aboard. The tour leader delivers a full orientation: where to find your cabin, how the dive deck works, when meals are served. You prepare your equipment at a station of your own. Depending on the arrival schedule, a check dive may be available in the famous Lembeh Strait , a short, silty splash to test your buoyancy. Dinner follows. Then the vessel slips its lines and sails into the night, carrying you toward Halmahera's untouched reefs.
Core Days
The White Manta liveaboard first sets its sights on Pulau Tifore, a seamark in the Moluccan Sea. Here, nutrient-rich upwellings attract huge pelagic congregations; you can expect to find yourself drifting alongside massive, tornado‑like schools of barracuda, plus dense aggregations of jacks and snappers. The following days are spent exploring the remote and rarely visited reefs of Halmahera. At Pulau Tolimau and the Goraichi Islands, the diving is defined by pristine hard coral gardens, steep walls, and regular encounters with reef sharks. A particular highlight is a manta cleaning station nestled amongst the coral gardens, where you can watch these graceful giants circle in for a spa session. Further north, Pulau Bacan offers dramatic drop‑offs that are packed with barracuda, jacks, and reef sharks in an environment of healthy soft corals and sponges.
The White Manta then enters the Patinti Strait, a renowned channel where strong tidal currents deliver a ‘fish soup’ of action. At Pulau Kusu, the drift dives are often fast and furious, with grey reef sharks, tunas, and dogtooth tuna patrolling the reef edges in the nutrient‑rich flow. From the adrenalin of the strait, the itinerary transitions to Pulau Tidore. These final Halmaheran dives are over volcanic black sand and sloping reefs, excellent for spotting leaf fish, seahorses, and the exotic mimic octopus.
All too soon, the White Manta liveaboard turns its attention back to Lembeh Strait for a 2-day finale. Here, the pace slows to a meticulous, critter‑hunting crawl. The black volcanic slopes of the strait are legendary. At Aw Shucks, the patient observer might find the elusive mimic octopus and flamboyant cuttlefish. Nudi Retreat more than lives up to its name, offering a spectacular array of nudibranchs of every colour and form, while Hairball is considered one of the best macro sites in the world: a slope where each dive reveals something new and utterly bizarre.
On the last full day, only two muck dives are scheduled, allowing plenty of time to wash and dry equipment on board as the White Manta returns to port. The final evening is spent relaxing and sharing memories of a voyage that has spanned 2 very different worlds.
Final Day
After a light breakfast, it is time for farewells. You disembark the White Manta liveaboard in Bitung and are transferred to Manado Airport for your onward journey.
Please note: this itinerary may operate from Lembeh or Ternate. Check your booking for exact ports.
Halmahera, Morotai & Lembeh
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, manta rays, 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, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Lembeh Strait, Tifore, Halmahera: Pulau Hiri, Ternate, Loloda Bay, Kahatola, Pulau Bau, Morotai, Metita, Pulau Doi, Dagasuli, Tidore. Cultural village visit.
Day 1
Upon your arrival at Manado Airport, the White Manta crew will warmly welcome you and provide a transfer to the liveaboard. Depending on your arrival time, you will jump straight into the action with check dive in the world-famous Lembeh Strait, the undisputed 'Critter Capital of the World'. After marvelling at its rare and unusual inhabitants, you will enjoy a night dive before setting sail overnight for the remote and thrilling Pulau Tifore.
Core Days
This liveaboard expedition is designed for true explorers, venturing into the remote and less-visited waters of the Molucca Sea. Pulau Tifore is an isolated island in the middle of the Molucean Sea and is a true pelagic magnet. Dive sites here are renowned for massive schools of barracuda, jacks, and snappers, creating breathtaking underwater spectacles. Then the White Manta will trace the dramatic northern coastline of Halmahera, exploring sites such as Loloda Bay and Kahatola, where reef slopes and steep walls are draped in a vast variety of soft corals. These sites are known for regular encounters with blacktip reef sharks, tuna, barracuda, and jacks. Pulau Hiri is a rocky haven just north of Ternate, offering colourful coral reefs teeming with life, perfect for all diver levels.
There will be some true exploration dives south of Morotai in Dagasuli and Pulau Doi - areas rarely visited, offering the thrill of discovery. Then it's time to visit the island of Morotai, a dive destination in its own right with over 40 mapped sites. Experience imposing walls, canyons, and thrilling drift dives that provide a stunning backdrop for manta rays and sharks. Keep an eye out for the elusive dugong! The area also offers fantastic macro diving and the possibility of exploring a WWII wreck.
The liveaboard cruise culminates among the iconic, volcano-dominated islands of Ternate and Tidore, where there will be a unique opportunity for a cultural village visit. The final night is spent on board in Ternate, allowing plenty of time to wash and dry equipment, relax, and enjoy a farewell dinner.
Final Day
After a final breakfast with your fellow divers, it's time for farewells. The White Manta crew will transfer you to Ternate airport or a local hotel, depending on your onward travel plans.
Note: this route may be operated in reverse. Please see specific ports of departure and return for your trip.
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: Raja Ampat - Lampu Merah, Misool: Boo Corner, The Window, Magic Mountain, Fiabacet; Pulau Pisang, Fakfak, Triton Bay: Little Komodo, Macro Wall, 3 Rocks, Larry’s Heaven, Faukate Manta, Walker’s Reef, Namatota Island bagans. Visit Kiti-Kiti waterfall.
Extended trips also visit Daram: Candy Store, Andy’s Ultimate.
Day 1
For more than a decade, the White Manta has carried divers from Sorong harbour into the heart of eastern Indonesia. You continue that tradition. After cabin assignments and a safety briefing, you set up your gear on the same deck where countless explorers have prepared. If arrival times permit, a gentle check dive at Lampu Merah offers a familiar taster. Dinner is served as the vessel sails south, retracing routes toward the remote cornerstones of Misool and Triton Bay.
Core Days
The White Manta liveaboard spends several days navigating the striking southern limestone labyrinths of Raja Ampat. At Misool, you explore world‑class sites such as Fiabacet, the Boo Windows and Magic Mountain, where the current‑swept pinnacles teem with giant trevally, schooling barracuda and grey reef sharks. For the macro enthusiasts, Fiabacet’s coral gardens reward the observant diver with everything from ornate ghost pipefish and pygmy seahorses to squads of bumphead parrotfish. Extended voyages push further to the Daram Island sites of Candy Store and Andy’s Ultimate.
Continuing south, the White Manta reaches the rugged seamounts and caves of Pulau Pisang, including The Dome, T‑Bone Reef and Black Cave. Then on to the unexplored wilderness of Fakfak. Atoll dives and the middle reef here are draped in dense soft coral and black coral forests. A surface interval brings you to the rare Kiti‑Kiti waterfall, a 20‑metre cascade that tumbles directly into the sea.
From Fakfak, the expedition enters the relatively untouched waters of Triton Bay. Dives at Little Komodo, Macro Wall, 3 Rocks, Larry’s Heaven, Faukate Manta and Walker’s Reef reveal similar levels of soft coral coverage and schools of untroubled trevallies and jacks. Night dives in the bay offer the chance to witness ‘walking’ epaulette sharks. The White Manta also includes a stop at the bagans (fishing platforms) off Namatota Island for a rare in‑water encounter with gentle whale sharks.
On the final full day of the safari, only 2 dives are scheduled, allowing time for the crew to wash and dry your equipment as the vessel cruises back to port.
Final Day
After a light breakfast with your fellow divers, it is time for final farewells. You disembark the White Manta liveaboard in the harbour at Kaimana, from where you are transferred to Kaimana Airport or your onward hotel.
This itinerary may also run in reverse; please check exact embarkation details when booking.
Raja Ampat National Park North & Central
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: Yanggefo Island; Mayhem Ridge, Citrus ridge, Deep Rock, Penemu, Fam, Dampier Strait: Cape Kri, Blue Magic, Sardine Reef, Mioskon; Kawe, Wofoh
Day 1
No need to rush, you are in good hands. Board the White Manta at Sorong harbour, where the crew greets you with genuine smiles. Cabin allocation is straightforward and stress-free. If a check dive near Sorong is possible, it is there to help you get your gear sorted at a comfortable pace. Your first dinner is served on board, and the vessel prepares to sail north. By midnight, you will be gliding gently into central Raja Ampat. Dawn will bring beautiful dives, and you will be ready.
Core Days
This dive tour reveals the full sweep of central and northern Raja Ampat, from the current-swept channels of the Dampier Strait to the remote reefs of Kawe and Wofoh. The White Manta begins in the Dampier Strait. At Cape Kri, you drift over a slope where recorded fish counts run into the hundreds. Blue Magic is a submerged seamount where oceanic manta rays, schools of barracuda and trevally gather. Sardine Reef and Mioskon deliver a different energy, drifting over explosive coral growth, with wobbegongs resting on ledges and manta rays occasionally passing through the blue.
Further west, the White Manta liveaboard explores the Yanggefo and Fam Islands. At Mayhem Ridge, strong currents attract hunting trevallies, tuna and reef sharks against a backdrop of golden soft corals. Citrus Ridge is a slope of bright yellow-orange coral formations sheltering pygmy seahorses and nudibranchs. Deep Rock offers steep walls and schooling barracuda, while Penemu rewards a short hike to a famous viewpoint with a panorama of karst lagoons. Below the surface, Melissa's Garden is a shallow hard coral garden requiring fine buoyancy and rewarding with near‑pristine cover. Between dives, you may visit a traditional village or kayak through mangrove channels.
The tour pushes north to Kawe and Wofoh, remote islands that see few liveaboard visitors. Here, untouched reefs and dramatic underwater topography attract bigger pelagics: dogtooth tuna, giant trevally and grey reef sharks. The White Manta liveaboard balances its diving days carefully with 3 to 4 dives on most active days, with a well‑paced surface interval for meals and rest. Only 2 dives run on the final full day, after which the vessel begins its overnight passage back to Sorong.
Final Day
Enjoy a light breakfast on board before disembarking at Sorong harbour.
Raja Ampat National Park South & Central
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: Raja Ampat - Misool: Boo Corner, The Window, Magic Mountain, Fiabacet (also Daram on extended trips), Penemu, Melissa's Garden, Manta Ridge, Dampier Strait, Kri Island, Big Fish, Cape Kri, Sardine Run, Mioskon Island, Blue Magic and Yellow Fever.
Day 1
Guests are invited to board the White Manta at Sorong harbour. A warm crew welcome precedes cabin allocation and a comprehensive safety briefing. Time is then allocated for the assembly of dive equipment on the spacious dive deck. Depending on arrival times, an afternoon check dive may be conducted. Dinner follows, after which the vessel begins its overnight sail south toward Misool. The southern reefs await your arrival.
Core Days
This safari covers the full sweep of the dive sites of southern and central Raja Ampat, from the remote limestone labyrinths of Misool to the current-swept channels of the Dampier Strait. The White Manta spends its first days in Misool, where the karsts plunge into water of exceptional clarity. At Boo Corner and The Window, you swim through dramatic rock formations and over pristine coral gardens, with sea fans draped across every available surface. Magic Mountain is a submerged seamount where oceanic manta rays gather at cleaning stations; expect grey reef sharks, schools of jacks, and bumphead parrotfish alongside them. Around Fiabacet and Daram, the biodiversity intensifies: steep walls covered in soft corals, swim‑throughs carved into the rock, and the constant movement of schooling fusiliers and snappers.
Moving north into Central Raja Ampat, the White Manta explores Penemu and Melissa’s Garden. The shallow hard coral garden here requires fine buoyancy but rewards with near‑pristine cover of table corals, staghorn thickets, and clouds of anthias. A short trek to the famous Penemu viewpoint offers a panorama of karst lagoons that has become emblematic of Raja Ampat. At Manta Ridge, you settle onto the slope as reef mantas circle through their cleaning stations – close enough to feel the displacement.
The White Manta liveaboard then enters the Dampier Strait. At Cape Kri, recorded fish counts run into the hundreds. Reef sharks patrol the reef edge, while rainbow runners, barracuda and snappers fill the water column. Sardines and Mioskon Island deliver a different energy: drifting over explosive coral growth, with wobbegongs resting on ledges and occasional manta rays passing through the blue. Blue Magic and Yellow Fever are offshore seamounts where pelagic action is the draw with schools of barracuda, giant trevally, and the chance of oceanic mantas.
Throughout the week, the White Manta balances its diving days carefully. Only 2 dives run on the final full day, after which the vessel begins its overnight passage back to Sorong.
Final Day
Enjoy a light breakfast on board before disembarking at Sorong harbour. The White Manta has shown you the best of southern and central Raja Ampat: Misool’s remote pinnacles, Penemu’s coral gardens, and the Dampier Strait’s legendary current dives.
Raja Ampat, Banda Sea & Ambon
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, Banda Islands: Pulau Ai, Batu Kapal, Karang Hatta, Pulau Keraka, Ring of Fire (Serua, Manuk, Damar), West Seram, Koon and Raja Ampat: Misool - Wayil, Fiabacet, and Boo
Day 1
The White Manta crew meets you at Sorong Airport and transfers you to the harbour. Step aboard the White Manta liveaboard. Welcome juice in hand, the tour leader introduces the boat, facilities and crew. If arrival times allow, a check dive happens at Lampu Merah just outside Sorong. Set up your gear on the dive deck. Dinner is served as the vessel begins its overnight sail toward Misool.
Core Days
Misool sets the standard. The southern reaches of Raja Ampat are less developed, more pristine. Wayil and Fiabacet offer current-swept channels and hard coral gardens that rank among Indonesia's best. Schools of bumphead parrotfish move past like slow-moving convoys. Trevally and reef sharks patrol the blue. Manta rays visit cleaning stations on the outer reefs. Boo delivers the famous windows, swim-throughs where light filters through limestone karst, illuminating soft corals in shades of purple and orange. Wobbegong sharks hide in the cracks. Pygmy seahorses cling to the fans.
The White Manta then crosses the Banda Sea. Koon and West Seram deliver wide-angle diving. Vibrant corals. A profusion of fish life. Dogtooth tuna tear through bait balls. Reef sharks on every dive. Then the Ring of Fire. Manuk lives up to its nickname: the Island of Snakes. Olive sea snakes and banded sea kraits curl through the water column. They are curious but harmless. They are everywhere. Serua and Damar add volcanic seamounts where hammerheads sometimes appear. Schools of barracuda and trevally circle the peaks. The upwellings bring nutrients. The nutrients bring the big animals. You hook into the reef and watch.
Banda Islands offer a change of pace. Excellent visibility. Fantastic coral coverage. Pulau Ai features sloping reefs covered in sea fans and barrel sponges. Batu Kapal delivers a submerged pinnacle where pelagics gather. Karang Hatta is named after an Indonesian vice president, a fitting tribute to a site with tremendous numbers of fish. Pulau Keraka, known as Rat Island, offers pristine hard corals and turtles on almost every dive. Between dives, the White Manta visits a historic nutmeg plantation. The Spice Islands' colonial past comes alive.
Ambon closes the trip. Nusa Laut offers one last taste of pristine reef diving before the finale. Then Ambon Bay. Muck diving at its best. The famous Laha jetty delivers painted frogfish in every colour. Pink, yellow, white, orange. Stargazers hide in the sand. Mimic octopus changes shape in front of your eyes. Flamboyant cuttlefish walk across the rubble. You slow right down. You start seeing more. This is where the White Manta proves its range, from the richest reefs on Earth to the strangest muck sites in Indonesia.
Final Day
Light breakfast on board. Farewells to the crew. A transfer takes you to Ambon Airport or a local hotel.
Note that this White Manta liveaboard itinerary may be operated in reverse. Check specific ports of departure and return before booking.
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 - Misool: Fiabacet, Boo, Magic Mountain, Nempele, Pulau Pisang, Halmahera: Bacan, Kusu, Strait of Patinti, Tolimau, Goraichi, Tifore, Lembeh Strait: Aw Shucks, Nudi Retreat and Hairball
Day 1
You board the White Manta liveaboard in Sorong. After a welcome briefing and cabin allocation, a check dive at Lampu Merah (‘Red Light District’), a site known for its enchanting array of soft corals, serves as a perfect warm-up. Dinner is served as the vessel sets sail into the Dampier Strait.
Core Days
The Dampier Strait and Misool's southern jewels: the journey begins in earnest around the famous Dampier Strait, where nutrient-rich currents fuel life in extraordinary abundance. You drift over the sheer reef slopes of Cape Kri, a site renowned for staggering fish counts that can exceed 300 species on a single dive. Encounters here range from swirling schools of barracuda and snapper to grey reef sharks and the shimmering spectacle of the 'sardine run', actually a swirling mass of baitfish. You will also dive the submerged pinnacle of Blue Magic, scanning the blue for passing manta rays and trevallies.
From the central straits, the White Manta spends several days exploring the southern limestone labyrinths of Misool. Around the islands of Fiabacet and Boo, the topography is dramatic. At Boo Corner, you navigate the famous swim-through known as the Boo Windows, emerging into a chamber filled with soft corals. Magic Mountain is another pinnacle dive not to be missed, a known cleaning station where majestic oceanic manta rays and groups of mobula rays appear with reliable regularity, gliding alongside reef sharks and bumphead parrotfish. Around Nempele, the diving transitions to shallow, crystal-clear waters over aqua‑blue mangroves, excellent for macro photography.
Towards the end of this leg, Pulau Pisang offers exceptionally healthy, aquariums‑like coral reefs that are bursting with species-rich fish life, a fitting prelude to the journey ahead. The White Manta liveaboard then charts a course into the remote waters of Halmahera, a secret gem known for its staggering and rarely‑visited underwater landscapes. Your first destination is Pulau Tifore, located in the Moluccan Sea, where you can expect exceptional encounters including massive, tornado‑like schools of barracuda, plus thousands of jacks and snappers. Moving further, you explore Goraichi and Pulau Tolimau, where beautiful, pristine hard coral gardens host manta ray cleaning stations, an experience that rivals that of Raja Ampat.
The Strait of Patinti is another highlight where strong currents concentrate marine life. Expect thrilling ‘action’ dives packed with reef sharks, large schools of trevally and dogtooth tuna. The remote archipelago is also a chance to explore sites like Bacan, which boasts impressive, sponges‑and‑coral‑packed drop‑offs, and Kusu, often dived in these strong tidal passages. With very few other boats in these waters, you have a genuine sense of discovery.
The final act of the safari brings you to Lembeh's muck diving finale, the undisputed capital of muck diving. On the last full day of the tour, only 2 dives are scheduled, but they are concentrated in the strait's most hallowed grounds. The black volcanic sand at Aw Shucks is a treasure trove for the patient observer; you might spot the enigmatic mimic octopus, a flamboyant cuttlefish, or a hairy frogfish. Nudi Retreat more than lives up to its name, with a spectacular array of nudibranchs of every colour and design, along with seahorses and ghost pipefish. Hairball completes the trio, offering a remarkable density of critters in a small area. These final dives are a slow, meticulous ballet, a perfect contrast to the adrenaline of the Dampier Strait and the pristine horizons of Halmahera.
After the dives, the vessel sails to Bitung Port where the crew ensures your gear is washed and dried, allowing you to spend a final relaxed evening aboard.
Final Day
The journey ends after a final breakfast aboard the White Manta in Bitung, North Sulawesi, from where you will be transferred to Manado Airport for your onward journey.
Sangalaki, Maratua & Kakaban
Trip highlights: whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, off the beaten track
Dive sites and activities: Sangalaki: Manta Avenue, Manta Parade, Maratua: Turtle Traffic, Hanging Garden, The Channel Kakaban, Jellyfish Lake, Derawan Island: Barracuda Point and Blue Light Cave
Day 1
Arrive at Tanjung Batu Pier, Berau. Step onto the White Manta, where a warm greeting and a welcome drink ease you into the pace of liveaboard life. The crew allocates your cabin, then leads a full boat and safety briefing, spoken softly but clearly. You settle in without hurry. The vessel prepares to sail overnight toward the Derawan Archipelago. Dinner is served en route, the plates warm and the sea calm. Sleep comes easily.
Core Days
This safari explores the remote Derawan Archipelago off East Kalimantan, a region rich in both big pelagics and singular natural wonders. The White Manta begins at Sangalaki, where the shallow reefs off the island's eastern side host 3 distinct dive sites: Manta Avenue, Manta Parade and Manta Run. Here, reef mantas gather to feed on plankton, often gliding past with gills wide open, sometimes in groups of twenty or more. Between dives, a beach visit offers a chance to witness baby turtles hatching and scrambling toward the sea, as Sangalaki is an important green turtle nesting ground.
From Sangalaki, the White Manta liveaboard moves to Maratua, where the diving shifts to adrenaline. The channel at the mouth of Maratua's lagoon produces strong tidal currents, which in turn attract huge schools of chevron barracuda and big-eye jacks. Drift dives along the outer walls bring encounters with grey reef sharks, whitetip sharks and, for the fortunate, passing hammerheads. The underwater terrain here is dramatic: steep walls, swim-throughs and ridges covered in soft corals and gorgonians.
The final leg of active diving takes in Kakaban, an island defined by 2 very different worlds. Offshore, the wall drops to 180 metres; sites such as Barracuda Point and Sea Wall offer schooling barracuda, trevally, rainbow runners and the possibility of thresher or leopard sharks. The current at Barracuda Point can be strong, and some divers carry a reef hook to station themselves while the schools swirl past. Onshore, a short jungle trek leads to a brackish lake teeming with non-stinging jellyfish, a snorkelling excursion that provides a surreal counterpoint to the diving.
Only 2 dives are scheduled on the last full day, dedicated to searching for whale sharks at local fishing platforms (bagans), after which the White Manta begins its overnight cruise back to port.
Final Day
Enjoy a light breakfast on board before disembarking at Tanjung Batu Pier. The White Manta liveaboard leaves you with memories of manta highways, barracuda tornadoes, jellyfish lake, and the discovery of one of Indonesia's more secluded marine corners.
Please note that this itinerary may operate in reverse; check exact port details when 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 best of Indonesian diving is complemented by exceptional hospitality with the White Manta liveaboard, where the daily routine of up to 4 dives is perfectly supported by continuous catering across 5 generous meal times. This high-calibre dining experience is orchestrated by the Thai head chef, who is widely regarded as one of the best in the region.
The day is planned for divers to maximise time in the water. Your morning begins with a light breakfast, preparing you for the first dive. A hot, full breakfast follows the initial descent, featuring items like hot coffee, toast, and eggs, setting you up thoroughly for the second dive. By midday, after observing ample marine life, lunch is served buffet-style, allowing guests to discuss fish identities with the tour leader. The menu expertly blends Western selections, such as Italian pasta or steaks, with local Indonesian cuisine.
The afternoon includes a period of relaxation in your cabin or on the sundeck before the briefing for the third dive. Afternoon cooked snacks are provided to maintain energy levels before you hit the water again. The fourth dive, taking place just before dinner, offers the chance to experience nocturnal fish and the altered behaviour of diurnal species.
With no less than 5 meals a day, guests are consistently satisfied with an extensive range of treats. Dinner is one of 3 plentiful meals served daily, featuring a blend of Western and Asian cuisine. Guests can dine in the air-conditioned indoor dining room or in the al fresco area at the stern of the upper deck. Freshly baked breads are a feature, and a delightful array of fresh tropical fruits accompanies every meal. Further snacks, tea and coffee, hot chocolate, and drinking water are complimentary and available all day; the large refrigerator is amply stocked with chilled drinks. Any special dietary requests can be catered by White Manta with prior notice.
