KOMODO • West meets East

START*:
Benoa • BALI or Maumere • FLORES
END*:
Maumere • FLORES or Benoa • BALI

*please check our "Agenda" for your date.

Cruise Key
Black sand diving, colorful muck dive, dolphin & manta dive, challenging current dives, all in one location, colorful reef, sea apple, Komodo dragon trek, savannah scenery.
Sea Conditions
Generally calm except sometimes when cruising along the South of Rinca and Komodo if it's windy.
Weather Conditions
Tropical weather, sunshine and nice sea breezes that can be windy at nighttime, light jacket is ideal.
Nature of dives & Currents
Diving is very varied from muck diving to whirlpools, critters to pelagic and schooling fish, crystal clear warm water to cooler, murkier rich in plankton soup. CURRENTS can be strong. Dive-guides generally check currents before entering the water. A reef hook can be helpful while watching fish life in the current.
Water Temperature
Avg. 27C and generally a bit colder towards the South. Can be as low as 18C to 23C.
Embarkation
Benoa • BALI or Maumere • FLORES

Starting either from Bali, the “Island of Gods”, or Maumere, East Flores, enjoy stunning views as SMY WAOW cruises past all the spectacular volcanic islands, towards the savannah like scenery of Komodo, along the chain of islands known as "East Nusa Tengarra". This cruise is an all-in-one destination, above as well as below water. For those who are more adventurous there is also a good chance to enjoy walking along the cliffs to the top of the islands for an amazing sunset over the village of Palue Island, or even enjoy the walk along the fresh water lake of Satonda Island. There are also opportunities to see some unique animals such as the Komodo dragons in their wild habitat, and if in the mating season, it becomes even more exciting when the male dragons are chasing and fighting one another. Wild boar run freely along the beaches with small herds of “Luza” (Indonesia local deer) during the time you are relaxing onboard SMY WAOW.

Disembarkation
Maumere • FLORES or Benoa • BALI

Early breakfast befor disembarkation & transfer to the airport or hotel between 06.00am and 11.00am at the latest

Recommandation
All long distance passengers should arrive in Bali (or Flores for the reversed itinerary) one night before departure day. The boat departs at 12:00pm from Benoa (or Maumere) harbour.
Video
see the video

The Cruise

The Komodo National Park is a World Heritage site just 300NM East of Bali in the Flores Sea and consists of the three larger islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar. Because of its unique geology, as a result of volcanic activity, this makes for stunning scenery both above and below water. The islands feature a dramatic wild savannah landscape with patches of forest especially on the southern hills of Komodo and Rinca. White and reddish sandy beaches, blue lagoons teeming with fish and some of the most spectacular underwater sceneries in the world entice divers and guests from all around the globe. The underwater topography is as varied as the marine life it protects. Dive sites vary from volcanic black sand, slight sloping, silty sand and gravel bottom composition, gentle coral slopes to sheer cliff walls and a host of hard and soft corals. From the Flores Sea in the north, the clear warm waters gradually become rich in plankton and lots cooler as you travel southwards into the Indian Ocean. There are plenty of opportunities to find fauna ranging from those rare pelagics to critters; you'll find the diversity of marine life inspiring if not mind boggling.

Starting either from Bali, the “Island of Gods”, or Maumere, East Flores, enjoy stunning views as SMY WAOW cruises past all the spectacular volcanic islands, towards the savannah like scenery of Komodo, along the chain of islands known as "East Nusa Tengarra". This cruise is an all-in-one destination, above as well as below water. For those who are more adventurous there is also a good chance to enjoy walking along the cliffs to the top of the islands for an amazing sunset over the village of Palue Island, or even enjoy the walk along the fresh water lake of Satonda Island. There are also opportunities to see some unique animals such as the Komodo dragons in their wild habitat, and if in the mating season, it becomes even more exciting when the male dragons are chasing and fighting one another. Wild boar run freely along the beaches with small herds of “Luza” (Indonesia local deer) during the time you are relaxing onboard SMY WAOW.

Typical dive sites

Sangeang Volcano & Gili Banta

Welcome to the black sand diving of Sangeang Volcano, where rainbow dives await you with colourful anemones, sponges, crinoids, black coral bushes, long whip corals, and bright encrusting soft coral and sea fans in different colours surrounded by fine volcanic black sand and teeming with bright colourful reef fish. Today is one of the beautiful scenery days when you just want to be in the water all day long.

Moyo & Satonda Island

Diving at Moyo Island will be in warm and clear water with plenty of reef fish. Along the sandy slope of Sumbawa, a true muck diving paradise, we may see critters such as mimic octopus, wonderpus, variety of nudibranchs, seahorse, sawblade shrimp, zebra crabs, ghost pipefish, just to name a few!

Gili Lawa Laut

Here comes the savannah like scenery of Komodo, surrounded by many shades of turquoise blue water, white sandy beaches and rough rock surfaces. As stunningly as the islands themselves, the underwater scenery of Gili Lawa Laut will take your breath away with frizzy colours, schooling fish action, you name it, it's all here! It's truly a diver's paradise.

"Current City"

The real Komodo diving starts here where, like the name suggests, the currents play a big role in this part of the cruise. When you are in the water at the right place and time, the reefs spring to life! Fish are abundant everywhere but the rocks and reefs in 'current' areas provide the best chances for spotting the bigger fish, especially sharks and other pelagics.

Padar Island

Diving changes completely from clear, warm water from the Flores Sea to the murkier rich plankton soup of the Indian Ocean that attracts lots of life.

Nusa Kode

In the most Southern bay of Rinca, the upwelling of the Indian Ocean brings water full of nutrients that makes this location stunning in a way that is hard to beat anywhere else. The reefs are completely covered with hard & soft corals, crinoids, sea apples, sponges, black coral, sea fans, whip and wire coral. It is almost impossible to find an empty space without life! - It's all here at Nusa Kode!

"Manta Alley"

This is the place that makes Komodo stand out as a destination that represents the variety od diving in Indonesia. Oposite to the critter hunt at Nusa Kode, here you will dive with manta rays, lots of them! With the rich nutrients from the Indian Ocean, this place is thick with plankton therefore do not expect great visibility but who cares, mantas are just everywhere and sometimes, if you're lucky even mola-mola, the famous giant sun fish, show up especially when the water is becoming a near bone-chilling 18 to 22 degrees...

Pulau Palue

Pulau Palue lies just north of Flores, surrounded by deep water and offering great visibility in turquoise blue water. The underwater scenery is mostly slopes and then sheer drop offs to the deep water. The current is the key to where and when to dive around here.

Maumere Bay

Maumere is a beautiful bay on the north coast of Flores. There is a wealth of macro life to keep any diver fascinated for hours. It’s this diversity that has also made Maumere a perfect place to finish our cruise

Land Excursions

Dragonwalk in Rinca

An amazing walk in Rinca’s “savannah” searching for this unique creature, the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis). Only 3 places in the world are there Komodo dragons, in Padar, Rinca and Komodo. Avoiding the heat we start just after dawn. Our walk will start from the little jetty of Rinca Island where you will walk to the national park office, where the park rangers will give you instructions and guide your trek looking for Komodo dragons in the wild. The walk will take you up to the high grounds overlooking the bay of Rinca, it might take up to 1:30-2:00 hrs., depending on where we find the dragons. During the walk we may spot megapode birds, flying lizards, and of course Komodo Dragons. The crew always loves to walk along and pick up some fruit or be the guide themselves. After the walk, we will head back for breakfast on SMY WAOW and get ready for the first dive of the day.

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