What is the Banda Sea?
The Banda Sea is a large, semi-circular body of water that lies northeast of Alor and runs up to the Seram Islands just south of Raja Ampat’s Misool. The western part of the Banda Sea is open to the Flores Sea. At the same time, the eastern border of the Banda Sea is fringed by an arching chain of islands, atolls, and numerous semi-active volcanoes, commonly referred to as the Forgotten Islands. It is this chain of volcanic islands that gives the Banda Sea one of its more popular monikers, “The Ring of Fire”.
The Banda Sea is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting bodies of water in all of Indonesia. As you can see from the map, many different seas border the Banda Sea, like the Ceram Sea, Maluku, Flores, Timor, Arafuru, and the Aru Sea, all of which flow into the Banda Sea and deliver an abundance of nutrients that feed not only the corals but also the marine life, big and small. As a result, you can find more species of coral in the Banda Sea than you can see in Raja Ampat. Wakatobi, for example, in the west of the Banda Sea, has an estimated 750 species of coral. Raja Ampat’s coral count is estimated at around 550.
Another aspect that makes the Banda Sea so special is its remarkable remoteness. Only a handful of tiny villages can be found on its islands, and with the exception of Wakatobi, which has had to build its own airstrip to comfortably and conveniently service its luxury resort, there aren’t any resorts in the area. The inaccessibility of the Banda Sea’s Islands has almost entirely spared the area from widespread tourism and development. Again, except for Wakatobi Resort, the only way to experience the Banda Sea is to visit it by liveaboard, and by doing so, you leave civilization behind, allowing you to experience Indonesia’s most pristine reefs in peace.
The Banda Islands
The Banda Islands are a group of small volcanic islands—ten in total—at the very north of the Banda Sea, just south of the Seram Islands. The Banda Islands are commonly referred to as the “Spice Islands” because nutmeg and mace are indigenous to these small tropical islands. Back in the day, there was significant trade among the Dutch, Portuguese, and English. Given that these three colony-collecting nations were vying for exclusive trading rights and ultimate occupation of the Banda Islands, several cannon balls were fired, forts were built, locals were enslaved, and a “rich history” was born.
On our liveaboard itineraries that include the Banda Islands, we’ll generally spend 2-3 days exploring the many different reefs. It also allows us to stretch our legs a bit, as Banda Neira — the largest of the Banda Islands — has a small town with a rich colonial history and some functional nutmeg plantations, which we’ll visit.
The Banda Islands are a playground for snorkelers, as each of the emerald-green islands is fringed by stunning hard coral plateaus that abruptly drop into the deep, sapphire-blue water. While the bulk of the corals we’ll encounter around the Bandas are of the hard variety, there are still swaths of leather corals and colonies of sponges. If you can dive down a little, you’ll find massive red and orange sea fans lining the wall, along with some of the most enormous barrel sponges you’ll ever see!
Where marine life is concerned, the Bandas are a reef fish enthusiast’s dream, with endless waves of red-tooth triggerfish ebbing and flowing from the reef’s edges. Mixed in with masses of red-tooth triggers, you’ll also find the very distinctive pyramid butterfly fish in vast numbers, especially if there’s a little bit of current. The shallow reef top is a great place to spot schools of goatfish and snapper, as well as many more species of butterflyfish and damsels, pufferfish, honeycomb morays, and even the occasional turtle. Given the remote nature of the Bandas, there’s really no telling what could swim by, as we’ve encountered pods of dolphins, melon-headed whales, hammerheads, and even several whale sharks in the past!
The Forgotten Islands
The Forgotten Islands refer to some of the most remote islands in the Banda Sea, stretching approximately one thousand kilometers from around Timor and arching their way up to the Seram Islands. This chain of islands is known as the Forgotten Islands due to their remoteness, lack of development, and sparse population, as if the rest of the world has forgotten them.
The snorkeling around the forgotten islands is–you guessed it–incredible! Separated by vast distances, each island or set of islands is entirely different than the last. Some are snaking atolls whose shallow reefs stretch for hundreds of meters but are only noticeable by a small sandbar that breaks the surface at low tides. Others are more limestone in nature, lined by white sand beaches, and sprout dense tropical forests. And of course, since these are the islands that inspired the name “The Ring of Fire”, many of the islands are your quintessential conical volcanoes, abruptly presenting themselves from the deep blue sea.
The reefs and marine life are just as diverse as the islandscapes are. Around the volcanic islands, you’re likely to find many more leather corals and sponges mixed in with hard encrusting corals. You’ll also see patches of chocolate colored sand where any number of invertebrates could be found. Two of the volcanoes in the Banda Sea are ultra-unique in that they are home to hundreds, if not thousands, of black-banded sea kraits, which are very different than the black and white banded sea snakes that we’re used to seeing. Depending on the time of day, you can see groups of five or more of these snakes hunting together with the jacks and emperor fish. These are two of the only islands in the world where you can witness an abundance of sea snakes such as this. Don’t worry, for you non-snake lovers; there are plenty of other species to goggle at in the Forgotten Islands, the reefs are teeming with life!
Best Way to Snorkel The Banda Sea
As I mentioned earlier, the best—and the only —way to explore the Banda Sea’s magic, except for Wakatobi Resort, is by liveaboard. One of the essential things to consider when planning a trip through the Banda Sea is its itinerary, as many of the tours start and finish at different ports. For example, we currently have three different liveaboard itineraries that cruise through the Banda Sea. Still, each itinerary is very different, as a result of where the tours start and finish.
2025 Banda Sea Liveaboard Tours
Our Alor & Forgotten Islands Snorkel Safari starts in Maumere in Eastern Flores and then heads east through the Alor Archipelago–spending a few days exploring this fantastic area. We then head north-east to the forgotten islands and follow them up to the Banda Islands, before finishing in Ambon.
Our Forgotten Islands and Misool Safari begins in Sumlaki and makes its way north through the Forgotten Islands and the Seram Islands, eventually making its way into Misool before finishing in Sorong.
Finally, our Forgotten Islands Snorkel Safari with Coralia in 2026 starts in Saumlaki, sails through the Forgotten Islands heading north, but cuts west to the Banda Islands and finishes in Ambon.
As you can see, there is a lot of overlap in some of the islands we’ll be visiting. All the tours spend time in the Forgotten Islands, but the starting point and ending point are really what’s going to change the overall itinerary.
Wakatobi Resort
If liveaboards aren’t your thing, then an excellent option for you to experience the surreal beauty of the Banda Sea is from Wakatobi Resort, off the southeast coast of Sulawesi. Wakatobi is a very upscale resort situated on a small palm-studded island, fringed by white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, and reefs that come right up to the surface, exploding with life and color. From the shores of this resort, you’ll be able to experience for yourself what all the fuss is about when it comes to the Banda Sea.
While you won’t necessarily get the whole experience of being able to cruise from one unique island to the next, you also won’t be subject to the motion of the ocean for the better part of two weeks. Around Wakatobi, the snorkeling sites are close, with a maximum distance of fifteen minutes, and they are spectacular. The reefs in the area are typically characterized by a shallow coral plateau composed of a mixture of hard corals, soft corals, and sponges, with numerous sea fans and barrel sponges found where the reef transitions into a wall. The redtoothed triggerfish—the mascot of the Banda Sea—are a staple on most sites, as are things like sea snakes, crocodile fish, and every type of anemone fish you could imagine!
Snorkeling Highlights of the Banda Sea
As you’ve learned by now, the Banda Sea is a vast area with numerous islands, atolls, and underwater environments, each of which supports a unique habitat for various species. With that in mind, here’s a little list of some of the things that guests have found to be the trip highlights in the past.
Manuk’s Sea Snakes
The reefs around Manuk–a sulfurous volcano in the chain of Forgotten Islands–are second to none, but the thing that makes this one of the biggest spectacles is the sheer abundance of black-banded sea kraits. Depending on the time of day and current, on one snorkel, you can see anywhere from twenty to one hundred of these sea snakes scouring the reef for their next meal or coming to the surface for a quick breath of air.
The Banda Islands’ Melon-Head Whales:
In the past, a resident superpod of melon-headed whales has been known to cruise around the Banda Islands. With a bit of luck, we’ll cross paths with them as we transit between the different islands, and they’ll ride the boat’s bow wave. This pod is absolutely massive, with up to a hundred or more individuals. We have been lucky enough to snorkel with them in the past, but encounters are very brief, as they do tend to dive as soon as you even think about getting in the water with them.
Koon’s Big Fish Aggregation:
With the Banda Sea at its southern edge and the Ceram Sea to the north, the Island of Koon is home to Eastern Indonesia’s largest aggregation of spawning fish. While catching it in time for a mass spawning, which can last a few minutes to a few hours, requires an abundance of luck and precision timing, there is never a shortage of fish on this site, and they do tend to be at a depth accessible to us snorkelers.
The Walls and Reefs of Wetar and Damar
Every island we’ll visit will have stunning reefs, but there’s something about the reefs around Wetar Island and the Damar Islands that gives me goosebumps. Soft corals and sea fans cling to the islands’ walls, not offering even a glimpse of their limestone foundations beneath, while hard corals mixed with sponges and leather corals carpet these islands’ shallow plateaus.
Honeycomb Morays
For whatever reason, these big and beautiful honeycomb morays can be found on just about any reef in the Banda Sea. I don’t think I’ve come across one anywhere else in Indonesia, only in the Banda Sea!
Ambon’s Critters:
While we don’t generally spend more than a day in Ambon, as we use it as a point of disembarkation, we can find some truly magnificent critters in the shallows. Much like Alor or the Lembeh Strait, Ambon is one of the critter capitals of the world, and everything from seahorses, frogfish, flying gurnards, ghost pipefish, and even rhinopias can be spotted here.
Big Blue Whales
If you happen to be in the Banda Sea between May and October/November, there’s a very good chance of encountering the mighty blue whale. These behemoths migrate up to the Banda Sea each year to give birth and court, and can be spotted from the boat as we cross between islands.
