Hello Snorkel Venturers, Lydia here, the newest recruit to the SV family. A few weeks have now passed since we returned from ten days cruising through the Banda Sea on our own floating bubble of snorkeling bliss. We were on board the beautiful Mermaid II, the perfect vessel for a comfortable voyage through the Banda Sea, from Alor to the Forgotten Islands.
Being on a boat for the better part of two weeks, with no worries in the world other than identifying that pesky fish that doesn’t quite match anything in the ID book, was the ultimate recipe for relaxation. It felt like we had left the world behind, as if we were the lone survivors on planet Earth, on a mission to discover the secrets of the Banda Sea.
Our first three days were spent in Alor, where the Pantar Strait became our snorkeling playground, offering endless sites to choose from. I had heard of the legendary Indonesian currents that bring so much marine life to the area, but witnessing them firsthand was something else. These currents bring nutrient-rich water up from the depths, attracting large planktivorous species such as the famous Mola Mola. So, each morning, as we made our way through the passage en route to sheltered snorkeling sites, we stood on deck observing the power of the currents as whirlpools formed out of nowhere, dolphins cruised by, and Mola Mola breached in the distance.
Due to these currents, the diversity of life in Alor is mind-blowing. As we slowly drifted over coral in every color of the rainbow, I felt overwhelmed, not knowing where to look first. The sites varied from shallow reefs to steep walls and sandy muck sites. Some of my favorite moments included spotting my first leafy scorpionfish — so well camouflaged and algae-like that it was hard to believe it was truly a fish. Drifting next to a wall that plummeted hundreds of meters below was equally thrilling. The mystery of a wall will never get old; it makes me wish I could grow gills and swim all the way to the bottom. Finally, the muck sites were a treasure trove of rare critters such as the short-tailed pipefish, giant frogfish, and my personal favorite, the great seahorse.
Being close to land also meant we occasionally got to interact with the locals. Fishermen, equipped with nothing more than homemade wooden traps, fished nearby as we snorkeled. Children paddled over in makeshift styrofoam-box boats, using shoes as paddles to say hello, while local women approached in small boats to sell their beautifully handmade textiles.
Forgotten Islands
The time had come to leave our sheltered mooring in Alor and head out into the open ocean toward the Forgotten Islands — a 1,000 km-long chain of exceptionally biodiverse islands between Timor and West Papua. We were full of anticipation and excitement for the mystery ahead; it truly felt like an expedition of discovery. We traveled through the night, so each morning as we rolled out of our cabins to our first breakfast of the day (yes, there were two breakfasts!!), it felt like Christmas, with a new island full of ocean gifts to unwrap.
Each day, we snorkeled three to four sites, spending over an hour at each one. The only reason to get back on board was the delicious, never-ending food waiting for us between snorkels. Due to the remoteness of the Forgotten Islands, the aggregation of species ranged from tiny reef critters to huge pelagic fish.
In the shallows, we came across an array of eel species such as the ribbon eel and the giant moray, peering at us with wary eyes. Scorpionfish tried their best to remain hidden, though our incredible Mermaid II guides could spot even the best camouflaged creatures. As we drifted deeper, huge schools of red-toothed triggerfish and fusiliers appeared, and occasionally, out in the blue, a pelagic tuna, barracuda, or Napoleon wrasse would swoop by, taking us by surprise.
A unique highlight of the Forgotten Islands was our day at Manuk, a volcanic island famous for its sea snakes. Once you overcome the initial adrenaline rush of seeing a snake swim vertically to the surface to breathe, you become mesmerized watching them glide through the reef, poking their heads under coral in search of prey.
Banda Islands
We slowly island-hopped our way to the Banda Islands, which was both exciting and slightly nerve-wracking, we were about to burst our on-board bubble and set foot on land for the first time in a week! That feeling quickly faded as we pulled into Banda Neira and hopped off the boat for an evening of beers and giggles at a nearby colonial restaurant.
As we sat overlooking the stunning Banda Neira bay, bliss had truly set in — none of us wanted the trip to end.
The conditions during our time at the Bandas were ideal, with almost no wind or swell, creating some of the most relaxed snorkeling experiences of my life. You know that feeling of losing track of time and space as you float through silky water, a gentle current carrying you effortlessly along? That was the Bandas. We were in snorkeling heaven!
We spent a morning on land, walking through the streets of Banda Neira and up to the nutmeg plantation where we were told of the rich history of the islands and got to sample some of the local delicacies such as nutmeg jam and cinnamon straight off the tree!
That afternoon, we snorkeled at Lava Flow, a site at the base of a volcano that last erupted in 1988, wiping out the nearby coral colonies as lava flowed into the sea. As a self-confessed coral nerd, I was intrigued to see how well the reef had recovered. To our delight, it turned out to be one of the most fascinating snorkels of the trip. The coral colonies were vast and diverse, with some spreading over ten meters across. Christmas tree worms sprouted from boulder corals in wild color combinations, and a few friendly turtles even stopped by to say hello.
MELON HEAD WHALES!
On the penultimate day of the trip me and Alex were feeling rather smug with the tour so far. Little did we know it was about to get even better. As we relaxed on board in between snorkels, waiting for lunch to be served, fins started to pop up all around the boat. We were being surrounded by a super pod of melon head whales. Which, despite their very misleading name are actually a species of dolphin. We observed them for a while from the boat, as they spy hoped, rolled on to their bellies and bobbed in the water. The dolphins did not seem in a rush to leave us, so we made the call to try and swim with them. Groups of us jumped on the tenders and were dropped off near the dolphins. The mermaid crew proceeded to drive the tender in circles, enticing the dolphins to ride the bow of their boat and cruise right by us and we observed them in the water. It was an unforgettable experience as we made eye contact with the dolphins as they swam on by.
Life on board
I couldn’t write this report without mentioning the atmosphere on board, which truly made the trip. Our guests were always up for a laugh, engaged in the talks Alex and I gave, and eager to flip through ID books to identify every fish and coral we encountered. Each time the horn would blow to alert us of blue whales spouts on the horizon everyone would hop to attention and run out onto the bow to spot whales.
We watched sunsets together and shared stories. The energy on board was matched by our wonderful Mermaid crew, who never failed to show enthusiasm and genuine excitement each day.
I couldn’t have asked for a better trip to kick off my journey with Snorkel Venture. The Forgotten Islands should be renamed the Unforgettable Islands!
