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 western Banda Sea, has an estimated 750 coral species. Raja Ampat’s coral count is estimated at around 550. A quick teaser video from our last snorkel tour through the Banda Sea and Alor with the Mermaid II liveaboard 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
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
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. Alor 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
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
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