The Banda Sea, Indonesia is a portion of the western south pacific. Bound by the southern islands of the Moluccas of Indonesia (Alor, TImor-Leste, Wetar, Babar, Tanimbar, and Kai on the south and Ceram, Buru, and Sula on the north). a vast expanse of 180,000 square miles or 470,000 square kilometers, the Banda Sea is divided into two basins by a long ridge capped with coral reefs.
To the North of the ridge depths reach 19,000ft (5,800m) and to the south 17,700ft (5,400m). A volcanic ridge divides the southern South Banda Basin from the Weber Basin, the deepest in the sea, at some 24,409 feet (7,440 metres). Mount Api, an active volcano rises from the floor of the southern basin at 14,800ft (4,500m) to 2,200ft (670m) above sea level. This natural topography funnels nutrient rich waters into the region bringing with it a vast array of aquatic life in search of a food source.
Sailing the Banda Sea in style
The Carpe Diem Phinisi sails throughout the Banda Sea operating from various locations such as Maumere, Sorong, West Papua and Komodo/ Bali all depending on the seasons and how the sea conditions are during the year. The Carpe Diem Phinisi is purposely designed with the scuba diver in mind. She was hand built in 2012 by the Konjos tribesman of South Sulawesi using iron wood and teak with traditional tools and generations of inherited experience.
The owners decided at an early stage that the Phinisi is to be kept traditional and designed to accommodate small groups of divers to increase their guests experience. With that in mind she offers 4 cabins housing a maximum of 10 guests and at times, such as ours, we limit the guest occupancy for an even greater experience. During our expeditions we accommodate a maximum of 7 guests.
Beneath the surface
The crew of the Carpe Diem are highly experienced and extremely attentive to their guests, particularly when it comes to entry and exit of the water. Utilizing the ships tender, the boat boys are always at hand to assist scuba divers on and off the ship. The Cruise Director utilizes her vast experience of the area and works closely with the captain to decide on the dive sites for each day. With only 7 guests on board the guest to dive guide ratio is an amazing 7:2.
The Banda Sea plays host to an amazing array of aquatic life, ranging from the largest of Pelagics to the smallest of Macro species. The coral reefs display an abundance of color and variety of hard and soft corals and albeit there are other operators in the area, it is not uncommon to be the only divers in the water.
Al fresco dining
Due to the highly skilled kitchen staff the Carpe Diem produces some astounding meals, ranging from traditional Indonesian to western dishes and can accommodate all dietary requirements (prior notice required). The unique design of this ship affords her guests a dining experience on the open deck, beneath the traditional masts reaching into the night sky. A truly magical way to end the diving day.
Nomadic Scuba and the Carpe Diem Phinisi
Because we have partnered with the Carpe Diem Phinisi, Nomadic Scuba is sending our founder Matt Waters on this expedition and October’s too (the lucky chap). He will be on board to impart his experience of diving with large pelagic fish around the world, share his knowledge as a Shark Guardian ambassador and assist all guests with advice on photography, including post dive editing.
Matt is a keen conservationist and as a Shark Guardian ambassador often feeds his findings into various databases to assist with important research. During the expedition guests will have the opportunity to learn how to upload their footage to a number of databases and contribute to an ever increasingly important element of conservation.
Reservations
If you would like to join us on this truly magical adventure then ping us a message, email or simply comment and we will be in touch. You can also reach us through any of our social media platforms or by What’s App on our number. Initial inquiries can reserve your place for 48 hours pending deposit. The deposit confirmation results in your name on a tank, a bed and 12 days diving the Banda Sea.
During our 12 day exploration we will sail from Maumere, Flores to Ambon. Each day we will embark on 3-4 dives at various locations as shown in the itinerary with arguably one of the best guest to dive guide ratios to be found, 7:2
We will be conducting 27+ dives throughout our adventures with the sole purpose of maximizing our opportunities to witness the beauty beneath the surface.
