A Liveaboard Diving Journey from the Banda Sea to Misool

Guests arrive in Ambon and board Malaillo before 2:00 PM. Once everyone is on board, the crew conducts the boat and dive briefing before beginning with a check dive at Laha in Ambon Bay. The black-sand site introduces the muck diving and smaller marine life found around Ambon before the vessel begins sailing toward the Banda Sea.

Begin the day with reef dives around Pulau Suanggi, where divers can look for schooling hammerhead sharks moving through the surrounding blue water. Malaillo then continues toward Banda Naira for a night dive in the island’s more sheltered waters, bringing together open-water reef diving and nocturnal marine life during the first full day of the route.

Start the morning with a visit to one of Banda Neira’s historic colonial fortresses, connected to the islands’ spice-trade history. Return to the water for dives at Batu Kapal and Pohon Miring, where pinnacles, walls, and swim-throughs shape the underwater terrain. The day concludes with a night dive around Banda before the journey continues east.

Begin with a dive around Karang Hatta, an offshore atoll surrounded by the open waters of the Banda Sea. Continue with two dives around Hatta Island, exploring coral walls, reef slopes, and passing fish life. There is no night dive, as Malaillo begins the longer overnight crossing toward Koon Island and the southern Raja Ampat section of the route.

Arrive at Pulau Koon for a day of reef diving at the meeting point between the Banda Sea and southern Raja Ampat. Divers may encounter trevally, barracuda, batfish, black snapper, and bumphead parrotfish moving around the reef. After the final dive, Malaillo continues toward Misool, where the next stage of the journey begins.

Spend two consecutive days diving around Fiabacet, where coral-covered pinnacles, soft coral, gorgonian fans, and reef fish create varied underwater scenery. The area introduces guests to the dense reef systems associated with Misool diving. After sunset, join a night dive to look for crustaceans, nudibranchs, and other nocturnal marine life emerging around the reef.

Begin at Magic Mountain in Warakaraket, where divers may encounter reef mantas and oceanic mantas when conditions are suitable. Continue to Boo’s Windows and Boo’s East, exploring swim-throughs, reef formations, and coral-covered slopes. The day finishes with a night dive in the same area, revealing smaller marine life after the daytime reef activity settles.

Explore the Wayil area, beginning at The Four Kings, a submerged reef with four distinct pinnacles. Continue to Orange Peel, where ridges and walls are covered with orange soft coral, before diving at Wedding Cake. The day ends with a night dive, when crustaceans and other nocturnal marine life begin to emerge around the reef.

Spend the last day diving around Daram, where pinnacles, ridges, gorgonian fans, soft coral, and schooling reef fish shape the underwater environment. The varied reef formations provide opportunities for both wide-angle scenery and closer observation of smaller marine life. The day’s dives complete the main Misool section before Malaillo begins the return journey to Sorong.

After breakfast on board, guests disembark from Malaillo in Sorong before 11:00 AM. The crew then arranges the scheduled transfer to Sorong airport or a transit hotel in the city. This marks the end of the route from Ambon through the Banda Sea and Misool.