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Alor Underwater Photo Workshop September 2025
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Alor Underwater Photo Workshop September 2025

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September 06 - September 16 , 2025
Experience the rich biodiversity that Alor has to offer aboard the Tiare. Bluewater's free daily photo workshops are included!
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Macro Critters

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Stunning Reefs & Corals

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Shark Encounters

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Free Photo Workshops

Corals climb up the foundations of a port
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  • imageWhy Join This Trip
  • imageInclusions & Exclusions
  • imageTrip Type
  • imageTrip Overview
  • imageAccommodations
  • imagePhoto Gallery
  • imageAbout the Trip Leader
  • imageHow to Get There
  • imagePayment Schedule
Book Nowimage

Why join this Trip?

FREE daily underwater photography workshops
Luxury liveaboard accommodation
Small 4:1 diver-to-guide ratio
Fully refundable deposit until 18 months from departure
Rich marine biodiversity, pristine reefs, and unique critters
Up to 4 dives/day
25% off rental photo gear from Bluewater Photo

A local man spearfishing on the Alor reefs The colorful Alor Reefs

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Tiare Liveaboard Cabin

imageAir Conditioning (AC)
imageEn Suite Bathroom
imageToiletries
imageCamera Room
Double Occupancy
$5,950p/p
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OptionalLand Extensions

Want to extend your trip? We can help with that! See more of Indonesia before or after your workshop in Alor with Bluewater. Flying all that way merits a multi-destination vacation! Here are some examples of packages we can add on to your workshop reservation:
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Inclusions

Full Board Meal (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and 2 time snacks)
Tank, weight, and weight belts
Laundry
Water Sports (canoe, paddle board, towable water tube)
Land-based hotel transfers on embarkation & disembarkation days from designated area
Up to 4 dives/day
Water, soft drinks, kuice, Balinese coffee & tea
Wi-Fi - we use local mobile phone operator so signal can be intermittent
Airport transfers on embarkation & disembarkation days

Exclusions

National Park and Port Clearance Fees ($220)
Alcoholic beverages & espresso
Dive Equipment Rental
Massages
Fuel surcharge (currently not applicable, but subject to change)
Nitrox ($15 per day)
Flights and Hotel before and/or after the cruise check in and check out dates
Dive Courses
Crew gratuities
Insurance - ask us about our preferred partner plan

Trip type

Photography Workshop

Led by one of our photo instructors and will include daily underwater photography tutorials, in-water photography support, and one-to-one advice and guidance as required.

Read more about the trip

Trip Overview

Trip Overview

Alor, located east of Komodo and Flores, offers an exceptional diving experience, showcasing breathtaking coral reefs with remarkable diversity and occasionally drift dives, all amidst stunning topside scenery. The underwater world in Alor is a haven for macro enthusiasts, boasting spectacular biodiversity. This volcanic island is particularly renowned for its excellent muck diving opportunities and boasts one of the largest anemone fields.

Unlike more widely known Indonesian dive sites like Raja Ampat and Bali, Alor has remained relatively under the radar. However, this very aspect adds to its charm, as the diving here remains unspoiled and pristine. Surprisingly, Alor manages to deliver equally, if not superior, dives compared to its more famous counterparts. It's these unique qualities that place Alor at the pinnacle of our list for the best diving experiences in Indonesia.

Read about our 2017 Alor Underwater Photo Workshop.

Alor ReefAlor Nudibranch

Marine Life To Photograph

Alor boasts a diverse range of marine attractions, with its primary highlights being exceptional macro life, stunning coral and benthic diversity, and the captivating sight of schooling fish. While the destination is renowned for its macro opportunities, there's also the exciting possibility of encountering larger photo subjects such as mola molas, sharks, turtles, and rays. Moreover, lucky divers might even be treated to the delightful presence of dolphins and pilot whales from the comfort of their dive boat.

List of some of the marine animals that you'll likely to see in Alor:

  • Rhinopias
  • Variety of nudibranch
  • Ribbon sweetlips
  • Lionfish
  • Scorpionfish
  • Shrimp
  • Variety of crabs
  • Seahorses
  • Black snappers
  • Moray eels
  • Sharks
  • Rays

Alor Angel FishPhyllidia varicosa nudibranch photographed at dive site Red Sand, Alor

Accommodations

About the Tiare

The Tiare is a luxurious yet traditional Indonesian phinisi that will take you on a journey of discovery to some of the most stunning diving spots in the world. Tiare offers a spectacular experience for divers as well as non-divers.

Tiare CruiseTiare Cruise

Tiare CruiseTiare Cruise

More like a 5-star hotel than a boat, the 6 cabins on Tiare, that caters to a maximum of 12 guests on this trip, are your home away from home designed with relaxation and the perfect sleep in mind. You'll enjoy soft linens and well-thought-out lighting and plug placement as well as spacious ensuite bathrooms, hot water showers, and environmentally friendly body wash and shampoo.

Tiare CruiseTiare Cruise

Read more about Tiare here.

About the Trip Leader

Erik Lukas

Erik Lukas is an active diver and photographer based in Los Angeles, CA. He is a volunteer scuba diver at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA. You can expect to find Erik diving many of the amazing Pacific Ocean sites of Southern California, camera in hand, at any chance he can get. 

See more of Erik’s photography at www.seeundersea.com or on Instagram @seeundersea

"I am passionate about underwater photography in general and have a special love for macro subjects. For me the things that are hardest to spot hold the most interest. Documenting the commensal and symbiotic relationships is for me the most interesting…the smaller and more bizarre the better. I also have a passion for sharing my knowledge with others. My goal with all of my workshops is to ensure each guest leaves with a group of images that they are proud to share."

Current Camera Systems: 

Erik shoots with a Canon 5D Mark III in a Sea & Sea housing using Zen 100mm and 230mm dome ports. The lenses he uses are the Canon 8-15mm f/4L, Canon 16-35mm f/4L, and Canon 100mm f/2.8L.

How to Get There

Flight Information

The trip will begin and end in Maumere airport (airport code MOF). From the US, guests should fly internationally into Jakarta or Bali and then book a domestic flight to Maumere airport. The flight will include a stop in Kupang which may be overnight. 

Guests should arrive in Maumere no later than midday on embarkation day. We recommend spending an overnight in Jakarta/Bali and planning to arrive in Maumere at least 1 day before departure to allow for delayed flights, missed connections, etc. 

For guests arriving early into Maumere, we recommend booking one of the following hotels:

All of these resorts have a lovely beachfront setting with a relaxing atmosphere. They also offer both Indonesian and Western cuisine.

The boat will return to port overnight on September 15th so departure flights can be booked any time on September 16th. However, guests departing before 9am will miss the final breakfast.

Domestic fight schedules can be found on https://www.nusatrip.com/en. Bluewater Travel can assist with your domestic travel arrangements if required.

Flight Package 

Our group trips attract guests from all over the globe and many of our customers prefer to book their own flights to take advantage of mileage points or credit card discounts. For these reasons, flights are not included in our group trip packages.

However, we are more than happy to work with you to find the best travel itinerary for your trip and will gladly give suggestions and advice, even if you make the final booking. We will check through your travel reservations at any time to ensure they fit with the trip schedule and can give recommendations on transit hotels and day tours where needed. 

If you would like us to book flights and transit hotels for domestic and/or international travel on your behalf, we are also happy to arrange this. Please be advised that there is a ticketing fee for this service. Contact Us for more information.

Payment Schedule

  • Deposit: $1,000 to book your spot
  • Payment 2: $2,000 due 1 November 2024
  • Balance: due1 March 2025

Alor Underwater Photo Workshop September 2025

Book now and experience adventure

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