MV Pindito Liveaboard

KOMODo

The tour may start or end in Bali or Maumere and heads through the middle of the Komodo National Park. Most of the time is spent around the islands of Banta, Komodo and Rinca. You also visit the smaller islands of Gili Lawa Laut and Tatawa Besar. The ship also may stop at the island of Moyo and Saneang.

Sangeang - A definite highlight of the dive site are the hot underwater springs. These send up gas bubbles from the black sand forming a magnificent contrast to the huge black corals and sea fans. If you look closely here you can find pygmy seahorses on the sea fans. Other places around the island, such as Masuk Sungai, Bohon Mera and Tanjung Barat offer fascinating dives. Soft and hard corals are fighting for the best places, countless nudibranchs, pipefish, frogfish, seahorses and cuttlefish can be admired. On the island itself there are two active volcanoes, the Doro Api and Doro Montoi. At the hot and dry coastal area, savannah-like grasslands have formed with shrub vegetation. From the deck of the Pindito you can regularly observe large water buffalo grazing. Due to the volcanic origin the sand is black, which offers a stunning contrast to the remaining vegetation, both above and below water.

Banta - Banta has two of the most famous dive sites, the "Banta Wall" and the "GPS point". With regular strong currents in the open water, these dive sites are just for big fish encounters. With a little luck you will find swarms of surgeon fish, red snapper, mackerel of all kinds, and of course barracudas, white tip sharks and grey reef sharks. If you like adrenalin rushes, the "Highway to Hell" will top this experience with a roller coaster dive. This beautiful wall, surprises ever again with its varying strong currents. For lovers of night-dives "Critters" is a highlight of the tour! Here, all the animals "hang" out in the sand: hunting lionfish, stonefish and wandering octopuses. The stars of the evening, however, are the Stargazers who bury themselves almost unrecognizable in the sand, waiting to be discovered.

Rinca & Komodo - The waters around Rinca are fairly cool for this part of the world and can drop to 22 C degrees. A 5-7mm wetsuit is strongly recommended to enjoy the beauty of Horseshoe Bay. The "Yellow Wall of Texas" and "Cannibal Rock" are world famous sites. They offer many colorful soft corals and feather stars in a small space. Every millimeter is overgrown and invigorated, you can spend hours admiring and enjoying them, if only there were not so many fish to obstruct your view! Another highlight of the tour is, of course, a visit to the Komodo dragons! The Komodo dragon lives exclusively in Indonesia and has a maximum length of 3 meters and weighs more than 70kg. It is the largest living lizard. Due to the enormous size they are referred to as the "dragon". Accompanied by a park ranger, our tour through the National Park starts early in the morning. Not only can you see dragons at close range, but can also observe macaque monkeys, wild boar, deer and water buffalos. With a bit of luck we can watch the lizards eating. Their saliva is poisonous and their bites kill quickly. The otherwise rather sluggish animals are very active when they hunt and to track their prey. They can reach enormous speeds for up to 15 seconds. Younger lizards prefer rodents and birds, adult lizards can kill bigger animals like deer, wild boars, macaques, snakes, wild dogs and horses. From a hilltop, one has a fantastic view over the valleys and the large bay where Pindito will be on anchor.

Tatawa Besar & Gili Lawa Laut - The small island of Tatawa Besar is located to the north of Rinca which means warmer waters! The island always has some slight current. It is perfect for a relaxing drift dive along the approximately 1km long island. You drift very relaxed along a slanted slope that is covered with beautiful yellow and orange soft coral. With a bit of luck, Mantas can be seen here. "Karang Tokto" and "Batu Batu Dekat" at Gili Lawa Laut are first class dive sites. These are two drop offs which are perfect for divers. You'll be taken in by the amount of fish in the water and hardly have time to notice the stunning beauty of the surrounding reefscape. Again the whole array of pelagic fish will come in from jacks in all shapes and forms to white tip and grey reef sharks.

Flores - The port of Maumere is an amazing and diverse dive area. Discover various pipefish and seahorses, frogfish, scorpion fish, various, countless colorful nudibranchs, as well as barracuda and batfish. The Pindito crew calls this dive site "blue water muck diving"!

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Raja Ampat

There are basically two ways to navigate the Raja Ampat area. One begins from Sorong, the capital of West Papua, to the south. We’ll do most dives around the island maze of Misool. On the return journey, you’ll visit Dampier Straight and maybe Sele Pele or Kofian before you go back to Sorong. The second tour leads north from Sorong. On this trip, we’ll visit Wayag Island, which lies west of Waigeo. The dive areas are the Dampier Straight, Jef Fam, Sele Pele, and Wayag. The tour ends in Sorong.

Misool - Diving in the endless maze of the islands of Misool is a very special treat for any diver. It is paradise for macro enthusiasts, but encounters with larger fish such as manta rays are often possible. Misool is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world with fish, corals, sponges, soft corals, shrimps, crabs and countless nudibranchs and other invertebrates. Huge shoals of sardines are a definite highlight. Soft corals and sea fans (diameter of 3-4 meters) in all sizes and colors dominate the underwater landscape. One of Pindito’s special places is called "Vreni’s Garden. It is a legendary dive site that has it all, due to it’s diverse landscape. Overhangs, huge caverns with swimthroughs, lush steep walls with all kinds of corals are found here.

Waigeo - A special feature of this tour is the crossing of the equator. This area has a fascinating landscape. Many famous Raja Ampat landscape photographs were shot here. On the north, on the island of Wayag, is the famous "Mount Pindito". From here you get a fantastic view of the many islands. Pindito on anchor in the middle of the Bay, completes the beautiful landscape. “Sele Pele” offers the opportunity to look at a pearl farm up close. Depending on the production stage you will be invited to witness the fertilization or harvest! A unique opportunity you cannot afford to miss.

Jef Fam - "Jef Fam" is the name of a group of karst islands with great diving, lots of fish and colorful corals. Night dives at the "Red Wall" are always a special experience. In the sand under the pearl diving pier, a lot of special and peculiar creatures, especially wobbegongs and epaulette sharks (walking sharks) can be found. Countless nudibranchs, pipefish, seahorses, frogfish, scorpion fish cannot escape the well trained eye. A great highlight is the manta cleaning station near Mansuar.

Dampier Strait - The Dampier straight separates the “Birdshead” Peninsula from Waigeo and Mansuar. The name comes from Dutch colonial times. It refers to the shape of the peninsula on the map, but it is also a paradise for many rare bird species. Here the Pacific Ocean meets the Halmahera Sea, with an explosion of marine life as consequence. With regular strong currents, big fish feel especially comfortable. Manta rays, reef sharks, different schools of mackerel, tuna and barracuda are seen again and again. Even dolphins and whales (Bryde's whales, pilot whales) keep spending time in the Dampier straight. Since May 2011, we offer a special Whale-Macro tour that combines the macro-diving with whale and dolphin watching. This tour is accompanied by a marine expert in whale and dolphin behavior.

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Banda Sea - Raja Ampat

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East Flores - Alor

Our guests will board the ship in Maumere on the big island of Flores in Eastern Indonesia. Most likely the Pindito will sail directly overnight towards Alor to dive the area around the islands of Kumba, Ternate and Pura (which all lie in the Pantar Strait). In the following days, the cruise continues on to the islands of Marisa, Kawula, Solar and Adonara before heading back to Maumere.

Alor & Kumba - On the island of Kumba there is a spectacular volcano that contributes to some of the most gorgeous sunsets and sea vistas in this exotic destination. The surrounding waters harbor food-rich currents and cool waters (70-75 degrees), fantastic conditions for encounters with larger marine animals. White-tip and grey reef sharks, giant groupers, mantas, mola-mola, and whale sharks can be spotted around Kumba Island. Due to the volcanic activity, you can also see streams of bubbles dramatically rising from the sand and surrounding reef. n Alor you can see young goggle-fishermen as they free-dive bare-footed, peering through homemade goggles to check their bamboo fish traps (sustainable small-scale fishing). Giant barrel sponges, fragile finger corals, huge boulder corals, flowing schools of glassfish, sweetlips, emperor angelfish, countless cleaning stations, and more, paint the underwater landscape of Alor as you swim along her pristine reefs. Above water keep your eyes open for whales. In the past we have encountered blue whales and orcas! On Alor you will have a opportunity to visit a local village. Here there are still local rituals that are practiced regularly. Visit the local market, where people sell everything from fresh exotic fruits, seafood, spices, handicrafts and clothing. The locals are very friendly and their smiling faces welcome visitors coming to their islands.

Buaya, Ternate & Pura - These small islands are situated in the Pantar Strait between Alor and Pantar. The water here at some dive spots like “The Bullet” or “Sharks Gallore” can get really cool (70-72F). We highly recommended that our divers use a 5-7mm wetsuit here and for some, a hood provides welcome warmth. But with the cool waters comes the opportunity of pelagics and riotous marine-life richness. There are also a couple of beautiful critter spots with mating mandarinfish, cryptic crawling Ambon scorpion fish, pensive Pegasus sea moths, secretive seahorses and unusual crustaceans. One of the highlights of these dives are the bamboo shark sightings, a species found very few other places in the world. Above water you can see whales and dolphins and with a little luck you can spot pilot whales and whalesharks.

Pantar & Marisa - Around these small islands you should keep your eyes open for octopus. Along the seabed move “close and slow” as you scan for mimic octopus, wonderpus, and the blue-ringed octopus. Also look for various scorpionfish species including Rhinopias. Next watch out for flying gurnards sneaking around the black sand landscape. Nestled in small sea fans, hydroids or crinoids, you can spot ghost pipefish, skeleton shrimps, decorator crabs, commensal shrimps and angling frogfish. The black sand provides welcome contrast for the vivid colors of the otherwise cryptic critters and it guarantees images that “pop”!

Biodiversity Cruise - Flores to Raja Ampat

Starting off in Maumere on Flores Island the trip goes to Sorong, West Papua (or vice versa). From Flores we travel to East Timor, past the islands of Alor and Wetar. If the weather cooperates, the route continues towards the Banda islands, past the famous Snake Island Gunung Api. In rough weather the alternative route is via Romang, Termang, Seroea and Manuk. Koon and Misool are the last stops before we travel through the Dampier Straight to Sorong.

Flores, Alor and East Timor - The port of Maumere is an amazing and diverse dive are. Discover various pipefish and seahorses, frogfish, scorpion fish, various, countless colorful nudibranchs, as well as barracuda and batfish. The Pindito crew calls this dive site "blue water muck diving"! For lovers of lush vegetation Alor cliffs and slopes offer great variety. Mainly pipefish and nudibranchs of all colors move about here. The north coast of Alor has much current and you can expect plenty of big fish. The west coast of Wetar offers beautiful places with drop-offs, colorful reefs and many fish. Occasionally visits big pelagic fish are possible. Along the northern coast of Wetar a look at the blue ocean can get dolphin and whale encounters who are seen regularly! The terraced hillside at the Romang archipelago appears overgrown and invites divers for watching giant sea fans, soft corals and sponges. In the blue you see Napoleons, reef sharks and tuna, backed by beautiful reefscapes. Night dives are very interesting with Spanish dancers, various shrimp and the rare bobtail squids. Edi discovered a diving area around the islands Termang during the transfer of tour 2003. From the top of the reef until well into the depths is a seemingly endless growth in all shapes, colors and sizes to be admired. Since very few divers visit this area it is very untouched and attracts mainly large fish and schools of fish. Pantar is the second largest island in the Alor archipelago. Here we can visit some village where both Christians and Muslims live together. The Christian villages lie mainly in the interior of the island, the Muslim villages are along the coast. A highlight is the local market. From fruit to meat, fish and clothes this market has it all. The inhabitants of the island are very nice and happy to have visitors who are called affectionately "long noses".

Seroea & Manuk - Seroea, another volcano rising from the Banda Sea is situated far into open sea. Darwin might have run its research on evolution here as well. Despite lower biodiversity on land, the walls below the see are amazing. The night dive surprises many with shrimp and crabs. Especially the shy Saron shrimp can be observed frequently. Sharks, mackerels, tunas and barracudasareseen in the blue. A highlightis the Snake Island Gunung Api. Here in 2008, the second part of the movie "Edi's paradise" was filmed. During nightdives it is especially exciting to watch the snakes.

Banda Neira - Banda Neira is the main island of "Banda Islands", which are part of the Maluku archipelago. The "Banda Islands" consists of 10 small volcanic islands. Visit the old fortress of the Dutchman on Banda Neira, or climb a volcano can all be part of our program. Over 20 years ago lava flowed into the sea and formed a hard coral garden in this "short time". The reefs here excel through their unique underwater fauna in all colors and shapes. Large schools pass by and the macro world is ever present. With a little luck at dusk dives, the mating ritual of the mandarin fish can be observed. The coral gardens in the lava units with their 5-meter-wide plate corals are just a small sample of what you can see here.

Koon - A famous dive site which the Pindito lovingly calls "Sh.. place". Everything a diver could wish for can be seen in this canal, which flows towards the Banda Sea. It guarantees a unique school of fish spectacle; Giant groupers, large Schools Baraccudas, snapper, surgeon fish, sweet lips in the midst of beautiful coral. Many a photographer despaired at this place, because you often do not know where to look first and. The sometimes violent currents cannot guarantee the best visibility, but it is a big chance to see large fish such as manta rays, sharks and even mobulas.

Misool - Diving in the endless maze of the islands of Misool is a very special treat for any diver. It is paradise for macro enthusiasts, but encounters with larger fish such as manta rays are often possible. Misool is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world with fish, corals, sponges, soft corals, shrimps, crabs and countless nudibranchs and other invertebrates. Huge shoals of sardines are a definite highlight. Soft corals and sea fans (diameter of 3-4 meters) in all sizes and colors dominate the underwater landscape. One of Pindito’s special places is called "Vreni’s Garden. It is a legendary dive site that has it all, due to it’s diverse landscape. Overhangs, huge caverns with swimthroughs, lush steep walls with all kinds of corals are found here. 

Dampier Strait - The Dampier straight separates the “Birdshead” Peninsula from Waigeo and Mansuar. The name comes from Dutch colonial times. It refers to the shape of the peninsula on the map, but it is also a paradise for many rare bird species. Here the Pacific Ocean meets the Halmahera Sea, with an explosion of marine life as consequence. With regular strong currents, big fish feel especially comfortable. Manta rays, reef sharks, different schools of mackerel, tuna and barracuda are seen again and again. Even dolphins and whales (Bryde's whales, pilot whales) keep spending time in the Dampier straight. Since May 2011, we offer a special Whale-Macro tour that combines the macro-diving with whale and dolphin watching. This tour is accompanied by a marine expert in whale and dolphin behavior.

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family Diving Cruise

Once a year Pindito staff organizes a dive cruise especially suited for families with children. The Family Cruise will start in Bali and end in Maumere, allowing participants to explore Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo and Flores Islands. During this special cruise kids can participate in “Discover Scuba”, instructor-lead diving and snorkeling venues. Meanwhile, parents can explore Komodo’s coral reefs or they can join the kids and instructors during these fun and mellow intro-dives. Participants will also be offered many opportunities for land excursions into Komodo National Park to see and photograph Komodo Dragons and other exotic island creatures.

Parents with children as young as 2 years old are welcome aboard the Pindito for this special kid-friendly cruise. Discover Scuba is available for Kids from the age of 7 and older and younger kids can snorkel with their parents or under the supervision of our dive staff. We recommend that participants get a diving medical exam prior to the cruise. Children up to age 16 will receive a discount of up to 80% to the normal Pindito cruise rate when they stay with their parents (triple occupancy). With two kids in their own cabin, parents can enjoy a 50% discount for these spaces!

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Whale Macro Cruise

The whale-macro trips are guided by Dr. Heike Vester, an ecologist specializing in social behavior and bio-acoustics of marine animals. In addition to her constant visual watches from the upper deck, Heike also uses hydrophones to locate the whales and dolphins by picking up their unique sounds. The crew is organized into "observation teams" who also keep a sharp eye on the water surface for blows or other signs of whale activity, as some species can't be located by acoustics alone. Heike knows the areas that are preferred by these large marine mammals (including sperm, Bryde's and orcas or killer whales) and her long experience and trained eyes do the rest.

This special cruise offers guests a glimpse into the world of the largest mammals on earth. Learn incredible details from a qualified expert on whales and dolphins and watch them with your own eyes!

The tour departs from Sorong and heads towards Waigeo before it leads to Batanta. As dolphins and whales are the focus of this cruise the itinerary is laid out to maximize the encounters. From experience, we know that most whales are sighted in the Dampier Straight near Batanta. Because it often has strong currents you cannot only see Cetaceans. Manta rays are also frequent visitors.

On this cruise, we offer approx. 24 dives. Macro enthusiasts will love it: A whale in the morning, a sea horse at noon. And of course, you will be diving Raja Ampat's famous and beautiful reefs.

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Special Snorkel Cruise

We have a variety of trips for the avid snorkeler. You can join any of our scheduled trips and we will ensure we cater to your unique desires as a snorkeler. Pindito also has trips organized and chartered by snorkel leaders, with only snorkelers onboard. Whatever kind of adventure you choose, Pindito can make it happen.

The astonishing variety of marine life is staggering. The diversity of marine habitats translates to wildly different snorkeling experiences. We can experience snorkeling with large groups of mantas as they feed and barrel role with ease through the blue. We may swim through large schools of fish Fusiliers, surgeons, bannerfish, triggerfish and squadrons of jacks and barracuda. Area highlights include pygmy seahorses, mandarin fish, wobbegongs, turtles, majestic mantas and even dolphins! We will be delighted by huge seafans, sponges, and beautiful coral gardens. Our day-to-day itinerary will be dependent on wind and sea conditions to ensure we are in the best place at the best time. Our 11 days will be full of fantastic snorkeling, village visits and relaxing time on board with other like-minded adventurers.