Sixteen Days Biodiversity Super Special Maumere-Alor-Banda Sea-Raja Ampat Cruise 

The striking silhouette of Watu Warawutun volcano stood proud against a stary black backdrop. A faint orange glow radiated from within its belly, rising through its mouth to glow softly in the night sky. Suddenly, an explosion of light and colour painted the blackness. We stare in awe as Watu Warawutun erupts, firing a fountain of molten lava high into the air. Rubble and rock cascade down upon the mountain slopes, glowing briefly before extinguishing into the black of night. A tremendous thunder-like boom echoed across the water, adding sound to the momentous display before us. 

While throughout this trip, our aim is to experience the incredibly diverse marine life Indonesia has to offer; the landscape above the waterline is no less impressive. Both staggeringly beautiful and vastly wild, it is most certainly worth the visit. The ring of fire is a testament to this incredible beauty, both above and below the surface. Cruising past venting volcanoes and diving some of the most remote islands, everywhere you look is nature at its best. Black sand, bubbling vents and the occasional fire show. This voyage has it all. 

The marine life is no exception, from the smallest of creatures to the biggest animals that have lived on our planet, Blue Whales, this ‘Biodiversity Special’ lives up to its name. Cruising through the Banda Sea there is a chance to see Blue Whales, and, on this trip, we were fortunate enough to encounter these astounding goliaths. As we passed the island of Wetar we caught sight of a tremendous plume of water erupt from the surface a few hundred meters behind the boat. Sending up the drone granted us an incredible perspective of this giant. Looking down upon the individual we could see its gargantuan blue form just below the surface and were able to witness it exhale enormous breaths right before the lens. A few minutes passed before this gentle giant dived deep into the blue, leaving us in awe.

Aaron Sanders

Mermaid II
Biodiversity Super Special Maumere-Alor-Banda Sea-Raja Ampat Cruise
Nov 16 to Dec 01, 2023

More information about the cruise destination can be found here: https://www.mermaid-liveaboards.com/destinations/banda-sea-liveaboard/