Biodiversity - Trip Reports
The Banda Sea Uncovered: A Snorkeling Expedition
The Banda Sea might not immediately come to mind when you think of a snorkeling destination, yet it’s full of surprises. From its rich heritage, scenic landscapes above the crystal clear blue waters, to spectacular coral reefs, and a plethora of diverse marine life. This week, the Mermaid I with Snorkel Ventures just embarked on […]
Super Special Biodiversity
Our most recent voyage marked the grand seasonal crossing into Raja Ampat, charting a course from Maumere through the remote reaches of eastern Indonesia. It was a journey defined not just by distance, but by the remarkable variety of marine environments we passed through, each new island group offering a fresh perspective on biodiversity, seascape, […]
Delectable Anemones
While on our most epic crossing trip, where Mermaid II sails from the notorious Raja Ampat though the Banda Sea and into Flores’s east coast port Maumere, we had some truly awesome encounters. From a small group of very shy scalloped hammerhead sharks, schooling sea snakes (no joke), to a riot of Indonesia’s best critters. […]
The Right Mix
What I like most about our “special trips” is the diversity of dive sites, marine life and land excursions – it’s just a perfect mix. Ten days of diving and over 500 nautical miles later, we can look back to diving sandy slopes hunting for critters and creatures, an old ship wreck which sank in […]
Mountains Of Fire
Our usual Raja Ampat route never gets boring but guests as well as dive crew are even more excited for this next trip: diving the so called “Ring Of Fire” means starting off with the best of Raja Ampat via Manuk Island and the Bandas with our final destination Ambon, which is famous for muck […]
Special Finds
Indonesia is home to some of the most unusual and rarest marine creatures on earth, but this doesn’t mean they are always easy to find. Creatures like the much sought yet and seldom seen rhinopias have some of the most adapted camouflage in the underwater world. The rhinos that dwell in the smooth rocks have […]
Epic Eclipse
Diving pristine coral reefs in Raja Ampat, exploring pinnacles and encountering Hammerhead Sharks and a gigantic school of Chevron Barracudas in Halmahera, hunt for critters such as Frogfish and Mandarinfish in Lembeh. Sounds like a dream come true? Let’s top it off with a total solar eclipse! Leaving port in Sorong, our GPS coordinates were […]
The Deep Blue
You never know what you are going to encounter as you embark on a twelve day diving safari through one of the most bio-diverse bodies of water in the planet, which is what Mermaid II just did in the beginning of February. In the past we’ve snorkeled with whales, dived with hundreds of sea snakes, […]
Unforgettable
The crossing is undoubtedly the most amazing diving trip you could ever do in Asia, and some might argue the world. Where else can you spend sixteen days on a beautiful boat, Mermaid II, diving the most remote and pristine reefs, walls, and pinnacles available available in what the scientists have proven to be the […]
Trip Of A Lifetime
Beautiful reefs and pristine corals, walls covered in fish, blue water mangroves, volcanos surrounded by Chinese Sea Snakes, schooling Hammerhead Sharks, Mobula Rays hunting Anchovies, mating Mandarin Fish, Oceanic Manta Rays getting cleaned, Pygmy Seahorses and other tiny, rare critters as well as passing Blue Whales on the surface – the list just continues. Perfect […]