Let’s explore the land of the world’s biggest lizards, Komodo National Park. Currents are pretty known in the area to drag flows of dolphins, sharks, manta or eagle rays, pelagics and schools of fish… Five full days to enjoy this world class diving area. Not forgetting the surface interval activities whose few hikes and the encounter with the huge komodo dragons, masters of this savannah’s territory.
Day 1
Upon arrival in Labuan Bajo, you will be picked up at airport by our team to join the boat. Welcome drink, boat briefing including safety rules on board and introduction of the crew members.
SEBAYUR KECIL: Perfect check dive with a wall, slope and sandy bottom (20 to 25 meters). Even though we are not in the national park yet, the reef is very healthy. For the most confirmed divers, a seamount away from the reef offers huge sea fans hosting some pygmy seahorses. Barracudas are often spotted there.
SEBAYUR: Starting on a sandy slope leading to a wall, the marine life here is abundant: leaf fish, groupers, surgeonfish and jack fish.
Day 2
BOULDERS: Parts of the Nusa Kode cliff have fallen into pieces and ended up in the sea. They are now colonized by numerous sea fans and sea life.
CANNIBAL ROCK: The most famous dive site in the South of Rinca. This seamount lies between 5 and 30 meters in the middle of Nusa Kode and Rinca. A display of colors and shapes! Frog fish, zebra crabs, coleman shrimps, sea apple and other critters live there all together. Mobulas and Birostris mantas pay sometimes a visit!
Dinghy ride along the coast. Komodo dragons often swim there and are curious about us! Thrills guaranteed!
TORPEDO ALLEY: (night dive) The best night dive in the area. This sandy slope hosts all kinds of crawling species and critters: scorpion fish, indian walkman, octopus, ghost pipe fish and other decorator crabs.
We moor in the bay for the night.
Day 3
RODEO: An incredible seamount, almost out of the bay. This site is exposed to the swell and the currents which requires a very careful plan for the dive. Once underwater, what a show! And if we are lucky enough to have a good visibility, everything can be spotted. Schools of fish, sharks and even manta rays or sea turtles. The variety of coral is stunning.
YELLOW WALL: This wall falling to 50 meters with an amazing overhang is impressive. Covered with yellow soft coral, this site is perfect to look for nudibranchs and other invertebrates.
CANNIBAL ROCK: Another dive here is planned because we never get enough!
Day 4
TANJUNG LOW SERA: Superb diving all along the corner or off the corner towards some underwater pinnacles. Large pelagics like dogtooth tuna can be seen circling off the corner and around the pinnacles. Plenty of large fish and turtles along the wall. Be ready for some close encounters of the large kind! Monster giant trevallies, potato cod, malabar grouper, schools of bumphead parrotfish, napoleon wrasse, dogtooth tuna, manta rays and much more. A careful planning is necessary.
MANTA ALLEY: We will dive this site two times. Famous for the affluence of manta rays, schools of fish, sharks and other critters. Whether we find mantas or not, we will be amazed by this site.
Mooring in the bay of Loh Sera for the night.
Day 5
THE ARCH: This shaped stairs reef (located south west from the island) attracts sweetlips, snappers and trevallies. We will find a cave at 30 meters and the arch at 15 meters.
PILARSTEEN: Some rocks with some twisted shapes, formed by the swell that comes out of the water in front of the small Padar. A lunar underwater scenery, with pinnacles and tiny caves. The wall has been colonized by yellow and orange soft coral. An interesting dive site!
3 SISTERS: Three underwater rocks with summits between 12 and 25 meters. When the conditions are good we can go deeper around 30 meters and meet the “little brother”. Underwater photographers and macro lovers will particularly enjoy the great variety of nudibranchs, shrimps and crabs.
We moor in the South of the island. An option for the brave: a little trekking to the panoramic view point to enjoy the landscapes of the park!
Day 6
BATU TIGA: These rocks are located right in between the islands of Padar and Komodo where the currents can reach 7 knots! A meticulous dive planning is necessary to enjoy diving here with numerous bigeye trevallies, reef sharks, dogtooth tunas or barracudas!
We anchor the boat in front of a deserted beach and wait for the new tide.
BONSAI: Tiny rock in the North West of Rinca, its name came from the single small tree sitting on its top. Overhangs, swimthrough, cavities, mini canyon are composing its topography. An anthias and damsel cloud occupy the show at the safety stop.
WAINILU: A night dive dedicated to the critters and rare specimens.
Day 7
KARANG MAKASSAR: A shallow drift dive to search for the stars of the national park: the Manta rays!
BATU BOLONG: Another highlight of Komodo. This famous rock in the middle of the Linta strait is often synonym of strong currents. Being careful in the planning of the dive will allow us to fully enjoy this spectacular dive site. Walls, pinnacles, breathtaking coral and marine life.
GOLDEN PASSAGE: A dive which can become very exciting. This channel separating Komodo Island from Gili Lawa Darat Island is a great drift with bumphead parrot fish, ignobilis and white tip sharks.
Sunset trekking to see a great panorama on top of Gili Lawa Darat.
Day 8
TANJUNG BATUMONCO: North West Komodo. This site is still quite unknown and offers a fantastic drift dive! Bumpheads parrotfish, red snapper, oriental sweetlips, napoleons or shark gather here.
HIGH VOLTAGE: A magnificent site. Colored corals in very good health, vertiginous topography, and numerous benches of fish. A reserved spot for the most experienced divers. Less experimented divers will go to a magnificent gardens of coral.
TANJUNG RASA: Cleaning station for manta rays. You will also observe shelters crabs, orangutans, syngnathus, and pygmy seahorses.
Anchorage in a magnificent bay. Walk on the beach or hike on one of the crests of Banta to have a beautiful panorama on Sangean Volcano at sunset.
Day 9
CASTLE ROCK: A must! This seamount located in North of Gili Lawa Laut is famous worldwide for its incredible underwater activity. For this dive particularly, we will enter the water in the blue and reach the split to observe napoleons, dog tooth tunas, grey reef sharks and white tip sharks surrounded by schools of trevallies and fusiliers.
CRYSTAL ROCK: As rich as Castle Rock, this site can be more impressive for its sumptuous topography and the diversity of the coral.
THE CAULDRON: Holds its name from this circus shape. Here again, we dive in an amazing topography where we often have great surprises such as manta rays that can pop up here.
Day 10
TATAWA KECIL: This rock is often submitted to strong currents, made out of incredible overhangs and swimthroughs. Dive in clouds of multicolor anthias, oriental sweetlips and schools of bat fish and red snapper.
TATAWA BESAR: A classic drift dive just like we love it.
Heading back to Labuan Bajo.
Day 11
End of the trip and transfer to airport according to your flight schedule.
The route and dives are always organized according to the weather conditions, the currents and tides.