Banda Sea Blue Whales & Spice Islands Liveaboard

Arrive in Saumlaki. Your Oceanic Society naturalist will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the Dewi Nusatara liveaboard. After a welcome dinner, safety briefing, and orientation, the ship departs overnight northward into the Banda Sea.

Mornings and afternoons are spent snorkeling around the twin limestone islands of Dawera and Daweloor, where rugged terraces rise over 500 meters above the sea, and dramatic coral walls drop into the blue below. Small traditional villages dot both islands; guides may organize a visit ashore. Continuing north, Dai Island offers dramatic reef slopes and seamounts along a major pelagic migration route. At Nila, a volcanic island atop the Damar Ridge, a sheltered southern lagoon is perfect for kayaking and paddleboarding, while offshore atolls, including Dusborgh and Griffin Reef, beckon for deeper snorkel exploration.

During crossings between island groups, the expedition shifts into active whale patrols across the Banda Sea’s deep migration corridors. These open-water passages offer some of the best opportunities to encounter blue whales and other cetaceans moving through this remote oceanic highway. Guests are invited to take part in bridge watch, joining the expedition team in scanning the horizon for blows, flukes, and surface activity, while learning how to recognize and interpret marine mammal behavior in real time.

Serua Island rises dramatically from the sea, its active volcano cloaked in green and edged with steam vents and black-sand shores. The nearby islands of Kekeh and Kekeh Kecil offer accessible coral gardens teeming with reef fish and pelagic life. The expedition then moves to the extraordinary Manuk Volcano, a remote, barely accessible volcanic island featured in a BBC wildlife documentary. Seabirds fill the sky, sulfur scents the air, and the surrounding reefs host dense populations of banded sea kraits and olive sea snakes. Snorkel sessions here are unlike anything found elsewhere on the itinerary.

Far out in the remote reaches of the vast Banda Sea, south of the huge landmass of Ceram, lies a small island group steeped in history and natural wonder: the Banda Islands. These islands, once the epicentre of the global spice trade, still whisper stories of their storied past, offering a rare blend of cultural intrigue and breathtaking landscapes. The outer islands of Hatta and Suanggi are explored first, with snorkeling along dramatic drop-offs and the spectacular shallow-to-deep topography of Skaru Reef. The expedition then moves to the central island of Banda Neira, where the group goes ashore to walk the colonial streets, visit Fort Belgica, tour the spice museum, and stroll through nutmeg groves on Lontar Island. Back in the water, the underwater lava flow from Gunung Api’s 1988 eruption, now a thriving coral reef, is a highlight not to be missed. Evening anchorage is in the sheltered harbor between Banda Neira and the looming Gunung Api volcano.

The final snorkeling days are spent at Nusa Laut, the easternmost island in the Lease Islands group. Community conservation has protected these reefs for decades, and the results are evident: thriving coral formations, abundant fish life, and the possibility of dugong encounters in the northern bays. Snorkel the reef at Ameth,  one of the finest sites in the region, and explore the underwater arch at Akon. The naturalist leads evening discussions recapping the expedition’s ecological and historical themes.

The ship arrives in Ambon Bay and anchors at Laha for a final snorkel session before disembarkation. This site is renowned as one of the world’s most biodiverse ‘muck’ reefs, where rare critters hide in the sandy shallows near the fishing piers. After breakfast, travelers will transfer to Ambon Airport for connecting flights home or onward for continued exploration.