Maumere Flores Diving
Maumere is the top dive sites in Indonesia. Here is the below some spot in Maumere you can find all diving site. Wairterang is the east of Maumere and just off the coast of Flores there is a Japanese freighter lying on its side from 25 to 12 meters deep. Coral reef growth on the wreck has over the years and it now as the home for fishes and other marine creatures. House reefs of Maumere are critter playgrounds with mimic octopus, frogfish and leaf fish among the stars of the show. Local dive operators will know the best spots for finding these little beasties.
Babi Island
is good spot dive considered for this island. The reef wall is in pristine condition. The crystal clear sea water that is dropping down to a depth of about 50 metres, it is visible to the sea floor. Many collection of the marine creature including snappers, angelfish, parrotfish and damselfish all occupy the wall. Other more : sea apples add splashes of blue and red colour, the number of gorgonian sea fans along the wall, the biggest ones found at depths of 35m and below. Diving in Flores gives you have such a joyful of diving and snorkeling with the perfect scenery.
Sea World Club
is a resort on the east of Maumere, about 30 kms east part from Maumere. At certain dive spots in Maumere there are few pelagics. Tehre is a dive spot called Pemana island with a wall with nice coral growth and many small animals hiding in the crevices and holes. Maybe this wall still gives some impression of what Maumere was like before the earthquake. So diving has become more interesting in the meantime. Merpati flies from Denpasar to Maumere five times a week and pelita air once a week on Wednesday. So Maumere has again become a good place to start or finish a journey through Flores. Sea World Club has two dive boats one with twin 40-hp-engines and the other one with two 25-hp-engines.
Komodo National Park - Dragons On Land
Paradise of Underwater
The islands of Komodo and Rinca are the largest of about 90 islands that is situated on the western part of Flores island. Komodo national park reserve offers just about every type of tropical diving imaginable - from calm and colorful shallow reefs alive with hundreds of colorful reef fishes and crammed with invertebrates, to current-swept deep water sea mounts, walls and pinnacles patrolled by sharks, tuna and other big fish.. All at home amongst a spectacular range of colorful sponges, sea squirts, tunicates and corals - a macro enthusiast's heaven. The variety of marine life for scuba diving in Komodo rivals the world's best dive destinations. This is the world's epicenter for marine diversity and you'll see loads of stuff here on a diving cruise that you just won't see anywhere else in the world, sunfish, mantas, and eagle rays to pygmy seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, clown and frogfish, and blue-ringed octopus.The shallow reefs between Flores and the northern region however, were bombed in the past but are now recovering their former splendor. The best time to dive is from late October to early May however the plankton rich seas between November and January produce some spectacular fish life. Much of the area now lies within the protection of the national park.
Banta Island
is Island usually strong as it is one of the widest gaps between islands. Cold water from the Flores basin in the north is forced through this channel which often attracts big pelagics.
Batu Bolong
This submerged sea mount is just south of Tatawa Kecil and offers some exhilarating diving. Huge rocks play host to swirling clouds of schooling fish such as fusiliers, sweetlips, anthias and redtooth triggers. However as the name suggests currents can be savage here so take extreme precautions.
Batu Tiga
which means three rocks this dive site is probably the most current affected in Komodo. The best diving entry is at the northeastern side of the three rocks. Barracuda and other big pelagics are often seen here along with the occasional manta. Due to its exposed location in the Linta Strait the submerged rocks in deeper water to the west offer excellent habitat for grouper and other big fish such as napoleon.
Cannibal Rock
which located in between Rinca and Nusa Kode this submerged sea mount is well protected and free of strong currents. Nudibranchs, featherstars, tunicates, cleaner shrimp and fire urchins with Coleman shrimps. The site is known for its soft corals, invertebrate life, some green and blue magnificent anemones sway in the currents on the southern side, Sea apples, huge red gorgonians play home to pygmy.
Crinoid Canyon
No prizes for guessing what this Rinca dive site is named after. This cooler water site is located on the southern entrance of Loh Dasami on Nusa Kode, its walls are teeming with invertebrates. Best dived in the morning to catch the sunlight at its finest Crinoid Canyon is an easy dive with little current. Multiple varieties of nudibranch, urchins, all manner of tiny shrimp and crab, and plenty more can be found here.
Crystal Rock
named after the surrounding clear waters just breaks the surface and is home to large schools of fusiliers and anthias beneath it. Nice soft coral coverage here with some impressive table corals. There is a small mound northwest of the rock where different species of fish school seasonally, including tuna and mackerel.
Darat Passage
Best time is just before or after slack water when the flow is not to strong, the reef slopes down to a sandy bottom at around 15 meters which then drops away to about 35. The shallow parts of this dive are better for marine life keep an eye out for turtles and reef sharks.
German Flag
This dive site is a great place to spot them, drifting is the norm here since currents can be strong. Also spotted on this dive are malabar groupers, potato cod and napoleon wrasse. From September to January high densities of plankton attract many large manta rays that can normally be seen swimming on the surface.
GPS Point
is located on the north of Banta. Barracuda, dogtooth tuna, spanish mackerel, since the currents are usually strong.
Tanjung Rasa
is situated around the northern most peninsular of Banta, it has steep slopes to 40 meters swept with vertical as well as horizontal currents. This spot which attracts two different species of barracuda is also often referred to as highway to Heaven.
Star Wars
a gentle slope down to 30 meters, has excellent small fish numbers that look like they're taking part in some epic space battle, very good coral growth and the occasional mantas. Pygmy seahorses may be found on close inspection of gorgonians at this dive site.
Galley Rock
to the south of Banta is another big fish dive suitable only in the right conditions when the surface is calm. Topography is a gentle slope which changes into a wall, then flattens out at around 30m with large collection of sponges. Plenty of tuna, barracuda and sharks here too.
Gili Lawa Laut
A submerged rock at high tide which offers great fish life and good coral cover. A couple of valleys play home to oriental sweet lips and there are some big groupers around. There are a few other interesting dive sites in the area including Lighthouse on the point.
Tatawa Besar & Kecil
The two islands of Tatawa Besar (large) and Tatawa Kecil (small) offer some great drift diving opportunities. Tatawa is a good drift dive down the western side in about 15 to 20 meters of water. Mantas are often seen in this area also. There is abundant fish life including large groupers, snappers, sweetlips, jacks, sharks and no shortage of anthias.
Langkoi Rock
This submerged pinnacle just off Langkoi Island to the Southwest of Komodo can be an exhilarating dive. Highlights here are sharks. Grey reefs, sharks, hammerheads and bronze whalers aggregate. It is reputed to be a breeding ground for grey reef sharks in April. This dive is for experienced divers only.
Letuhoh Reef
The reef stretches south of Tanjung Letuhoh and has some large submerged boulders and pinnacles. There are some large coral covered pinnacles at around 30 meters that attract a diverse quantity of fish life. Another big fish dive here with potato cod, napoleon wrasse, tuna, eagle rays and reef sharks.
Loh Namu
The Loh Namu peninsular has a nice spot for finding big groupers. The best way to dive it is south to north at around 25 meters, just before high tide, most of the bigger fish congregate to the south around a few boulders just before a drop off. Slack tide is the best time to dive.
Pangah Batang
A sloping wall drops to around 30 meters here and there can be currents. Leather and soft corals are found in impressive quantities and colors alongside some large gorgonians. Sharks and eagle rays have also been spotted hanging in the current. The shallower parts of the reef are home to all manner of other critters such as mantis shrimp, pygmy seahorses and leaf fish.
Payung Island
This site give the impression of a wreck dive, one is in the shape of a cannon. Best dive at slack tide this dive site has two possible dives.
Pink Beach
also named Pantai merah that at this site there are a large of fishes scorpion fishes, and ribbon eels. This dive site makes a nice change from raging currents however visibility can vary and is usually best when the tide is going out. Large coral outcrops are at around 25 meters.
Pillarsteen
This dive site is a rock pillar off the southeastern tip of the island of Padar island which is located between komodo and Rinca island. The coral covered walls are teeming with invertebrates. Fish life at this top notch dive site includes large schools of fusiliers, snappers, six banded angelfish and boxfish. In the shallow waters the wall ends and becomes a sloping reef, here are masses of gigantic soft brown leather corals.
Riung
Riung has nice coral gardens in the 17-Islands-National Park. There are only a few losmen in town. We can recommend the losmen of the catholic church in Riung. Water temperature is usually around 28° C. The six dives we did in the area do not justify a conclusive evaluation.
Seraya Island
is an idyllic island and a great opportunity to do some snorkeling and diving. Seraya is little more than a small, next to Komodo National Park. Some villagers who let their goats graze on vegetation. The island’s cove is protected from the sea providing calm and clear water for snorkeling. Rowboats can be rented and taken to nearby islands for snorkeling and diving. Make sure to run up to the top Hotels : The resort on Seraya is operated by Gardena hotel in Labuanbajo and a stay on the island can be booked at Gardena’s front desk.
Tanjung Loh Sera
The cooler waters of this southern Komodo dive site offer some great diving. There is also a wall closer to shore that is a little more sheltered. Marine life here includes dogtooth tuna, turtles, giant trevally, potato cod, bumphead parrotfish and malabar grouper ... a real big fish dive.
Tala Island
onwards on the south of Tala are steep rocky walls and strong surge. One site called The End of the World has a sheer wall of black rock that drops to 100 meters deep. There are vast shoals of small fish in the shallows and some interesting invertebrates on the wall. Huge schools of surgeonfish, snappers and some large groupers can be found further down.
The Alley Or Manta Alley is just along from German Flag in the channel that separates Komodo from Tala island. It is a relatively shallow dive to around 20 meters. Fish and coral life are abundant and healthy even if there are no mantas.
Three Sisters
Also off the southern tip of Padar and north of Pillarsteen is Three Sisters or Tiga Dara. Three large submerged rocks around ten meters apart lie east of a reef off the eastern side of the island. they are covered in soft coral and invertebrates and make a nice colourful dive. Keep a look out for nudibranchs, sea cucumbers, starfish and sea squirts.
Torpedo Point
Located just north of Cannibal Rock is this rocky patch of reef and it is named after its topredo rays, macro critters such as frogfish, worms and pipefish.
Toro Sie Out on the southeast coast is a rock with surrounding reef. The rock has a ridge that extends to the west, it is covered in crinoids and softcorals, the seabed around it houses lots of interesting critters. Further out over the sand are groupers and more fish life.
Yellow Wall
which is actually two walls, runs down the east coast of Nusa Kode and is simply alive. The creatures including anthias, butterfly fish and even the distinctively marked clown triggerfish. This is an awesome site for a night dive where countless reef invertebrates emerge to feed. Spanish dancers, feather stars, tunicates, and feeding coral polyps can all be found after dark. Many sleeping fish such as the cocooned parrotfish can also be seen here.
The Diving Season
You can go liveaboard diving Komodo all year round. The liveaboards here do not close for an off-season because every month of the year promises top quality action. Overall, the absolute best visibility is from November to January. January to March can have rough surface conditions at the northern dive sites. July and August can have rough seas in the south and Rinca.
