The Moluccas (Kepulauan Maluku)

The Moluccas (Maluku) are also known as Spice Islands. For a long time spices like nutmeg and mace (also cloves, pepper and cinnamon) were only found here. These spices were very valuable and Chinese and Arab in the 7th century and later the Portugese, British and Dutch in the 16th century traded with these islands. There was a lot of fighting to corner the lucrative spice market, finally Dutch even gave the island of Manhattan to the British in exchange for, among other things, a small island (Banda island) that gave the Dutch full control over the Banda archipelago.

Map of Northern and Central Maluku (Moluccas, Spice Islands)
Orange = Dive Areas

Around 1858 the islands (Ternate, Halmahera, Makian, Bacan, Buru Seram, Ambon) were also visited by Alfred Russel Wallace, a British naturalist and collector. Nowadays Wallace is best known for independently proposing a theory of natural selection which prompted Charles Darwin to publish his own theory. Wallace's interest in the Moluccs was mainly in the collection of rare animals and birds. Among other islands he visited also Aru island (South Maluku) where he realized, that the Aru islands and other moluccan isalnds must have been connected by a landbridge to mainland New Guinea during the ice age. This helped him to formulate his theory of a zoogeographical dividing line runing between Bali and Lombok, extending north through the Makassar Strait between Kalimantan (Borneo) and Sulawesi , the so called Wallace line. On the western side of this line the animals are predominately of Asian origin (tigers, rhinoceros etc.). On the eastern side of the Wallace line the animals are of Australian descent with a lot of endemic species.

Indonesia lies on the so called "ring of fire". These volcanoes make for beautiful photos and interesting hikes but are also sometimes dangerous. The Moluccas have also experienced earthquakes and tsunamis. Here some information www.volcano.si.edu / National Geophysical Data Center (search Tsunami Events for "Indonesia") / www.tsunamiwave.info / NOAA Basic information / Deutsch: Merkblätter Tsunami und Erdbeben

You can find detailed information about dive operators, liveaboard operators, dive safety, dive conditions, climate, hotels and how to get to Ambon on a separate page ready to print.

Ambon, Haruku, Saparua

Ambon island lies in the central part of the Moluccas (Spice Islands) and consists of two peninsulas (Leitimor and Hitoe) connected by a narrow neck of land. The bay thus formed cuts about 20km into the island with the airport on the northern shore and the city of Ambon on the southern side.

The diving in Ambon is mainly done along the southern coast, all easily reached from the Maluku Dive Center. The most well known dive site, the Twilight Zone lies though close to the airport in the Amboyna Bay and is an area, where you can find some very special animals like Rhiniopia scorpionfishes, frogfishes, seahorses, stonefishes, ghostpipefishes, pegasus sea moths, mandarin fishes, wonderpus and flamboyant cuttlefish. Other dive sites are located in Pulau Tiga, a group of tiny islands in the western tip of Ambon.

The other dive center (Paperu Resort) operates from Saparu island further to the east. Several nice dives sites are found around this island, specially to the south, around the cape and Molanda island and Nusa Laut. Here you find mostly large schools of fish, pelagigs like tunas and jacks and sharks.

Detailed map of the dive sites around Ambon, Haruku, Saparua (print version)

The diving

The best months for diving are March and April, and mid/late-September to early/mid-December. During the months from May to August you can do some diving (in the north and the bay of Ambon) but wind and waves might make it difficult. The Moluccan islands have the seasons reversed from the rest of Indonesia, when they have the dry season, its rainy season in Indonesia and vice versa. Visibility is good (20-30m)

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Fabled for exceptional macro and critters, the muck dive sites in Ambon’s huge bay plays host to an enormous variation of critters, a macro photographers’ wishlist of specimens; several different variations of rhiniopias, inimicus, wonderpus, stone fish, countless varieties of frogfish, ghost pipefish, pegasus sea moths, mandarin fish, flamboyant cuttlefish, octopi and seahorses of all shapes and sizes, in addition to the newest resident, a recently discovered possible new species of frogfish. These subjects are found on a number of sites within the bay, in addition to interesting photo opportunities beneath Ambon’s jetty.

Fish are plentiful, though the bigger pelagic types are not so often found here. There are sharks and devil rays here but they are not always found. There are schools of fusiliers and snappers in most places and big napoleon wrasse families and schools of huge surgeonfish and black snappers are often sighted in some locations.

Most of the dive sites offer easy diving, but in some at tide in or tide out times current can be quite strong. However in Nusa Tiga, Seram, Molana and Nusa Laut which are the best sites for viewing the bigger fish, when the current is strong the fish are also abundant.

Ambon island

Pulau Tiga (Three Island) No. 2 Smaller reef fish are everywhere and there are more dartfish here than in other places. In a dive site in Nusa Tiga islands we can dive among clouds of juvenile blue triggerfish. I say clouds because there were zillions of them swimming around, literally looking like black clouds covering the reef front slope. In among these triggerfish there are schools of bannerfish and pyramid butterflyfish. Some of the more exotic reef fish often seen here include the barramundi grouper, which are considered delicacy by some people.

The fish laced sites of Pulau Tiga on the westerly coast have some of the most prolific fish life to be found in Indonesia. Blankets of red tooth trigger and surgeonfish scour the reef with reef sharks, grouper, napoleon and bumpheads regularly spotted.

Laha I (Twilight Zone) No. 5 Twilight Zone Ambon Harbour's underwater junkyard. About three kilometres inside the bay, on the northern coast, is the best macro dive site called Laha. The reef here consists of a slope from two metres deep, overgrown with a few simple corals and rubble substrate, featherstars, fire urchins and sea squirts, on a sandy bed. The slope levels off a little at 12 metres before continuing down again into Ambon Bay's murky depths.

The Twilight Zone is near the village of Laha roughly half way up the northern shore of the large bay that separates the Letimar Peninsular from the main island. Close to the airport, the main jetty, which is the epicentre of the Twilight Zone, is home to a small fleet of fishing boats that ply the rich waters around Ambon. The Jetty is called “aviation jetty” because this is where the aviation fuel for the airport is brought in by tanker and unloaded.

The site is located near the village of Laha, roughly halfway up the northern shore of the bay. Close to the airport, the main jetty that is the epicentre of the Twilight Zone is formally known as the Aviation Jetty, because this is where the aviation fuel for the airport is brought in by tanker and unloaded. When not hosting fuel tankers, the jetty is home to a small fleet of fishing boats that ply the rich waters around Ambon and ship their catch to Bali.

It is the organic and inorganic waste from the fishing boats, together with the freshwater run-off from the river that empties into the bay nearby, the sheltered nature of the site and the currents and coldwater upwellings that combine to create the conditions that nourish this incredible ecosystem. The inorganic waste in the underwater junkyard created by the fishing boats consists of everything from car tyres to filing-cabinet drawers discarded over the years. The bulk of the organic waste comes from the fish carcasses thrown over the side after the fish have been cleaned and filleted for shipment to Bali. When this happens, the bottom-feeding inhabitants of the Zone emerge. The first time I was in the water during one of these feeding frenzies, I was about 15m away from the action. I was blissfully unaware of what was going on until the visibility suddenly decreased. On investigation I found a huge swarm of catfish devouring the remaining flesh on the carcasses. Their action was so intense that they threw up the surrounding black volcanic sand in a mini underwater sandstorm that drifted down into the depths. Darting in and out of the catfish swarm were moray eels, risking a daylight foray to make sure they got their share of this sudden bounty!

There are dozens of moray eels in the junkyard beneath the fishing boats. Every opening seems to be occupied by at least one, but often two or three will be co-habiting. Morays are typically nocturnal, and on one late afternoon dive I settled in front of the main junkyard area and waited patiently to see what happened. Over about 15 minutes one head after another popped out of the junk, until in the fading light I was able to count more than 20 eels contemplating their night-time activities. It was quite a sight!

Five or six fishing boats usually tie up side by side at the Aviation Jetty, creating a canopy over the main area and inducing the feeling of continuous twilight you experience when diving there during the day. Most of the boats are running their generators, and the constant rumble of diesel engines above you adds to the overall eeriness of the site!

Beneath the jetty a large shoal of silversides seems to migrate its way continuously between the columns, and then out beneath the fishing boats in a brilliant flowing stream. Diving the jetty around noon on a sunny day means that it's time to swap the macro lens for wide-angle, and we are talking fish-eye wide. The overhead sun's rays penetrate the gaps between boats and jetty, creating intense columns of light and dappled patterns on the volcanic sand. The silversides seem to become particularly active at this time, and it really is a sight to behold as you sit in the shadows, the diesel engines throbbing above your head, as they stream through the columns and out beneath the fishing boats and back.

At night the site transforms again as the fish and critters active during the daytime settle down in their hiding holes and the nocturnal predators emerge. Extra care needs to be taken at night, as there are so many stinging and poisonous things to kneel on, such as stonefish, a profusion of scorpionfish, including lots of the Ambon variety, many urchins around the junkyard area and, of course, foraging morays.

A second pier on the small headland that sticks out into the bay affords protection to the Twilight Zone and is also well worth investigating, though the absence of the junkyard and its closer proximity to the strong currents of the bay seem to make it a less "target-rich" environment than the Aviation Pier.

Laha II (Twilight Zone) Around the headland is the site called Laha 2, and the sloping sands here are well worth investigating, although care needs to be taken with the fairly strong currents in this area. When I first dived it I found much interesting stuff, but no Rhinopias. However when I subsequently returned with Maluku Divers my guide took me down to 32m and introduced me to a beautiful purple Rhinopias and, shortly after, a stunning red one at 28m! Heading slightly further west there is a third jetty. I didn't dive here, although the one dive I did in the Laha 3 area of which it is part was very enjoyable. But Twilight Zone remains my favourite muck-dive site in Ambon.

Laha 2 & Laha 3, which is west from the Twilight Zone around the headland that protects it

Ambon Wreck Ambon bay is also the final resting place for a 100 metre fully intact Dutch cargo vessel. In front of Ambon harbour there's a good diving in a wreck of a cargo ship from WW II era. The ship is still more or less intact with masts still standing. The shallowest part, its stern, is at around 12-14 meters and the deepest is at 37 meters. Although intact it is covered with corals, ascidian and sponges growth and freqented by schools of fish. An octopus live in the shallow part.

The Shipwreck: Located further up into Ambon’s natural harbour than the Twilight zone the “shipwreck”, as it is universally referred to, is the wreck of what is commonly believed to be a Dutch cargo ship. The history of the wreck is very vague; some people tell you that it was sunk by the Dutch during WWII to prevent it falling into Japanese hands. Others tell a story about it being bombed & sunk by a single bomb dropped down its funnel by a (very good…) mercenary pilot during civil strife in the 1950’s.

Whatever its heritage actually is, it’s a very good dive site. It is located close to the state oil company Pertamina’s main jetty and marked by a large but rather rusty buoy, attached to the stern of the wreck, which lies in just 12m of water. The wreck is 100m in length and lies facing down the slope, so the foredeck is at 32m and the bow in over 40m. Being located in the harbour means that visibility is not that great and varied between 5 & 15m on the dives that I did, but the wreck is still very much intact and all its features are clearly identifiable. Soft & hard corals literally cover the wreck and every nook & cranny seems to have gained an occupant so macro photographers can easily stray towards decompression if they are not careful!

Pintu Kota, Ambon Island

Murdoch's Point similar to Batu Kapal but more fish. Large rocks at the top with hunting sharks and large sponge formations.

Batu Kapal is a reef that looks like the bow of a ship. Gorgonians and sponges are growing on the wall, sometimes with a leaffish hiding between. There is a sandy area on about 30m where you might find ghostpipefishes. Then the reef starts again, on a slope.

Tanjung Kilang No. 9 Ambon Island (südosten)

Tanjung Hukurila No. 10 The underwater architecture of Pintu Kota and Hukarila Cave, signature sites on Ambon’s southerly cost, make incredible photographic opportunities. In Pintu Kota and Hukurila there are caverns with walls and roofs covered in many hued soft corals. With visibility in the range of 25-30 meters in a normal day, wide angle photography of undersea garden is bound to be good here.

Night dives in Ambon

Of course night dives are also specially interesting in Ambon. As soon as night falls

Saparua

Cape Paperu No. 17 Our house reef is over 2 km (1 ½ mile) long and has a depth range from 4 to 12 m (12 – 40 feet). It is a complex environment with a lot of coral blocks and the Robust table coral within the diving area is densely stocked with a variety of sea life, for example Red Mullets, Grunts, Fusiliers and Reef Groupers in large shoals.

You can see colourful "Articulatas" under the overhanging walls cavorting Lion fish, "Leopard" and "Miniata" Groupers, Soldier Fish, Barramundis and lot of Butterfly fish. On the sandy bottom hide Blue Dotted Stingray, and Stonefish. With luck, you can watch Dungeons feeding the sea grass.

It is beautiful to dive the house reef in the night, where crabs, shrimp and sleeping parrotfish in their nest can be seen. Not forgetting the huge variety of "Cypraeidae", like "Tigris-", Pantherina-, Talparia Talpe. Nudibranches, like Notodoris, Citrina, Nembrothas and Flatworms. During the night time Stingrays, Starfish, Anvalve and Octopuses hunt their prey.

Molana (No. 19)

West Molana Molana Island

South Molana, Molana Island

Most of the dive sites offer easy diving, but in some at tide in or tide out times current can be quite strong. However in Nusa Tiga, Seram, Molana and Nusa Laut which are the best sites for viewing the bigger fish, when the current is strong the fish are also abundant.

Nusa Laut (No. 20)

This small island is the most easterly of the Lease group and about 80 kilometres from Ambon. the sites are probably only reached by liveaboard, but if you get the chance, do it!

Nusa Laut is located to the east of Ambon, about halfway across the southern coast of Seram. It is located in the Banda Sea, but does not form part of the Banda Islands. This rather picturesque island is a popular dive destination due to its very evident diversity of reef fish species, and its health and varieties of hard corals. No matter how many times you dive here, the amazing thing is that there always seems to be something new and different to see.

In the north east of Nusa Laut is the village of Amet. There's a reef slope to the south of the village and jetty, where you're likely to begin your dive with a descent onto the clear, sandy Banda Sea floor at 12 metres. The reef is not deep and there is no reason to go deeper than 25 metres except in search of sharks and Kuhl's bluespot stingrays.

The main reef slope is made of brain corals, pore corals, and small acropora and table corals, as well as vase, tube and barrel sponges. Featherstars root themselves to every available surface. There are just too many fish species to mention them all but some of the common ones to encounter include masked rabbitfish, bignose unicornfish, Pacific double-saddle butterflyfish, bluemasked angelfish, green-throat parrotfish, as well as some juvenile and smaller grouper species, and small schools of yellowfin goatfish.

From 12 metes upwards the stands of hard corals get bigger, and the topography is mixed with bommies, and stubbly sinularia leather corals and soft flower corals. Purple anthias proliferate in the open whilst juvenile catfish, razor wrasse, dartfish, split-banded cardinalfish all hide and aggregate in the shelters.

To the north of Amet Village jetty is a wall that drops to 45 metres, interspersed with channels, gullies and small caverns. Good-sized marble rays are often found on the sandy areas here. There are some great tube sponges specimens, thorny turquoise vase sponges and encrusting hard corals. Yellow damsel fish and pale-lipped surgeonfish are easy to spot by their large numbers, and the juvenile fusiliers that congregate here attract midnight snappers, large spotted sweetlips, rainbow runners, and bluespine unicornfish.

As you finish your dive on top of the wall you'll find some precariously balanced finger corals and staghorns. This area attracts a whole host of colourful Banda Sea anthias - threadfin and redfin, purple queens, all in delicate shades of violet, lavender, magenta, orange and cream.

Akoon is in the south east and if you drop in the right spot here and you'll descend straight on the inner area of a wall spur, so neatly arranged that you'd be forgiven for thinking that it looks manmade. The wall is covered in orange dendronephthya corals. As you're diving down to 13 metres, you'll see a large exit hole that leads you out to the open face of the Banda Sea and the rest of the dive.

The wall drop off here is very deep, and if you look down you can identify some of the lesser known snapper species such as the pygmy snapper (silver with a yellow band on its tail), the red mangrove snapper, as well as huge Napoleon wrasse and silver sweetlips. Purple dottybacks seem to live in every crag of the wall, mantis shrimps are here and nudibranchs too. Akoon seems to be something of a snapper mecca, as the wall is also home to humpback snapper and blacktail snapper, as well as emperor angelfish, gilded triggerfish and the all-yellow canary wrasse. There's plenty of fish action too; swarms of small magenta and gold slender anthias create clouds of enticing snacks, and lunar fusiliers dart past, doing their best to avoid the attentions of bluefin trevallies and black trevally.

Above the wall in the shelter of the shallow reef flat, six-striped wrasse seek refuge in the finger and fire corals. There's a huge number of different leather coral species, and yellowtail damsels flitter in the bright water.

An archway , about 15 meters wide which becomes a spectacular steep wall going down to a abyss. Blue, clear water, large gorgonians, huge barrel sponges and schools of fish everywhere.

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Banda islands

The Banda Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Banda) are a group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, the capital is Bandanaira, a seaport. The islands lie quite remote, about 140km south of Seram island (Ceram) and are known for healthy reefs and pelagics.

Dive sites around Banda island

A well known dive sites is Batu Kapal (shiprock) which has a series of pinnacles, Pulau Ai which is a island to the west of Banda Neira and which has several dive sites mostly to see sharks, mobulas and beautiful coral reefs. Or you might wasnt to check out the lava flows around Gunung Api (Fire mountain) a small volcano island lying just across a small strait, to the west of Banda Neira and while diving here you can see a lot of sea snakes. But there is also some great muckdiving at the Banda Neira Pier.
More information about the dives sites

Halmahera islands

The Halmahera island is the largest island of the Moluccas. There are no dive centers on the island, so all the diving is done from liveaboards which pass the island on their way from or to Manado / Lembeh.

You can dive around Maitara island, Pilongga island, Tagalaya, Mare Island, Terumbu Gora (sea mount) and the Goraichi island group and in the Patinti straits, Tolimago, Toputopu, Pawole Island. Since I haven't dived there I have no idea how good the area is.

Further information about Ambon

You can find detailed information about dive operators, liveaboard operators, dive safety, dive conditions, climate, hotels and how to get to Ambon on a separate page ready to print.