Mermaid I Trip Report

[gretch]

Here's another great review for Mermaid Liveaboards in Indonesia. My previous dives have been in Puget Sound, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Revillagigedo. I took the Biodiversity Special from Sorong to Maumere May 1 through the 16th and then departed Maumere for the Komodo to Bali trip from the 17th through the 26th. My mother, a 77year old beginning snorkeler accompanied me. I'd only been on one liveaboard before and was a little concerned about being on the boat for so long and how my non diving mom would do. We had a blast.

Getting there and on land. We flew coach on EVA and Garuda. It took me 6 flights to get from Oregon to Sorong. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Just long. I was happy with both carriers. My gear bag was discovered to be lost when we needed to recheck our bags on Garuda between Jakarta and Makassar. The ground crew in Makassar were helpful but still no bag by the time we got to Sorong. I'm glad that we arrived a day prior to the boat's departure because my bag was found and sent to Sorong in time for our pick up. We stayed at the Swiss-Bel Hotel in Sorong. They have a nice breakfast buffet and we found the room comfortable and the staff friendly. We did notice lots of tiny crawling insects (not bed bugs) in the room but they didn't bite so no big deal.
On Maumere we stayed overnight at the Sea World Beach Club. Very pretty grounds. Comfortable room except for non functional AC. Bring your own power adapter. They have a nice sand beach and on site restaurant. We did trips to the traditional market and to Watublapi weaving village and had a good time at both. We spent a few days on Bali at Tegal Sari in Ubud at the end of our trip and found it to be a beautiful hotel surrounded by rice paddies and walking distance to everywhere we wanted to go. The trip home was easier and uneventful departing from Bali on EVA.

The boat and crew. Plenty of room for cameras, dining, and lounging. We found our room very comfortable even on the one night with rough weather but we are not light sleepers. There was adequate storage room and enough outlets for recharging electronics. The crew could not have been better. They were safe, efficient,and so friendly. Meals were buffet style with western and asian choices. The food was of very good quality and variety. There were always snacks including fruit available and we were greeted with dry towels and delicious hot or cold drinks after every dive.

Diving. We only had very strong current on only a couple of dives. Most dives had some current that could be dealt with by drifting or using a hook. Visibility was generally good. I get cold easily and was comfortable most of the trip with my Lavacore top, bottom, and hooded vest. For some dives I also used my 5mm neoprene hood and a 3mm shorty. The dive guides were attentive to our abilities and preferences and were great spotters. We were in groups of 3-5 divers per guide and the water usually did not feel crowded. Diving was from RIBs. Divers could choose to don tank and weights before or after being helped in off the swim deck. Same for getting back in. Doff tank in the water or when back on board. Except for rare exceptions, we were limited only by our NDLs.
Underwater was fantastic with walls, reefs, and muck. Only some of the highlights for me were pygmy seahorses, blue ring octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, great hammerheads, and sea snakes galore. Our videographer did a great job and there are lots of representative videos on the Mermaid website. The whole crew took great care of my mom and she did thrilling snorkeling 2-3 times most days (she only skipped the snakey places).

I highly recommend this ship for a safe, exciting, and relaxing dive or snorkel holiday and look forward to diving with them again.

 

[AlMitch]

You have one heck of an adventurous 77yr old mom!!

 

[Dan]

Thanks for posting the trip report. That trip is definitely in my bucket list.

I was in 11-day liveaboard trip with Mermaid I from Bali to Komodo roundtrip. It is definitely one of the best diving trip I ever experience.

If you have to choose between Sorong-Maumere & Komodo-Bali, which one is better?

 

[highdesert]

Where exactly did you see hammerheads in May? What was the water temp, and your depth, when you saw them?

 

[gretch]

AlMitch, Yep, my mom is a kick. She just keeps getting better the older she gets. She's thinking about getting certified. Hope I'm as frisky when I'm her age.

Dan_T, Both trips were great. They offer such different sites that it is hard to compare them. Since you've done the Komodo trip, then I'd encourage you to look into the Biodiversity Special. My favorite diving was in the Banda Sea areas that were thick with snakes but the other marine life there was great as well. There was also cool topside scenery with volcanos and bird life. If I had to choose between the two trips, I'd pick Biodiversity just because it is longer, so more diving.

highdesert, We saw great hammerheads at Ledges of Bacatan, Lewaling Bay, Kawalu. Super dive. Hooked in at the reef edge at around 65 feet with moderate to strong current and saw first one, then two, then three GH swing around out of the blue. Black tips, white tips, turtles, eagle rays, and mantas were also on the program. It was mostly a comfy 81 degrees with colder water coming in and up.

 

[billt4sf]

Here's another great review for Mermaid Liveaboards in Indonesia. My previous dives have been in Puget Sound, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Revillagigedo. I took the Biodiversity Special from Sorong to Maumere May 1 through the 16th and then departed Maumere for the Komodo to Bali trip from the 17th through the 26th. My mother, a 77year old beginning snorkeler accompanied me. I'd only been on one liveaboard before and was a little concerned about being on the boat for so long and how my non diving mom would do. We had a blast.

Getting there and on land. We flew coach on EVA and Garuda. It took me 6 flights to get from Oregon to Sorong. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Just long. I was happy with both carriers. My gear bag was discovered to be lost when we needed to recheck our bags on Garuda between Jakarta and Makassar. The ground crew in Makassar were helpful but still no bag by the time we got to Sorong. I'm glad that we arrived a day prior to the boat's departure because my bag was found and sent to Sorong in time for our pick up. We stayed at the Swiss-Bel Hotel in Sorong. They have a nice breakfast buffet and we found the room comfortable and the staff friendly. We did notice lots of tiny crawling insects (not bed bugs) in the room but they didn't bite so no big deal.
On Maumere we stayed overnight at the Sea World Beach Club. Very pretty grounds. Comfortable room except for non functional AC. Bring your own power adapter. They have a nice sand beach and on site restaurant. We did trips to the traditional market and to Watublapi weaving village and had a good time at both. We spent a few days on Bali at Tegal Sari in Ubud at the end of our trip and found it to be a beautiful hotel surrounded by rice paddies and walking distance to everywhere we wanted to go. The trip home was easier and uneventful departing from Bali on EVA.

The boat and crew. Plenty of room for cameras, dining, and lounging. We found our room very comfortable even on the one night with rough weather but we are not light sleepers. There was adequate storage room and enough outlets for recharging electronics. The crew could not have been better. They were safe, efficient,and so friendly. Meals were buffet style with western and asian choices. The food was of very good quality and variety. There were always snacks including fruit available and we were greeted with dry towels and delicious hot or cold drinks after every dive.

Diving. We only had very strong current on only a couple of dives. Most dives had some current that could be dealt with by drifting or using a hook. Visibility was generally good. I get cold easily and was comfortable most of the trip with my Lavacore top, bottom, and hooded vest. For some dives I also used my 5mm neoprene hood and a 3mm shorty. The dive guides were attentive to our abilities and preferences and were great spotters. We were in groups of 3-5 divers per guide and the water usually did not feel crowded. Diving was from RIBs. Divers could choose to don tank and weights before or after being helped in off the swim deck. Same for getting back in. Doff tank in the water or when back on board. Except for rare exceptions, we were limited only by our NDLs.
Underwater was fantastic with walls, reefs, and muck. Only some of the highlights for me were pygmy seahorses, blue ring octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, great hammerheads, and sea snakes galore. Our videographer did a great job and there are lots of representative videos on the Mermaid website. The whole crew took great care of my mom and she did thrilling snorkeling 2-3 times most days (she only skipped the snakey places).

I highly recommend this ship for a safe, exciting, and relaxing dive or snorkel holiday and look forward to diving with them again.

Thanks for the trip report! I have also had good expoeriences with Mermaid.

I was thinking about doing this Biodiversity trip crossing the Banda Sea but in reverse, starting from Maumere and ending in Sorong this December. My wife is very hesitant becuase she gets seasick and has to wear the patch behind the ear, she's reluctant to wear that for 16 days and I don't blame her.

What was your experience with the sea conditions while under way?

Thanks,

Bill

 

[Tippytoes12]

Wow , excellent report , thanks for posting. I love your Mum's style...straight into a Raja Ampat liveaboards , inspirational lady ! I hope she gets certified.

Did you prefer this trip to the Socorro Islands ?

Best fishes x

 

[highdesert]

gretch, Google isn't helping me out at all with your hammerhead dive location. Can you tell me more about where it is?

 

[Dan]

gretch, Google isn't helping me out at all with your hammerhead dive location. Can you tell me more about where it is?

May be if you ask on which day she saw the hammerheads, you can narrow it down to the location based on the Mermaid Biodiversity itinerary. The Lewaling Bay, Kawula island is at 15th day cruise, so it must be very close to Maumere.

BioDiversity Special Cruises with Mermaid I & II
Exploring Maumere-Alor-Banda Sea-Raja Ampat-Sorong (& reverse)



Itinerary Raja Ampat-Banda-Alor-Maumere 16 DAYS/ 15 NIGHT
It is almost impossible to put together a daily itinerary due to the magnificent diving everywhere we go. No trip is the same with so many different sites to visit and explore. If there is somewhere in particular you really have your heart set on please discuss with the Cruise Director who will do their utmost to get you there – conditions, ship and your safety allowing! However here is rough guide just to whet your appetite ! (it will be in approximately in reverse if you start from Maumere)

Day 1. Embark in Sorong. Check-in on board MV Mermaid I. As guest arrivals take place all through the day depending on flights you are welcome to board when you arrive and spend some time looking around Sorong, gearing up etc. Following the boat and safety briefing – its overnight to the Strait of Dampier.
Cruise overnight to the Dampier Strait (40nm).
Total dives 0. Unless the customers arrive in the 7:00 a.m. flight. Then we can make 2 dives.

Day 2-3. Dampier Strait – Raja Ampat. The first 2 diving days of the trip will be spent around the Dampier Strait, the strait between the island of Waigeo, the Bird’s Head peninsula and the northern side of Batanta Island. The Dampier Strait is known for the variety of diving, from giant mantas, to mangroves, beautiful reefs, many pinnacles and sea mounts covered in schooling fish, aggregations of sweetlips, schooling barracudas, schools of bumphead parrotfish, massive schools of fusiliers, and lots of wobbegong sharks. It is also a great location for critters and macro subjects, with several species of pygmy seahorses, and a large variety of nudibranches. There are also several jetties to do some great night dives, where we can see raja epaulette sharks, toadfish, frogfish and crocodile fish.
In the afternoon, between dives, we can visit several traditional Papuan villages, meet the locals and walk in white sandy beaches.

Cruise overnight to Misool (90nm).
Total dives 7.

Day 4-5. Misool – Raja Ampat. The next 2 days will be around the island of Misool, where there literally hundreds of dive sites. Misool is a heaven for wide angle photographers. The prettiest soft corals reefs in the world are located in Misool, as well as having multiple pinnacles surrounded by masses of schooling fish, barracudas, jacks and snappers.
There will be some excursions with the tenders through some amazing inner lagoons, fantastic scenery and wild life sightings.

Cruise overnight to Pulau Koon, Ceram (110nm).
Total dives 7.

Day 6. Pulau Koon – Ceram. Pulau Koon is a small island on the southeast of Ceram, half way between Raja Ampat and the Banda Islands. Walls covered in soft corals, and sandy slopes with hard coral bommies. But the most interesting feature of this island is the amount of schooling fish and pelagic, barracudas, bigeye trevallies, aggregation of red snappers, pompanos, batfish, and giant groupers.
Cruise overnight to the Banda Islands (80 nm).
Total dives 3 or 4 depending on the weather.

Day 7-8. Banda Islands. The next two days will be spent in the Banda Islands, also know in the old days as the Spice Islands. Many of the dive sites around the Bandas are wall dives. Walls covered in massive gorgonians, soft corals, barrel sponges and some very interesting swimthroughs. But there are other attractive dive sites such as pinnacles with enormous groups of schooling pyramid butterflyfish, triggerfish and pelagic fishes such as tunas passing through, spectacular hard coral reefs next to the volcano, and great muck dives with lots of mandarinfish in the local jetty.
The Banda Islands are much more than diving. It is also a cultural and historical experience. We will spend one morning walking around the village of Banda Naira with a local guide, and visit the local museum, the Old Dutch fort, the old colonial governor’s house, the local fish market, and we will have breakfast at a nutmeg plantation.
Cruise overnight to Manuk (65 nm).
Total dives 7.

Day 9. Manuk – Banda Sea. Manuk, an extinct volcano about 65 nm south of the Banda Islands, is one of 2 places in Indonesia where there are huge aggregations of sea snakes, Chinese sea snakes and banded sea kraits. It is an incredible experience to dive surrounded on all sides by sea snakes. The island is surrounded by black sandy slopes with hard coral reefs, volcanic ridges covered in gorgonians with zillions of fusiliers and pelagic fishes such as spanish mackerels and dogtooth tunas passing through.
Cruise overnight to Pulau Nila (70nm).
Total dives 4.

Day 10. Pulau Nila – Banda Sea. Approximately 26 nm northeast of the island of Nila in the Banda Sea, there is a submerge reef called Nil Desperandum, consisting mainly of walls and steep slopes going several thousand meters deep, with beautiful hard corals in the reef top. The reef is several miles long, and it can be dived all the around. Napoleons, turtles and reef sharks are usual sightings in this reef.
5 nm east of Nila there is an atoll called Dusborgh, with similar topography to Nil Desperandum, with crystal clear water is another great place to see pelagic fish, tunas, mackerels, jacks, rainbow runners passing by.
Cruise overnight to Pulau Damar (70nm).
Total dives 4.

Day 11. Pulau Damar – Banda Sea. Day 11 will be spend diving around the 3 small islands surrounding the island of Damar, Neus Leur, Terbang Utara, and Terbang Selatan. White sandy beaches and completely covered by tropical forests, they contain some of the prettiest and healthiest reefs in the Banda Sea. Walls covered with massive barrel sponges and gorgonian sea fans. Reef tops full of soft corals and small tropical reef fishes. And visibility up to 50 meters.
Cruise overnight to Gunung Api (108nm).
Total 3 dives.

Day 12. Gunung Api – Banda Sea. Weather depending, we will be diving day 11 at Gunung Api. A small volcano in the middle of the Banda Sea. Gunung Api is one of those very rare and very special places where not many divers get to go and dive. Underwater ridges, steep slopes with black sand and walls covered in soft corals. But the most amazing feature of this small volcano is the amount of sea snakes that can be found surrounding the island. Spend the time between dives observing the hundreds of frigates that live on the island.
Cruise overnight to Wetar (76 nm)
Total dives 4.

Day 13. Wetar. After cruising every night for one week, we have finally crossed the Banda Sea and arrived at the island of Wetar. In Wetar we will do 3 dives, in the small island of Reong, and in Cape Nunukae. Pulau Reong is a small island on the northwest coast of Wetar and separated by a small channel only 700 meters wide. More walls, like many of the dive sites in the Band Sea, covered in small soft colors but of a great variety of colors and zillions of triggerfish of every species.
Cape Nunukae, about 6 nm southwest of Pulau Reong, is a large ridge with slopes on both sides and covered with a hard coral reef on the shallow area of the ridge, and soft corals on the slopes in the deeper areas. Strong currents can be had at the end of the ridge, where large aggregations of schooling fish can be found.
Cruise overnight to Alor (98 nm).
Total dives 3.

Day 14. Alor. Alor is one of the old time favorites dive spots for those people coming to dive in Indonesia year after year due to its variety of dive sites. Healthy reefs, pinnacles, walls, great muck dives, cold water, warm water, strong currents and protected areas. Alor has it all.
Cruise overnight to Lewaling, Kawula Island (50 nm).
Total dives 4.

Day 15. Lewaling Bay – Kawula Island. The last day of diving will be done at Lewaling Bay, in the island of Kawula. With the background of a volcano rising from the western shores of Lewaling Bay, the last 2 dives of the trip will be done in two different capes, Cape Bacatan and Cape Sirumerang. Both dive sites have a mix of ridges, walls with overhangs, white sandy slopes and very shallow reef tops. Then we will cruise overnight to Maumere.
Cruise overnight to Maumere, Flores (90 nm)
Total dives 2.

Day 16. Disembark in Maumere.

 

[OrcaTorch]

Nice report. Thanks for sharing.