Ambon Trip Report Jan 2009

[Travelnsj]

What a great report...I need to take some tips from ya!

Question....how does the diving compare with Lembeh?....I've thought of doing Ambon...but a few people who have done both that I have met like Lembeh better...thus I like Lembeh so much I keep going back.....thanks for the report.

 

[AlanWald]

I met an American woman who caught Malaria in Flores a few years ago. Some areas have problems some don't.

In any tropical environment particularly in the rainy season one has to be aware of possibility of dengue fever. It is found around the world including the Caribbean (there have been outbreaks in Puerto Rico) and Mexico, India, many Asian countries and Fiji and other south seas island. There is no current vaccine or meds for dengue and repeat exposures to the 4 different types can cause dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome.

So always take precautions against the bugs.

But its good to know Ambon does not have the problem.

 

[wahlaoeh]

What a great report...I need to take some tips from ya!

Question....how does the diving compare with Lembeh?....I've thought of doing Ambon...but a few people who have done both that I have met like Lembeh better...thus I like Lembeh so much I keep going back.....thanks for the report.

Travelnsj,
Having been to Lembeh 4x (1st time in 2003 and most recently in Dec 2008), Bali Seraya 3x, Bali Puri Jati 1x, I would rate my recent trip to Ambon comparable to Seraya but better than Lembeh. Lembeh's diving was great probably 4-5 years ago, I remember seeing most of my "first" stange looking critters ranging from hairy scorpionfish to Rhinopias to flamboyant cuttlefish to pygmy seahorses to many unusal looking frogfishes. I was also awed by the abundance of nudibranchs at both Nudi Falls & Nudi Retreat but my last trip diving those sites was quite a disappointment. Personally, I think Lembeh has been overdived recently.

Maybe I am also biased as I now tends to look for minute macro objects (crab & shrimps) and of course nudibranchs so the abundnace of these critters in Laha tops the priority in my vote. Few Rhinopias are also residents in those sites. What it's lacking is probably pygmy seahorses at the muck sites or just not found yet. One thing to note is that the muck dives in Ambon can be quite eerie; image yourself diving among fish carcasses and thrashs like toothbrushes, socks and pampers etc. So, be prepared to get dirty!!!

Well, never try, never know .. you should get down there someday and let me know what you think ..

Happy bubbles,
Jovin-

 

[Travelnsj]

Travelnsj,
Having been to Lembeh 4x (1st time in 2003 and most recently in Dec 2008), Bali Seraya 3x, Bali Puri Jati 1x, I would rate my recent trip to Ambon comparable to Seraya but better than Lembeh. Lembeh's diving was great probably 4-5 years ago, I remember seeing most of my "first" stange looking critters ranging from hairy scorpionfish to Rhinopias to flamboyant cuttlefish to pygmy seahorses to many unusal looking frogfishes. I was also awed by the abundance of nudibranchs at both Nudi Falls & Nudi Retreat but my last trip diving those sites was quite a disappointment. Personally, I think Lembeh has been overdived recently.

Maybe I am also biased as I now tends to look for minute macro objects (crab & shrimps) and of course nudibranchs so the abundnace of these critters in Laha tops the priority in my vote. Few Rhinopias are also residents in those sites. What it's lacking is probably pygmy seahorses at the muck sites or just not found yet. One thing to note is that the muck dives in Ambon can be quite eerie; image yourself diving among fish carcasses and thrashs like toothbrushes, socks and pampers etc. So, be prepared to get dirty!!!

Well, never try, never know .. you should get down there someday and let me know what you think ..

Happy bubbles,
Jovin-

Thanks for the heads up...I almost booked Ambon for November but instead going back to Lembeh for the third time. In October I met a couple of people who just came from Ambon and they liked Lembeh better. Your report was so good I will look to book Ambon next year....thanks for your 2 psi.

 

[kneptoon]

I am still reading the links to your trip report. What a wealth of information. I am ok with a few dives of macro photography and critter hunting but really like to see pelagics and big schools. How was the wide angle environment? Also the organization of your trip must have been daunting with all of the Indonesian flight arrangements. Did you have an agent help you or did you do it all yourselves?

 

[silent running]

I am still reading the links to your trip report. What a wealth of information. I am ok with a few dives of macro photography and critter hunting but really like to see pelagics and big schools. How was the wide angle environment? Also the organization of your trip must have been daunting with all of the Indonesian flight arrangements. Did you have an agent help you or did you do it all yourselves?

Hi kneptoon, FWIW I planned a trip for 3 people to Ambon very easily, including sourcing pure O2 for our rebreathers and our own boat. This was all done with the help of Maluku Divers, who made the flight arrangements and reserved a boat for us to use for the 12 days we were there. I don't think the person we dealt with is there anymore, but any land based op in Indo should be willing to help with domestic flight arrangements as they can be complicated and the smaller airlines are notoriously unreliable and sometimes need pressure to be put on them from the resort operators who depend on them to do what they are supposed to. The guy we dived with in Alor was able to get a small airline to reschedule a flight they canceled the day we were to fly by putting pressure on them and we made it to Alor on time. This would never have happened with a less hands on dive operation.

In April 07', there were no direct flights into Ambon from Bali, but there was one from Jakarta, which is where we flew into. I don't know if that's changed, the resort of your choice should be up to the minute on what's happening with air routes/schedules. If they are not, or reluctant to help you book the flights, I would be wary and probably take my business elsewhere.

We saw lots of pelagics in the channel between one of the Tigas and the west coast, some very big dogtooth tuna and a huge giant trevally. Also saw some good sized GT off Seram, which is about 2 hrs away by speed boat.

A B-17 aircraft crashed somewhere in the Tigas, probably on the back side of the channel between 2nd and 3rd islands, possibly in water too deep for recreational diving. Nobody has found it yet and we got blown out into blue water looking for it. It was a very short dive in a 3knt current, but I saw the biggest marble ray I've ever seen, bigger than me. I was moving over him so fast that he didn't even move from his sandy ramp on the bottom. Amazing viz in the Tigas, well over 100' most dives.

Oh, and the night dive right off the beach of Maluku Divers was excellent, cockatoo wasp fish, ghost pipefish of the hairy and leafy varieties, slipper lobsters, big decorator crabs with huge sponges growing on them...Ambon is all that. -Andy

 

[wahlaoeh]

I am still reading the links to your trip report. What a wealth of information. I am ok with a few dives of macro photography and critter hunting but really like to see pelagics and big schools. How was the wide angle environment? Also the organization of your trip must have been daunting with all of the Indonesian flight arrangements. Did you have an agent help you or did you do it all yourselves?

Hi kneptoon, glad that the reports are useful to you ;-)

As for WA, I personally find the wall dives in the Southern sides to be fantastic although I did not have my WA setup; great visibility, beautiful reefs, caverns and swimthrus - lots of opportunities for WA. As mentioned by Andy- I also heard that Pulau Tiga has best opportunity for pelagics (large school of jacks, rays and sharks) and some good prinstine walls. P.Tiga is about 1 hour by speed boat from mainland of Ambon. I'll try to make a day trip there on my next trip in Sept/Oct. Wanna to join me? Banda Sea (there is a weekly flight from Ambon) is another destination to go for WA.

My trip was arranged by Zain from Discover Indonesia (discover_indo@indosat.net.id). He helped with all my domestic connections & land transportations as well. He (or arrange for someone) will meet you at the airport to pass you the flight tickets and package documents. It's better to book your domestic tickets thru' a local agent as it is cheaper than booking them online. No extra charges. Unless you have lots of time to spare and then you can book them when you arrive - I read in some blogs that it's cheaper that way but I'm not sure. Also, domestic airlines are rather unreliable; meaning expect flights changes/cancellations so it's always much easier to have the local guy getting everything sorted out before you take off.

Happy bubbles,
Jovin-

 

[kneptoon]

You're absolutely right regarding booking island flights. I did a a Raja Ampat trip in Dec. 08 and had the LOB do all of my flights to and from Bali/Sorong. They charge 10% but they easily recouped that with their ability to negotiate zero baggage overweight charges. I am in fact looking at a future Ambon trip. Thanks for your offer I will say in touch

 

[tboxcar]

Very much enjoyed your report well written, you are quite lucky to dive there. We were there in about '92 or so and continued on the own Pelni liner to the Banda Island, due to issues we did two dives but had to be our own DM and guide (don' ask why), so the dive was average, I would love to go back again and do what you did and dive alot.

 

[Nemo]

I was looking for the pics of the Mandarin fish which you can find at Laha any time of day. Saw them last year near the pier they use to load ice into the fishing boats, they swim around in the day time. Good to hear Maluku Divers has some competition, I stayed at their "resort", thought is was way over priced. Agree with the muck diving report, here are a lot of critters and sounds like they have found additional sites since I was there. I also went on to Banda, diving by Maluku but can stay at some great little guest houses. Hope to get back there.