Mike_Kiev
Contributor
Did someone dived in Alor? What can you say about this place? I mean underwater life, of cause)))
Diving in Alor - what do you think about this place?
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Snoobles
Registered
I LOVE Alor!!! We went diving there in 2014 on the Arenui. I would say it is a hybrid of lots of types of diving - so big critters like mantas and sharks on some dives (with current - just like you would find in Komodo), lots of muck dives, and then some beautiful reefs with critters and fish (schools too) that you find all over Indonesia. Our boat took us to Koomba (Batu Taru) - the erupting volcano that erupts every 20-30 minutes with firey rock and is pretty dang amazing (one of the coolest things I have seen in my life).
So the dives have a mix of current dives, non-current dives, muck and beautiful reefs. Water temp is 79-80 (when we went in Sept/Oct). Not many boats go there so not so many crowded dive sites either.
Hope this helps - let me know if you have more questions.
So the dives have a mix of current dives, non-current dives, muck and beautiful reefs. Water temp is 79-80 (when we went in Sept/Oct). Not many boats go there so not so many crowded dive sites either.
Hope this helps - let me know if you have more questions.
gilbubblefish
Registered
to give you a idea of what kind of critter you might see, and how does the coral looks :
my flickr Alor Galerie
of course big animals are more difficult to capture on picture especially with a 10.5mn fish eye ( the only WA lens i have ), if you want a shark to fill the frame, you have to be at 2 m from him...
my flickr Alor Galerie
of course big animals are more difficult to capture on picture especially with a 10.5mn fish eye ( the only WA lens i have ), if you want a shark to fill the frame, you have to be at 2 m from him...
OP
Mike_Kiev
Contributor
Thank you gilbubblefish, your Alor photo album is amazing!
I must make a decision - Alor or Ambon. It's not easy, but I will make it))))
I must make a decision - Alor or Ambon. It's not easy, but I will make it))))
gilbubblefish
Registered
what time of the year ?
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I did not love Alor for a number of reasons.
It took three flights from Jakarta aboard my least favorite airline in the world to do the trip in one day. No biggie, but I just expected so much more from the diving for the trouble. The muck diving was good, but no better than the muck in Bali, Ambon, or Lembeh. The coral was very good. We did wall dive after wall dive on very beautiful coral, so much so that I got into AFWD (Another F--king Wall Dive?) mode. Again, they were beautiful sites, but we were unlucky and there wasn't much to shoot. I kept thinking at least in Bunaken I could of been shooting turtles. Finally, it was cold...almost every dive approached 16-18 degrees. I can deal with cold if my mind is being blown, but it wasn't. We saw two black tips and one wobegong tail under the rocks all week. That was about it. I came with the hope of improving my camera skills with bigger animals, but that didnt happen. Oh... Topside Alor, Kepa, and the surrounding islands are beautiful.
I have a number of friends who LOVE Alor and think I am crazy as they loved every second of their time there. To be fair, I had a fine week, the backpacker resort where I stayed was as good as can be, and nothing at all went wrong. I have been diving long enough to know sometimes the scuba gods just are not on my`side...so it goes. I think if one researches Alor this thread is pretty typical. Some people love Alor, and some...meh.
After living in Jakarta for seven years I have been fortunate to dive pretty much everywhere in Indonesia multiple times- at least all the "major destinations." I love going to Ambon and Padang Bai. It goes without saying R4 and Komodo are mind blowing. I love Gili Air for what it is. For me, for now, Alor just isnt on my radar anymore.
It took three flights from Jakarta aboard my least favorite airline in the world to do the trip in one day. No biggie, but I just expected so much more from the diving for the trouble. The muck diving was good, but no better than the muck in Bali, Ambon, or Lembeh. The coral was very good. We did wall dive after wall dive on very beautiful coral, so much so that I got into AFWD (Another F--king Wall Dive?) mode. Again, they were beautiful sites, but we were unlucky and there wasn't much to shoot. I kept thinking at least in Bunaken I could of been shooting turtles. Finally, it was cold...almost every dive approached 16-18 degrees. I can deal with cold if my mind is being blown, but it wasn't. We saw two black tips and one wobegong tail under the rocks all week. That was about it. I came with the hope of improving my camera skills with bigger animals, but that didnt happen. Oh... Topside Alor, Kepa, and the surrounding islands are beautiful.
I have a number of friends who LOVE Alor and think I am crazy as they loved every second of their time there. To be fair, I had a fine week, the backpacker resort where I stayed was as good as can be, and nothing at all went wrong. I have been diving long enough to know sometimes the scuba gods just are not on my`side...so it goes. I think if one researches Alor this thread is pretty typical. Some people love Alor, and some...meh.
After living in Jakarta for seven years I have been fortunate to dive pretty much everywhere in Indonesia multiple times- at least all the "major destinations." I love going to Ambon and Padang Bai. It goes without saying R4 and Komodo are mind blowing. I love Gili Air for what it is. For me, for now, Alor just isnt on my radar anymore.
OP
Mike_Kiev
Contributor
To gilbubblefish: September or October.
To matts1w: the same I have with Balicasag on Philippines - a lot of people love this place, but I was there few times - just nothing to see.
To matts1w: the same I have with Balicasag on Philippines - a lot of people love this place, but I was there few times - just nothing to see.
gilbubblefish
Registered
Early September can still be windy...October is one of the best month...but i think October start to be good for Ambon too.
To matts1w : when you visit a place once it is always difficult to be very objective...but i understand what you are saying...i did one cruise in komodo 2 years ago and didn't like it so much...my expectation where very high and i found only few dive site to be excellent on a 10 days cruise north and south...
To matts1w : when you visit a place once it is always difficult to be very objective...but i understand what you are saying...i did one cruise in komodo 2 years ago and didn't like it so much...my expectation where very high and i found only few dive site to be excellent on a 10 days cruise north and south...
I love Alor!!! Been 3 times, including last Sept., and have always had tons of critters and fish. Can get cold in certain areas but it's worth it. I have only done liveaboards though.
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