Has Banda been fished out??

[FilmDork]

I haven't been to Banda in the last year, but I have been to Alor recently and there are still lots of big fish there! By any chance do you dislike and avoid current?

Nope, big current fan (diving Komodo for the second time in April), and I dove Alor during a full moon. Glad you lucked out and saw the big guys even though I didn't!

 

[Dan]

You may PM @Topper1972. He did Banda Sea Ring of Fire last year with Tidak Apa’Pa and saw lots of big fish then, as shown by this video. Hopefully he can chime in. He likes it so much and coming back to Banda again this September.


Hey, I just saw his thread for the repeat trip, here: Need cabin buddy Mutiara Laut 12d/11n Banda Sea crossing Sept 27 - Oct 8 (50% discount!)

 

[Dan]

Hey all,

So I'm looking into doing a liveaboard through the Banda area (either Sorong-Ambon or Sorong-Bitung) following my stay in Raja this April but am now having second thoughts after being told by a very experienced DM friend who went last year that Banda has been totally fished out! Having experienced the dreaded effects of overfishing when I went to Alor a few years ago (beautiful corals but very few fish that weren't tiny aside from one site), it was a massive red flag for me, and now I'm leaning towards going somewhere else.

If any of you have been to Banda recently, could you please chime in on your experiences? I'd really love a few more opinions before jettisoning the plan.

Thanks!

May be she went at the wrong time or dive sites. Blue Manta went from Sorong to Bitung last year and post this video:
I like the boat & their DM know how about the Banda Sea and set up my trip this September, as posted here: Ring of Fire September 9-19, 2019

 

[Dan]

May be the dolphins fished them out.

I went to Alor in 2012 & greeted by huge pod of dolphins, as shown here:

 

[Dan]

If you want to see plenty of pelagic fish, no need to spend 24-30 hour flights to Indonesia, just go to Cocos or Socorro. Check out my 2018 trip reports:

Cocos Diving Trip Report, 17 -27 September, 2018
Socorro 22-30 December, 2018 Trip Report

I like Cocos & Socorro a lot & plan to repeat the trip after the Ring of Fire. I am setting up a group trip for Cocos September 2020 & working on the Socorro trip in May 2021.

Gathering a group for Cocos with Argo on 10-20 September 2020

 

[acidrush]

Most of south east asia has been fished out compared to 20 years ago. But theres still big stuff around if the currents right.

 

[CarcharodonCarcharias]

Been diving in SE Asia for almost a decade now. My suggestion: Get your diving in as soon as possible and as many times as you can. The conditions are declining. I can't comment about the pace or the speed of deterioration, but one can certainly see the difference. And it's not just the big fish. The small fish are going away as well. Case in point: Few years back, there were lots of box fish at Tioman and now, it is difficult to spot them.

 

[JackConnick]

We saw plenty of fish on a recent Ambon-Maumere trip on the Damai 1.
I thought it was one of the the best dive trips I've been on. I think the Indonesian government's efforts to combat illegal fishing is improving the situation.

My trip report is here:
Forgotten Islands/Banda Sea Photo Expedition, November 4-15, 2018

Photos here.

 

[Luko]

but I have been to Alor recently and there are still lots of big fish there!

...shhhh... !!!!
Remember what we Alor fans agreed about keeping our mouth shut?

 

[Cali_diver]

...shhhh... !!!!
Remember what we Alor fans agreed about keeping our mouth shut?

OOPS!!! My bad... Alor is terrible... no fish no coral... no water??? Don't waste your money