Free Diving with Banda Sea Whales

[Dan]

During a diving trip in Banda Sea with Pindito in last week of November 2022, we saw some whales and free dove with some of them, as shown in the video.

 

[matts1w]

Whoa!

 

[drrich2]

That’s awesome. Wow. Wonder how commom it is to get such encounters?

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

I want your life. Well, probably not 'cause I'm pretty happy with mine but I will definitely keep living vicariously through your dive trips. Thank you, again, for an amazing video and one more place to put on my bucket list.

 

[Dan]

That’s awesome. Wow. Wonder how commom it is to get such encounters?

It’s common enough in Banda Sea that Edi Frommenwiler started to set up trips specially for free diving with whales in October-November when the whales are crossing Banda Sea on their way to Indian Ocean or from Antarctica. Pindito crews were on the lookout for whale exhaling or breaching, then sending drone to get a close up view of them to see if we could free dive with them.

 

[scubadada]

Fantasic @Dan

 

[living4experiences]

Amazing!

 

[AlMitch]

Wow stunning! What special moments.

The interactions seem quite fleeting because the whales are on the move. Did you feel there was "enough" time spent with them??

 

[Dan]

Wow stunning! What special moments.

The interactions seem quite fleeting because the whales are on the move. Did you feel there was "enough" time spent with them??

We spent couple hours following them. The skiff dropped us diagonally ahead of them to get a closer underwater as they moved forward. We repeated this until everyone had enough close encounter with them. I certainly did.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Did they seem the least curious about you all or were they entirely focused on their own goal?