Darek Sepiolo
Wideangle Opportunities in Ambon
Though the diving experience in Ambon is quite rightly focused towards the incredible muck and critter diving, the birthplace of Indonesia muck diving to be precise, the wideangle sites which can be found across the island are surprisingly high quality and very diverse. With a huge 100 metre shipwreck resting within Ambon Bay, just minutes from the new resort and interesting topographical sites on the south coast, in addition to exhilarating drift diving on the northern and western coasts of Ambon , the reef diving Ambon comfortably holds it’s own with many of Indonesia’s most popular reef site destinations.
Maluku Divers offers trips to the further sites an average of once each week. These day trips are arranged with the dive team direct in Ambon, and always take into consideration the oceanic conditions. Usually the trips have a minimum of four participants and there is a small surcharge for the additional fuel used to reach the sites. Due to the distance from the resort, the dive trips are presented as three dive departures, with lunch taken on one of the pretty beaches found close to the divesites. Trips to the further sites are a lovely way to break up the macro focused muck diving for which Ambon is more famous. (Click here to read about Ambon’s famous Twilight Zone)
Pulau Tiga
Pulau Tiga is a group of three small islands found on the western coast of Ambon. The sheer number of fish that inhabit the slopes of these small islands is mesmerising. When diving Ambon around Pulau Tiga and Tanjung Sial, on the southerly tip of Seram, it’s also possible to witness the traditional fishing techniques of the local village community. Dynamite fishing, unfortunately a relatively common practice in other areas of Indonesia, is thankfully not a problem when diving Ambon waters. A day trip to the Pulau Tiga region, drift diving the coral slopes is a very special experience, capped with a delightful lunch on any one of the beaches to be found on the idyllic, palm tree fringed islands – a beautiful backdrop for the surface interval.
Rod Klein
South Coast
Another trip out of Ambon Bay can visit the south coast with a variety of sites to choose from, the most well known being Pintu Kota and Hukurila Cave. Pintu Kota (Gate of the City) reveals an example of some incredible underwater architecture at a depth of 17 metres, with a huge underwater archway mirroring the rock formation above water. The healthy reef that surrounds the archway encourages healthy populations of reef fish too. Ambon diving can deliver many interesting topographical formations, particularly exciting is a site known as Hukurila Cave, with it’s twisting chimney which splits into three exits at it’s base. Pretty gorgonian fans and swarming fish life within the chimney make this a really unique dive.
Matt Oldfield
Pelagics and Bigger Animals
Ambon’s reef diving also has a significant array of pelagic species that inhabit the abundant waters. During dives along the south coast Mobula Rays, various shark species and large majestic napoleon wrasse are regularly spotted, and at Pulau Tiga, big dog tooth tuna, grouper and wahoo are often patrollingthe sites. With whales and dolphins regularly spotted from the surface, even the occasional orca making a rare visit, the lucky few divers who manage to watch these incredible mammals underwater take pleasure in an exquisite and long lasting memory of diving Ambon.
Darek Sepiolo
