About the trip
Alor truly is Indonesia's hidden gem. The island is not yet widely known, which makes it the perfect place for a unique expedition!
Being situated right in the Coral Triangle, Alor is home to some of the richest marine biodiversity in the world.
Think pristine coral reefs, thrilling ocean topography, potential hammerhead sightings, ocean sunfish, dugongs, superpods of dolphins and to top it off: blue whales.
Alor must be one of the most exciting dive destinations on the planet.
I am beyond excited to take you there and cross off one ocean bucket list moment after the other!
Dates: October 14-19th 2024
No dates in 2025
Incredible coral reefs
Being located right within the Coral triangle, Alor is home to some of the most vibrant coral reefs on Earth!
Discover untouched dive sites booming with colorful coral and marine life.
Alor truly offers muck diving at its best. You may find Rhinopias, Pygmy seahorses, Frogfishes, Coleman shrimps, Mandarin fish, and a lot more.
But it's not just beautiful coral! Alor offers unique underwater topography with great walls, hidden caves, sloping terrain and even volcanic dark sand with bubbles permeating the ground.
Just like other parts of Indonesia, Alor is renowned for its thrilling currents that bring great encounters with pelagics.
The Indonesian Through Flow is a crucial current, moving water through the Indonesian archipelago, including Alor.
It is this current enabling us to incredible underwater moments!
Iconic pelagic species
Alor's unique environmental conditions are the driving force of the archipelago's biodiversity.
Distinct upwelling events are described by science as catalysts for megafauna encounters and unique dive experiences.
To put it simple, upwellings from a deep ocean basin bring up nutrients and cold water which attracts marine species such as hammerhead sharks, thresher sharks and even superpods of dolphins.
Any megafauna sightings are based on luck but taking into consideration crucial oceanographic factors helps us maximize our chances.
You will learn all details on the driving forces of Alor's marine biodiversity in a "Biological oceanography of Alor" talk during the trip.
Mysterious ocean sunfish
Encountering one of these Jurassic creatures is on many divers' bucket lists.
Ocean sunfish (Mola alexandrini) are thought to migrate from Western parts of Indonesia such as Bali to the Eastern Alor archipelago.
Sightings around Alor peak during Mola season which starts in August and ends in November. Just like other pelagics, Mola are associated with cooler water being brought up from the deeper ocean.
It is truly the upwellings making the Alor season so special!
Timing our dives around the full moon and Alor's annually upwelling events, will help us looking out for this illusive ocean giant!
Pygmy blue whales
The highlight of this trip and a once in a lifetime animal encounter. Let me tell you their story.
Every year between October and November, Pygmy blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) embark on their southern migration from Indonesia to Australia.
Lucky for us they pass through the Alor archipelago!
The pygmy blue whale is a subspecies of the blue whale, found in the Indian Ocean and the Southern Pacific Ocean. The specific population of pygmy blue whales we are after migrate up and down between Australia and Indonesia each year.
After carefully analyzing the latest science on the whales' migratory and feeding behavior, we have curated this trip to maximize our chances to get in the water with them.
You will get a full "Blue whales of the Savu sea" lecture to understand the whales' lives and migratory path and to brain storm ideas for potential whale conservation efforts.
Sightings are based on luck but we plan to be in the right spot at the right time to encounter the largest animal on planet earth!
What's included
Our trip includes
Scuba package:
- 5 days / 4 nights dive resort accommodation in exclusive beach front villas
- All inclusive accomodation including daily breakfast, lunch and dinner
- 8 boat scuba dives
- Unlimited house reef scuba dives
- Return airport transfers
- Marine science talk: Biological oceanography of Alor
Additional Blue whale package:
- 1 additional night in exclusive beach front villas
- All inclusive accomodation including daily breakfast, lunch and dinner
- 1 full day blue whale patrol
- Marine science talk: Blue whales of the Savu sea
- Mini workshop on aerial cetacean monitoring
- You are welcome to join for subsequent days of whale patrol on October 19th, 20th and 21st 2024
What's not included
This trip includes everything you need once you land in Alor. However, don't forget your travel essentials.
Not included are:
- Dive gear rental (20 EUR/ scuba day)
- Travel & dive insurance
- Flights from your hometown to Pulau Alor (ARD)
- Indonesian visa
- Tipping for crew members & staff
- Personal expenses
- Additional food and drinks
Requirements
Mandatory dive requirements:
- PADI Open water diver (or equivalent)
- A dive within the last 6 months
Recommended dive requirements:
- PADI Advanced Open water diver (or equivalent) with a minimum of 20 logged dives
- If wanted, we have possibility to do your AOW course on site
Expedition value
Scuba diving & Blue whale patrol - EUR 1290, 00€
Scuba diving only - EUR 1040, 00€