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Corals and Big Fish: Five Days in Komodo National Park
After a long journey, we reach the harbour at Komodo. Before boarding, the check-in procedure is almost like at an airport: passports are checked and bookings verified. Then a Zodiac takes us to our liveaboard, the MOANA. The crew and Stefan, one of the owners, are already waiting on the dive deck. He’s accompanying us as cruise director.
Travel report by Gerald Nowak
With just ten guests on board the MOANA, the atmosphere is pleasantly relaxed. There are spacious communal areas, comfortable cabins with en-suite bathrooms, attentive service and a well-designed dive deck. One drawback: there’s no hot water in the cabin showers. You can only have a warm shower in the crew shower on deck.
Diving is exclusively with compressed air; Nitrox isn’t available. Given that the dives are mostly fairly shallow, this isn’t a problem. However, anyone taking part in all the dives should keep an eye on saturation and no-decompression times.
A highlight is the cuisine. We consider the chef to be one of the best we’ve encountered whilst travelling. He cooks a varied menu and is also very accommodating when it comes to guests’ special requests.
Diving in Komodo National Park
In Komodo National Park in Indonesia, the Indian and Pacific Oceans meet. This results in a great diversity of species, but also in strong and variable tidal currents. Drift dives are part of everyday life here, which is why the area is particularly suitable for experienced divers. Water temperatures range from around 23 to 29 °C depending on the region, with the south being significantly cooler.
There are hard and soft coral gardens, turtles and schools of fish to see. Large fish species include sharks, tuna and eagle rays, and with a bit of luck, manta rays too. Well-known dive sites in the north are Castle Rock, Crystal Rock and The Cauldron. In the central part of the park lie Batu Bolong, Tatawa Besar and Siaba Besar. Each of these sites has its own character. Personally, I find the coral world here to be far more exciting and healthier than in Raja Ampat.
On to Bali
After five days of diving and a truly wonderful time on board, it’s time to say goodbye to the MOANA. We’ll be staying in Bali for another week. We plan to dive around Nusa Penida and keep an eye out for sunfish (Mola mola). Further north on the island, a visit to the wreck of the USAT Liberty is also on the agenda. We’ll tell you all about that in a separate post.
Our Verdict So Far
Fantastic dives, impressive underwater worlds and a lovely time on board the MOANA. A big thank you to Tourmare Diving Holidays for organising this trip. We’d love to travel with you again!
Further Information:
MOANA Cruising
MOANA on Instagram
Tourmare Diving Holidays