Seabirds, Cetaceans, and Spices

Arrive in Labuan Bajo, where you are transferred to the harbor and welcomed aboard your ship. Enjoy plenty of time to settle in and get acquainted with the crew and fellow passengers over lunch as you cruise to the island of Rinca. From the ranger station of Loh Buaya, set off on a ranger-led nature trek in search of Komodo dragons, which are indigenous to this small group of islands. Hopefully the ranger can show you the dens and nests of the dragons. Rinca is well known for its diverse wildlife, so you may spot monkeys, wild buffaloes, and deer as well. From the top of the hills, the scenery is breathtaking. After your trek, find a quiet spot for a swim and a snorkel, before heading northeast to Bonerate.

Wake up at Bonerate in the middle of the Flores Sea. Here, visit the main village with its sandy streets and houses built on stilts in typical Makasserese style. On the beach you may be able to observe the construction of the elegant Lambo boats. Afterwards swim, snorkel, and enjoy the beaches at the northwest side of the island. Later continue cruising in a northeasterly direction.

Today drop anchor off the little island of Kakabia for a day of bird counting, exploring, swimming, and snorkeling. Take the tenders and go ashore, and you can expect to see frigate birds and red-footed boobies.

Arrive in the Tukang Besi archipelago, also known as Wakatobi, which is world famous for its pristine coral reefs. You have two days to wander around this uniquely diverse ecologic area inhabited by a tribe of daring seafarers, shipbuilders, and maritime traders. Look for small coves and inlets and the best soft corals, meet fishermen, watch the local blacksmiths (tukang besi) at work high up on steep rock plateaus, and visit local markets. As always be on the lookout for the perfect spot for a beach barbecue. While you are in the Wakatobi National Reserve, you should see pods of dolphins – both spinner dolphins and spotted dolphins inhabit these waters, and you may even be lucky enough to see pilot whales or sperm whales. 

Wake up to the view of Moromaho. This coral island is surrounded by an expansive flat reef that can only be crossed at high tide on a small boat or kayak. On and around the island, there is a large, old coconut plantation, great reefs and mangroves to explore. Swim, snorkel, bird watch and bird count, you should see parakeets, and there is a stable colony of breeding red-footed boobies on the island. However, despite the fact that Moromaho is now protected because it is included in the Wakatobi National Marine Park, it is likely that great frigatebirds, while still roosting, have probably stopped breeding here. Situated in the mangroves, the great frigate bird colony is sustaining a certain disturbance and exploitation by plantation workers who live and work on the island for a few months each year. They use the mangroves for wood and collect eggs and birds. Also fishermen from neighboring islands occasionally enter the mangroves and disturb the colony and collect eggs. Several species of migrating shore birds from both Asia and Australia winter here; the island is a breeding ground for green turtles, and there are also megapodes breeding here and small fruit bats. In the afternoon, embark on your longest leg of the cruise, your journey to Gunung Api in the middle of the Banda Sea.

Arriving at Gunung Api, which sits alone in the middle of the Banda Sea, and encounter an enormous, noisy colony of seabirds, predominantly frigate birds and gannets. The birds may circle and swoop towards the ship expressing protectiveness of their habitat. There are many volcanoes in Indonesia named Gunung Api, which quite simply means ‘fire mountain.’ This Gunung Api is a huge, four-kilometer-high volcano, but almost all of it is submerged, and you only see the top 300 meters above the sea. The volcano is active, however, with smoking vents around the crater. The volcano is home to an amazing variety of seabirds including red-footed boobies, brown boobies and masked boobies (all of which are tropical gannets), shearwaters, terns, frigates, brown noddies, and red-tailed tropic birds to mention but a few, and for some reason this island in the middle of nowhere is home to a multitude of banded and olive sea snakes. Brown boobies breed under vegetation and red-tailed tropicbirds breed under trees and in the crevices of rocks. Masked boobies breed only on bare ground, and they are disappearing due to the increasing vegetation, which is covering the bare rock. Gunung Api is really inaccessible; it still has no introduced rats, and as a result it is pristine and unspoiled with a biodiversity that is unique in Southeast Asia, so it has to be strictly protected. There is no beach or suitable landing spot, so you circumvent the island in the tenders. The two days spent here are very relaxing, a time for swimming, snorkeling, as well as reading and, of course, bird watching and bird counting. 

The Lucipari archipelago presents a group of four wooded islands, which are uninhabited but occasionally visited by fishermen from Buru and Ambon. These volcanic outcroppings in the northeastern part of the Banda Sea are populated by terns and spoonbills and several other bird species including the orange-footed scrubfowl, the nicobar pigeon, and the pink-headed imperial pigeon, as well as salamanders, crabs and butterflies, all living in perfect harmony and an apparent absence of fear, reminiscent of the Galapagos. Spend some time wandering and pondering this secluded space. Cruising on to the Banda Islands, you may see Pulau Maisel, an island with the dubious honor of having an average elevation of minus 125 feet below sea level. Understandably, it has a human population of zero.

Your arrival in the renowned Banda Archipelago generates a true sense of historical excitement. These islands, which were once the world’s only source of nutmeg and mace, are among the highlights of Indonesia, famous for their beauty and cultural heritage from the time of the Dutch and English colonization. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the demand for the aromatic nutmeg, which was believed to be a cure for the bubonic plague, spurred exploration and shaped colonial empires with European traders selling it at a 6,000 percent markup, making it worth more than its weight in gold. The natural splendor of these islands contradicts the brutality that engulfed them during the 17th century when the Dutch sought a total monopoly on the nutmeg trade and the local people resisted. Despite their illustrious and well-documented history, the Banda Islands are a place that time seems to have forgotten. Today they retain an aura of mystery, allure, and astonishing remoteness, with a quiet colonial ambience and an exceptional biodiversity that makes this destination truly special. Anchor near the hacienda-style colonial hotel in Bandaneira, the only city in the Bandas, and stroll through the old town visiting old fortresses and admiring plantation mansions from the past.

These days are filled with visits to a few of the other islands in the group, perhaps the very small island of Run – which the English traded with the Dutch for Manhattan – as well as the islands of Ai and Hatta, where you can see what remains of the Dutch colonial houses and land parcels known as ‘perken’ that were handed to Dutch planters – ‘perkeniers’ – to manage. See more forts, as well as churches, cemeteries, and nutmeg plantations. Here, the evergreen nutmeg trees – identifiable by the hundreds of ripening yellow fruits that hang from their branches – grow randomly in the shade of the magnificent kenari trees, which themselves yield an almond-like nut locally used in confectionary and sauces. In these rocky backwaters, feel on a par with the pioneering adventurers; nutmeg and mace can be seen drying in the sun outside nearly every village home. The locals use the pulp of the fruit to make syrup, jam and candy. You should be able to see and learn about the harvesting of the nutmeg and the mace, and taste some of the dried fruit, as well as enjoying some nutmeg jam and baked goods. Also have several opportunities to explore the pristine waters and bountiful reefs of the islands. Make an early morning ascent of Banda’s Gunung Api volcano. This is perhaps the most famous of the Banda Sea ‘Ring of Fire’ volcanos. First recorded in the 14th century, it last erupted in 1988. While this is a challenging climb up a narrow track to an elevation of about 640 meters, the reward when reaching the top of the ‘Fire Mountain’ is well worth the effort and you can revel in a stunning and unforgettable view over the Banda Sea, the surrounding islands, and the crater itself. When it is time to depart for Ambon, navigate through the ‘Sonnegat’ (sun’s gap) between Bandaneira and Gunung Api, perhaps under the escort of a ‘Kora-Kora’ sea canoe, rowed by over a dozen muscled men and used in ancient times to attack the invading colonists.

After an early morning arrival in the Bay of Ambon, have a short sightseeing tour of the city and visit Fort Victoria, another fort dating back to colonial days. Then say farewell to the captain and crew before being transferred to the airport for your onward journey.