What to expect On a Maumere liveaboard
Liveaboard diving in Maumere is one of those must do trips for anyone who has a critter bucket list, or would like to start one! Liveaboards in Maumere visit mostly muck sites and they are full of strange and beautiful creatures so it might feel more like a dive safari than a dive tour. It's not just liveaboard diving in Maumere either, the town itself is a veritable hub for water sports thanks to crystal clear waters, gentle current and beautiful beaches.
The area was sadly one of the regions damaged by the earthquakes and tsunamis of the 1990’s. The town has recovered surprisingly well, due in part to money from tourism. The popularity of liveaboard diving in the area has fortunately put a stop to the use of destructive fishing methods like dynamite fishing. The reefs have also shown significant recovery from these natural and unnatural disasters and anyone scuba diving in Maumere, will be impressed by the diversity of life on show here.
Liveaboard Diving from Maumere
Most liveaboard dive tours in Maumere area depart from the town of Maumere itself. Like most Banda Sea diving spots the waters are relatively calm and the current is much milder than the neighbouring Komodo islands. There are several excellent dive sites along the coast of Flores islands to choose from on your dive trip. Most liveaboard cruises offer three or four dives a day on their Maumere itinerary so you will spend plenty of time down with the critters.
To the East there are numerous dive sites dotted along the coast. These are muck diving sites at their best, there are frogfish and eels as well as the well named wonderpuss octopus. This creature really lives up to its name with its beautiful dance like movement and tentacle blasting swimming, so cameras at the ready.
South Pangah Balang is a good choice if you would like to expand on the macro and see some sharks too. There are some reef sharks to be seen patrolling the area and if you are lucky you might spot the odd eagle ray as well. The sponges and corals here are also well worth investigating as they usually have a host of critters living in them.
Diving in Maumere isn’t all muck and critters though, it is also well known for its wrecks. The Wai Terang is a Japanese ship which sank during the Second World War and lies between 10 to 25 meters of water. There are hundreds of small creatures clinging to the wreck in addition to a large number of lion fish that hang out in the overhangs.
Getting to Maumere
Flores island and Maumere in particular have such an excellent range of dive sites available along the coast that liveaboard diving is really the best option to make the most of it. There are several options for dive tours in Maumere. When you are choosing between dive cruises it is a good idea to consider your personal tastes and budget. There are two main types of liveaboard boats in Maumere, the luxury liveaboard motor vessels and the sailing boats. The traditional sail ships make some of the best Maumere liveaboards with tranquil sailing and an authentic Indonesian experience on board.
Liveaboards for the Maumere and Alor area normally leave from Maumere port which can be reached either from the small airport close by or from Labuan Bajo. Flights are available directly or through other domestic airports from Bali International Airport.
