FLORES

Dive Sites Flores region

Underwater mountain - SABOLAN Kecil (30M +)

On the southeast side of this little island we find a small beach and back on top of the hill is a small tower. For this small beach we find a shallow reef suddenly at an angle of 45 ° to deeper water descends.

We find, however, an anticipation section with beautiful rock formations to more than 30m to continue. It focuses mostly on a large school of banner fish.

On the sandy areas in front and behind the rock formation we find huge numbers of eels back. In the shallow part of the reef to keep the smaller rifvisjes hiding. Also some clown trigger fish, including the trekkersvis. A turtle also searched eating among small coral blocks which adorn the underwater landscape.

SABOLAN Kecil west (25m +)

This exploration dive also brought along the west side of the small island and the introduction to this dive site was extremely disappointing.

The entire west side is flat dynamited both the deeper reef slope (almost wall dive) and in the shallow end. At the end of the dive was a rare highlight a group bumphead parrot fish that pass and strolled around in the coral rubble looking for food.

PULAU PALOE

The small island is inhabited by the Koa Paloe people who are the traditional Flores Ikat weaving. The trip to the village is a real challenge. The ascent of the hill (mountain) from the beach takes about 1 hour. The way up is not easy and it is careful not to slip on the road with dry leaves and small pebbles covered walkway. The culmination is a general welcome from the entire village where the visit of a white man is still an exceptional event.

The village is located atop the mountain, their water supply is extremely unusual.

They catch volcanic to have steam in that condenses out to in hollow bamboo sticks after which the water drop by drop will be collected in small jerry cans.

The water is scarce in this dry environment and therefore extremely valuable.

Seberas Palu (11 hammers) PULAU PALOE (30m +)

According to the information provided takes me to the dive site its name '11 hammers' to the fact that Ricardo, tour leader on board SMY Ondina, here at his first exploration dive 11 hammerheads saw.

Our dive we summarize in the small cove crimp on the southwest side of the island. There we find a sandy slope that descends deep. In the beginning of our dive we saw a small black tip reef shark repeatedly. Soon changed the underwater landscape as we swim from north to south. The sand slope merges into a wall dive with small coves. The wall is not, however, so spectacular. Occasionally, large schools of neon fusiliers swam past us. At one point they were chased by a huge school stekelmakrelen.

Table dancing - PULAU PALOE (30M +)

A shallow offshoot of the island is a reef that verandered in a steep dive. The Kao residents fish there regularly and steel cables and traps there disfigure the underwater landscape. The wall is also not spectacular coral formations and on top of the reef are largely destroyed and overgrown with algae. All in all a weak dive site with few interesting observations.

Mau doko - PULAU PALOE (max 10m)

The small beach where the residents build Kao continues underwater, forming a simple structure of sand dotted with small and large boulders.

An ideal setting for a night dive. We found a lot Sepiola's. Some nudibranchs, cuttlefish and octopus. It is however not very rich in marine life and well they should look for interesting things to find.

MAUMERE BAY

Gosong Bode

An extensive shallow reef is located in the vicinity of Maumere.

Easily recognizable by the beacon built next to an old shingled structure we find a fascinating dive back.
The shallow part is located just below the surface (+ _ 3m)
The highlight of the dive is undoubtedly the steep wall dive on the south side of the reef.
Beautiful large cup sponges and large amount of purple, yellow and white sea fans adorn the wall. Sweetlips, batfish and butterfly fish seek shelter there under the overhangs and the curious sponge intertwined in each other structures. The soil is located on 40m +. An absolute must.

The jetty Maumere (20m)

By some, this site touted as an ideal place for beautiful panoramic shots between the pillars of the jetty. The jetty is not more than one big garbage dump. Plastic garbage piles up there between twisted steel, a remnant of the great earthquake and tsunami that struck the area in 1992. Outside a school batfish and sweepers there was not much to do and much less to film or photograph.

I thought it was a particularly weak one dive that I recommend.

The fish market (from very shallow to 20m +)

This place is the fish market a few hundred meters from the jetty. In the rainy season ends in a river that looked now like a dirty puddle with heaps of plastic. Evening colors the yellow river bed because of the many fire hope that local residents burn their waste.

The dive site itself is located adjacent to the fish market. By the fishermen fish waste dumped in the water attracts all kinds of marine life. Different types of morays, stonefish, schools goat fish. We found there are two seahorses and pipefish.

It is all in all not a thundering dive site and the word muck diving here is still misplaced.
This is a garbage dump back albeit somewhat less pronounced than 'The jetty.
If choosing between the two dive sites then this definitely better.

Further east

Babi Island - south side (near PULAU Besar)

A small islet bearing a deserted village consisting of beach huts can be seen on the south side. The village was abandoned because of the recent threat of a volcanic eruption on the island. I personally think that the residents there moved away because of the surrounding reef fish no longer be found. Both shallow and deeper water, the damage to the reef is enormous. Everything appears flat and blown some small rifvisjes are the only thing left of a once beautiful reef slope must have been fascinating.

Once again proof that our reefs are disappearing fully and urgently what should be done to all the people on this earth to raise awareness.

Amkermi's Bay

In the village Wairterang about 45 minutes drive from Maumere is a small dive center to find. It is run by Amkermi and his Swiss wife Claudia. They also offer accommodation in simple bungalows.

In close proximity there is a bay that is interesting for muck diving.

We found a whole bunch of harlequin ghost pipefish, robust ghost pipefish, several nice nudibranchs (Mexichromis tuberculata, Ceratosoma sinuata, Chromodoris hintuanensis, many Ptereolodia ianthina). Also several frogfish, stonefish real and mimic octopus are seen. Visibility can sometimes be relatively limited and muck diving as it is an interesting variation.

Amkermi's Dive Center - Flores

Wairterang wreck

In amkermi's Bay is also a wreck. It is a Japanese cargo ship during an American bombing were sunk in the bay. The wreck is about 45m long and extends from approximately 13m depth to 31 m depth. There are still several lionfish hunting to find. Also frogfish sitting there waiting to frequent passing prey by surprise. In the deeper part is a yellow fan coral that pygmy seahorses can be found. Also, one finds the beautiful blade whip coral shrimp (Tozeuma armatum).