12 days liveaboard South Sulawesi
Departure: Labuan Bajo
Return: Bira
Approximate number of dives: 34
Requirements: Advanced Open Water (at least 30 dives logged)
Day 1: Check-in and check dives: Labuan Bajo – Jampea
Pick up from the airport and transfer to the boat
Welcome drink and introduction to the boat, team and crew
Relaxing day on the deck enjoying the view meanwhile the boat heads non-stop during the day and night to South Sulawesi
Day 2: Jampea – Kayuadi
3 dives
Wake up call at the scenery of Pulau Bimbe, where there will be the check dive
1 dive at the sloppy Pulau Jampea and the next dive at the walls of Pulau Jailamu (Nurse Point)
Night at Pulau Kayuadi
Day 3: Takabonerate
3-4 dives
The day will start with some boat navigation in order to arrive to the National Park of Takabonerate Atoll
3 dives hoping to see tunas, sting rays, sharks, and tons of invertebrates on the walls
possibility of a night dive
night on the spot
Day 4: Takabonerate
4 dives
3 more dives in this beautiful atoll and a visit to the island Tinabo Besar
night dive at Tampa Besar admiring its red wall
night on the spot
Day 5: Takabonerate
3 dives
Dives at the east side of the atoll, in the “Taka” area: Taka Gantarang, Taka Lamungan with its fantastic walls
navigation out of the atoll in the direction of Pulau Polassi
Night navigation
Day 6: Pulau Polassi
3 dives
Breakfast with a view: untouched white sand beach and the strait of Pulau Polassi. And the tropical forest 🙂
Dives around Polassi and Tambolongan; night at the Tanjung Puamadu
Day 7: Selayar South
4 dives
Mornign navigation to arrive to Pulau Selayar South and its famous walls!
Beginning of the dives at the Appatanah Cave, with its overhang, gorgonias and pelagic stuff passing by.
Shark Point gives the perfect opportunity to meet the Grey Reef Shark, but also marbled rays on sandy bottom which is at 40 m.
Night dive at Kauri Reef.
Day 8: Selayar South
4 dives
Continuation!
The first dive at Caves and Overhang, which descends up to 45 m. At the bottom maybe there will be some Pygmies Seahorses and numerous gorgonias.
Following dive will be at the Opera Wall, with huge black coral formations and large schools of banners fish. Some barracudas might pass by, marbled rays are also possible.
Here comes the macro world: look for nudibranches, but also for a leaf fish, cockatoo wasp fish, halimeda ghost piper fish , cleaner shrimps, harlequin crab and commensal shrimps!
Night dive at the Net 1.
Day 9: Bira
3 dives
Navigation in the direction of Pulau Kambing.
Dives in this area, looking for sharks and marbled rays. If you are really lucky, you can see a Mola Mola passing by.
On Eagle Rock there will be a nice drift passing by schools of triggerfish, there will be a chance to spot a black tip reef shark; and maybe an orang-outang crabs and squat shrimps.
Day 10: Bira
3-4 dives
Some “musts” here: Cape Bira; where nice deep walls host barracudas, white tip reef sharks and hard corals.
Fish Market is a self-explanatory, isn’t it?
For adventure divers there is an opportunity to dive on the Rompon, a little floating fishermen’s station. It is a blue dive, but there is a chance for bigger predators coming for a massive hunting.
Night dive either at Parang Luhu or Balla Balla.
Day 11: Bira
3 dives
Shark’s repetition: diving around Palau Liu Kanglu, Hiu Tidur (a chance to see sleeping sharks there) and the Shark Point.
Returning to the harbor, a stop at the Turtle Point, at the front of Bira’s Beach.
Day 12: Bira
1 dive
Depending of the flight schedule, 1 or 2 dives in the Bira area.
Possibility to visit shipyards in Tanah Biru, 15 km away, where most ships are produced. Or a rela on white sands of the Bira’s beach.
Day 13: Check-out
Breakfast on board and transfer to the Makassar airport.