12D Discover the Spice Islands and Blue Whales, Special Expedition, Oct/Nov 2027

Please note, the cruise portion of this trip costs USD6300 (+10% for non-divers), plus extras. The Australian dollar price may be adjusted for additional exchange rate costs at the time of final payment. See Terms and Conditions for details. 

Discover the Spice Islands and Blue Whales on this Special Expedition

The Banda Sea is a place of myths and legends, extraordinary wealth, powerful natural forces, pirates and sea monsters. 

From the bottom of the nearby Weber Deep to the summit of Mount Binaiya, the highest peak on the island of Seram, is an elevation that rivals Mt Everest. It acts like an inverted Himalayas, driving oceanic processes that cool the planet's climate by several degrees.

Is it hardly any wonder that the largest animal to have ever lived on Earth, the mighty Blue Whale, lives here? We'll see and learn about these magnificent animals like never before. Understanding their majesty is key to unlocking the secrets to our own existence and how a planet functions alongside its wildlife. 

We will explore some of the most stunning coral reefs on Earth and the thousands of lifeforms that make this their home. This is a region whose history began 25 million years ago. This is the time it takes to physically create the largest assemblage of species possible, perhaps anywhere. This is life like nowhere else in the known Universe or beyond.  

Perhaps this is why the ten ‘forgotten islands’ that surround Banda Neira (otherwise called the Spice Islands) rose to become a centrepiece for global economic growth for centuries.

The natural resources here were like nothing ever encountered by colonialists. The spices were worth more than gold. One island was even traded by the British for Manhattan. Archaeologists may have found recent evidence of villages from long before Dutch rule, where Bahasa Tana (language of the Earth) may have been spoken. It is a sacred language that may have remnants in rituals sung in secret today, by the local people. Sadly this ancient culture was all but lost at the hands of the Dutch East India company.

Whether you're a snorkeler or a diver, by the time you return from this expedition you will revel in its bounty. You should also begin to understand how connected you have always been to this place. The Banda region is a truly fascinating and overlooked region of the world.   

Highlights

• Chance to live aboard the luxurious Pindito tallship, guided by one of the region's most experienced crews. Pindito is a historic vessel, built to German Lloyds passenger standards, in the style of traditional trading ships of old.  
• Visit Ambon, a UNESCO City of Music; taste its traditional spiced cuisine, hear its songs and discover the friendliness of its local people.
• Visit the sacred eels of Waii, and learn how the villagers protect them as part of their heritage.
• Cruise into the Banda Sea in search of mighty Blue Whales, as well as a range of other whales and dolphins you might never have heard of (Cuvier's Beaked Whales, Melon-headed Whales, Risso's and Rough-toothed Dolphins, to name a few). 
• Pass through the narrow harbour entrance to Banda Neira, in the shadow of Gunung Api (fire mountain), where antique Dutch cannons are still trained on the ships that pass through its entrance. 
• Climb atop the pentagonal fortress to learn about the Dutch East India company and take lunch and drinks in the shade of a luscious nutmeg plantation.
• Visit the historic Maulana Hotel museum and (hopefully) chat with a famous descendent of the original owner 'the Grandfather' of Banda, Des Alwi.    
• Find out about the BandaSEA project, working with local people and schools to address environmental issues such as plastic recycling. 
• Snorkel and dive over brand new coral reef with enormous plate corals, sprung from the ashes of a lava flow just 40 years ago. 
• See for yourself, some of the richest and diverse coral reefs on Earth.

Note, winds are traditionally low during this, the doldrum season. Also, it’s at the peak of Blue Whale activity, before they begin their migration south to Australia. If we're fortunate, we will head to Manuk Island, site of the most important seabird colony in the whole of Indonesia and the south China Sea. We may also get the chance to visit one of Indonesia's newest proposed national parks, the amazing Lucipara Islands.