Pelagian

Discover and enjoy an abundance of diverse marine life and miles of pristine reefs as you travel aboard the true exploration liveaboard diveboat, the Pelagian, operated by Wakatobi Dive Resort. You will experience some of the best scuba diving in Indonesia, as you visit the undeveloped archipelago of Wakatobi in the Southeast Sulawesi. Straddling the equator just to the north of Australia and to the south of the Philippines and Malaysia, Indonesia is comprised of some 17,000 islands extending over 3,100 miles (5,000 km.). Thanks to the nutrient rich waters from the oceans and currents that converge in the area of Wakatobi, an incredibly biodiverse ecosystem thrives in this region.

The Pelagian cruises the remote outer reefs and surrounding atolls of the Wakatobi Archipelago, including the islands of Binongko, Hoga, Wangi Wangi, and Buton, offering scuba diving enthusiasts a variety of exciting dive environments. Cruise routes are selected to provide guests with an amazing sampling of wall, coral garden, drift, pinnacle, cave, cavern, and muck diving. You will thrill to the variety of incredible marine life you will see: schooling Jacks, Turtles, Rays, Batfish, Waspfish, Lionfish, Clownfish, Ghost Pipefish, Mandarin Fish, Leaf Fish, Crocodile Fish, and Pygmy Seahorses. Nature’s beauty and color is on full display with oversized gorgonians, brilliant soft corals, delicate tunicates, and vibrant sponges at every turn.

You can enjoy scuba diving in Wakatobi 365 days a year, as every season is suitable for diving. The location is protected by the surrounding islands and reefs, and the climate here is generally drier than it is in other parts of Indonesia. Air humidity is generally between 65%-75%. Winds are easterly between June and October, and westerly from December to April. Temperatures are a bit cooler in July and August, but the breeze is enjoyable. Water temperatures are warmest in late October, when they can reach a maximum of 86°F (30°C). They are coolest in late August, and can drop to as low as 78°F (26°C). From March through May, water temperatures average 82.4°F (28°C), and from November through February they average 82°-85°F (28°-29°C). Air temperatures average between 78.8° and 86° (26°-30°C) year round. Underwater visibility ranges from 65-165 feet (20-50 m.) but it averages 100 feet (30 m.).

The Pelagian cruises primarily in the Wakatobi Diving Area. If you are a macro photographer and appreciate unexplored and undisturbed reefs, you will enjoy Wakatobi, where you will find an amazing variety of hard and soft corals, fish, and invertebrates. On muck dives, you will enjoy finding a variety of weird but wonderful critters that populate the sandy, silty landscape. On occasion the Pelagian offers specialty trips to Komodo National Park, for those who are interested in seeing an incredible variety of marine life from small critters to large pelagics such as sharks, Manta Rays, and schooling Jacks. When diving in Komodo National Park, you will also be treated to a variety of soft corals, gorgonians, and sea fans. Before making your first dive, you must show the divemaster either your c-card or some other proof of diving certification. Because of the number of dives you will be making each day, it is recommended that you wear a 3-5mm. wetsuit or shorty.

The Pelagian offers 5-, 6-, 7-, 10-, and 11-night excursions during which you will visit a number of dive sites depending on the length of your trip. Seven-day cruises, for example, offer six days of diving where you can make up to 25 total dives, while the 10-day cruise offers up to 35 total dives over nine days of diving. In order to seek out the best dive spots available at the time of your cruise, your actual itinerary will be up to the Captain’s discretion, and may vary depending on weather and sea conditions. All dives will be made from a dive tender. What follows is a sampling of some of the Wakatobi dive sites that may be chosen for your specific itinerary.

Beginning level scuba divers will enjoy diving along North Wall, a huge coral reef wall that separates from Hoga Island via a lagoon. At depths of 16-100 feet (5-30+ m.), the scenery is breathtaking. The reef, rich in colorful corals, is steep (300 feet/100 meters) and presents some nice overhangs. In addition to Tuna and occasionally Barracuda, you may see schooling Red Snappers and reef fish, including Pygmy Seahorses.

Hoga Buoy #5 is another beginning level dive site with beautiful scenery. This is a good night dive that features a short wall at depths of 15-75 feet (5-25 m.) with a labyrinth of caves and large overhangs. The ceilings of the caves are covered with hanging soft corals, orange cup corals, and fan corals, the colors of which are accentuated by the light of your torchlight. Here you will find night critters such as crustaceans, nudibranchs, and fish.

Intermediate level divers will experience drift diving along the walls and overhangs at the dive site known as Gone With the Wind. Here you will see a coral garden at depths of 15-75 feet (5-25 m.) and a sandy plateau a bit deeper (110-120 feet / 30-35 meters). If the currents are not too strong, you can linger along the plateau to watch the Eagle Rays, White-tipped Sharks, Barracudas, Jacks, and schooling Giant Tunas. On this action dive you may also see Lobsters, Nudibranchs, Scorpionfish, and Sea Snakes along the coral garden.

At Inner Pinnacle, an advanced level dive site, you will see two distinct tops connected by a saddle. The main top is at a depth of 18 feet (6 m.), while the top of the smaller pinnacle is at 33 feet (11 m.). The saddle is at 50 feet (18 m.), and the bottom depth around the pinnacles is approximately 200 feet (70 m.). On one side you will encounter a steep wall with large black corals, fan corals, numbers of reef fish, and schooling Batfish. The other side, which is sloped and sandy, presents huge pink fan corals. Here you can also see a large school of Chevron Barracudas as well as smaller schools of Pickhandle and Forster’s Barracudas.

Wanji Sea Mount is another advanced pinnacle dive, and is best enjoyed with some current. The top is at 12 feet (4 m.), and the pinnacle continues along a ridge to depths of 55 feet (18 m.) and then ascends again to a second hill 30 feet (10 m.) from the surface. Wanji Sea Mount is rich in soft corals, fan corals, large bushes of Halimeda Algae, and tons of crevices. On this drift dive you will see schooling fish such as Black and Red Snappers, Tunas, and Big-eyed Jacks. You may also spot some turtles. Along the reef, look for Pygmy Seahorses, Mantis Shrimps, Nudibranchs, Orange Utan Crabs, and other critters. Toward the end of the dive you will see juvenile Wrasses, Leaf Scorpion Fish, and False Stone Fish.

Several of the other dive sites that may be included on your itinerary include Terrace Gardens, Batu Turo North (also known as Escape), Cheeky Beach, Asphalt Pier, Desert (a shallow muck dive with lots of critters), Alice in Wonderland, and Metropolis (also called Taboo).

Wakatobi Dive Resort strives to provide scuba divers and vacationers with the highest quality and most innovative liveaboard experience possible. In addition to unmatched scuba diving, guests aboard the Pelagian will enjoy excellent accommodations and delicious meals as part of their vacation package. The Wakatobi dive boat excursions afford guests both safety and comfort as they travel to the best diving locations in the Wakatobi Archipelago.