Diving
Ambon has only recently opened up to tourism, which is why diving there is still relatively unknown… unfairly so!
This destination, which has truly nothing to envy to other dreamy-sounding Indonesian diving spots, offers muck dives in the bay that are undoubtedly ranked among the top 5 muck dives worldwide.
In addition to these dives, you will discover, outside of this bay, numerous nearly pristine reefs, caves, and arches, all home to abundant marine life.
Muck dive
All the muck critters
Muck diving is often translated as “diving above the mud”. Far from it! The bottom of the muck dive sites is typically composed of sediments, sand, silt, natural debris (including corals), and dead corals.
While the environment may initially appear desolate, it is anything but. It harbors a diverse and unsuspected fauna that will reveal itself when approached by adventurous souls.
Stretching 23km in length and 8 km in width, Ambon bay turns into an immense playground, offering around thirty sites to those who want to explore them. In 1863, the Dutch ichthyologist Peter Bleeker discovered more than 783 species in the bay alone!
All Indonesian muck fauna can be found in Ambon… and even more!
You will understand that it is impossible to provide an exhaustive list of all the species potentially observed during your dives. So, I will only mention a few, such as the flamboyant cuttlefish, the mimic octopus, the wunderpus, the blue-ringed octopus, numerous species of nudibranchs and seahorses, whether they are pygmy, common or thorny, many ghost pipefish: robust, halimeda, or harlequin, various species of crustaceans, such as the zebra crabs, harlequin shrimps, Coleman’s shrimps, a large number of scorpionfish, including various species of rhinopias, sea moths (pegasus fish), a lot of different frogfish, including the famous psychedelic frogfish!
An icon of Ambon’s dives, this fish with a distinctive pattern, discovered in 1992, was initially misidentified as a cryptic frogfish. In 2008 the species was once again observed and, this time, photographed by Toby Fadirsyair, Buck, and Fitrie Randolph. It was then reclassified and named as we know it today. The psychedelic frogfish (Histiophryne psychedelica), to this day, has only been observed in the bay, making it endemic to the area.
Dive on
House Reef
With fins on your feet and a tank on your back, don’t hesitate to explore the House reef, a well-known and renowned site of Ambon’dives.
A sandy slope dotted with sponges turns out to be the perfect habitat for frogfish, various seahorses, nudibranchs, octopuses, cuttlefish, and many others. A dive that will leave a strong impression on you!
Play of light
Play of light
While the name Ambon is starting to evoke the incredibly rich muck dives, there is still the opportunity to dive outside the bay. About ten dives are accessible from the resort. You will immerse yourself along drop-offs, reefs, caves, and nearly pristine overhangs.
The drop-offs of Depan Tupa, Namatu, covered with colonies of hard corals, gorgonian sea fans, and sponges, display vibrant, shimmering colors and harbor a variety of reef fish. Encounter barracudas, fusillers, trevallies, sweetlips, anthias, angelfish, bumphead parrotfish, turtles… and the list goes on!
A bit further along the coast, the drift dives of Pintu Kota, Tanjung Mahia, Tanjung Kilang, and Tanjung Hukurila, where the currents can sometimes be impressibe, are the passage for pelagic species like tunas, Napoleon wrasses, and reef sharks. It’s also possible to encounter manta rays, and for the luckiest divers, hammerhead sharks.
Rates