Wow. I am just back from two weeks of exploration diving liveaboard to Raja Ampat and Halmahera, which allowed me to experience true wilderness. There are not many places left on this planet untouched by humans. We saw more sharks and mantas than humans, and the diving was spectacular. This trip is a fantastic experience for divers. Read on for my review of the Jakare liveaboard, our exploration dives in Halmahera, and plenty of practical tips to have the best diving trip in Indonesia.
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How to get to Sorong and Raja Ampat?
The gateway to Raja Ampat is Sorong, a small town on the west side of Papua. The easiest way to get there is to fly. You have several transit airport options, like Jakarta International Airport, Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado, Makassar, or the Pattimura Airport in Ambon. Most people who fly internationally connect via Jakarta.
Which airline should one choose when flying with diving luggage in Indonesia?
Garuda Indonesia tends to be the most reliable airline when it comes to getting to Sorong.
TIP: At the time of writing this article, Garuda allows an extra 15 kg of luggage free of charge, specifically for diving equipment. I flew back with Lionair, and they charged 65000 Rp. per kilo for a flight from Sorong to Makassar!! So avoid this airline if you bring your diving equipment, as your luggage will cost you more than the price of the flight.
TIP2: Citilink has a sports club you can join for 450000 Rp. It gives you 20 kg of free diving equipment on all flights, so you’ll pay back the card with only one trip. To join, check here.
Flights in Indonesia are frequently canceled or delayed, so you might want to spend a night in Sorong just to be safe. Nobody wants to miss their boat because of an airport mix-up. If you do spend a night in Sorong, read my Sorong guide here.
At the time of writing, all flights from Bali to Sorong require an overnight stop in Makasar. There is an Ibis hotel within the airport where you can get a few hours’ sleep.
TIP: if you have a Garuda boarding pass, you can get a discount on the price of the room at Ibis Makassar Airport. I paid 350000 Rp. for the night.
Flying in Indonesia during Covid
The rules on flying change rapidly, so make sure you check again shortly before your flight. Depending on where you fly, you need a rapid antigen test or a PCR. The most reliable info I found regarding the latest requirement by destination is the Garuda page, which you can access here.
Since February 2021, the Ministry of Transport has allowed low-cost airlines to fill up every seat in the plane. So, if you book a Lionair or Batik flight, there is a chance that your flight might be full, and you won’t be able to socially distance. Garuda still keeps the middle seats empty and provide HEPA filters on all airplane, so I think they are the best airline to prevent COVID in Indonesia at the moment.
Getting from Sorong airport to the Jakare Liveaboard
Once you’re at the Sorong airport, it is very easy, as the Jakare liveaboard staff picked us up directly from the airport. We arrived around 7 am, and it took about 20 minutes drive to reach the boat. We were whisked to the boat by Jakare tender boat. Within 70 minutes of landing, we were already in our cabin, ready to start the trip.
As all the passengers arrived in the early morning, the Jakare liveaboard could depart early and go for a check dive near Matan island.
TIP: There is a small supermarket by the pier where the tender boat departs. If you need anything, buy it now, as you won’t see any shops for the next 2 weeks.
Review of the Common area on the Jakare liveaboard
The Jakare liveaboard is a pretty boat with a great vibe. It is entirely made of wood. Its main advantage is that it is a small liveaboard. With only five cabins, it never feels crowded and provides a more intimate and personalized experience. It also means that the diving is uncrowded, as there’s only a maximum of 10 divers on board.
The Jakare liveaboard has an intelligent design, occupying the space ingeniously.
It is a very open boat that will satisfy people who like to be outside or close to the sea. Most areas of the boat ( including the cabins) have been designed to enjoy natural air, greatly reducing the need to use air conditioning.
I also liked that the boat has solar panels, so they could switch off the generator at some time during the day. And oh… suddenly…. Peace and quiet. You can now hear the sound of the waves, the birds singing, and the sound of the fishes jumping out of the water.
Kitchen and dining room
The epicenter of the boat is the dining room area, which is adjoined by the kitchen.
It has a large square table where we would all share our meals. The whole area is open to the outdoors, allowing the breeze in.
Behind the table are two huge resting platforms with oversized pillows, a great place to chill in the afternoon..
Near the kitchen area are a tea and coffee station and a fridge with complimentary soft drinks. Beers are available and quite affordable at 35000 Rp. per can. The boat, however, ran out of soft drinks and beers before the end of the trip. A huge fruit bowl was available at any time of the day.
TIP: If you want specific wine or alcohol, bring your own bottles on board. The corkage fee is 100000 Rp. for a bottle of wine and 200000 Rp. for a bottle of alcohol.
Diving deck
The diving deck is at the front of the boat. It is very spacious and has another shaded table use for the dive briefings. Each guest is assigned a large plastic box to store their personal belongings. There are water buckets to rinse your equipment.
Sundeck
The top deck has a large sundeck, where you can find a few beanbags and cushions.
TIP: Beware of the sundeck during the day, as there is no shade there. We are close to the equator, so it is easy to get sunburned and dehydrated. Therefore, it’s better to enjoy that area at the end of the day.
We loved hanging out on the top deck around sunset, as it offered a 360-degrees view of the landscape.
It is worth noting that the Jakare is a relatively slow boat with an average speed of 5 miles per hour, so plan on spending more time at sea between dive sites and locations. I was told that they are planning to upgrade their propeller, so this might change in the future.
The boat is very easy to navigate with large stairs between the decks, making it a good option for people with mobility issues. The only stairs that are steeper are the ones from the main deck to the tender boats.
Review of the cabins on the Jakare liveaboard
I stayed in a standard front twin cabin.
The cabin was small and simple but comfortable and well laid out.
It has two beds next to each other at a different height. The wooden walls and wooden beam ceiling give the cabin a cozy feeling.
The cabin has individually adjustable air-conditioning that worked well and was available to use during the night. ( It is off during the day when the boat turns off the generators and runs the solar panels batteries)
It has two porthole windows and a large ceiling window that you can open to get the natural breeze in.
Let’s be honest: most boat cabins below deck have a moldy smell. Not on the Jakare. I suspect that those large ceiling windows really help keep the cabin well-ventilated. As I don’t usually like to use air conditioning, I found it great. The air conditioning was turned off during the day, so the ceiling window was handy to keep the cabin fresh.
An individual fan and night lamp are placed on top of each bed.
There is a small cupboard with limited storage space. A large gap under the bed can be used to store your luggage and other things.
Our cabin was located near the front of the boat, which is the area that moves the most. Don’t choose those cabins if you get seasick easily. However, it is further away from the generator and the boat engine and, therefore, a bit quieter.
TIP: If you get seasick easily, choose a cabin towards the back of the boat as they move less.
The ensuite bathroom is relatively large. It has a shower with hot water, and the water pressure was good.
TIP: Bring your own shampoo and toothpaste, as it was not provided.
The bathroom is also covered in wood. The stone sink gives a stylish feel. The bathroom also has plenty of storage space and convenient hooks.
TIP: The toilet is a marine toilet, so make sure you don’t put toilet paper inside.
Review of the food on the Jakare liveaboard
The Jakare liveaboard takes its food seriously, and it showed. The food was delicious.
Four meals and a snack are served a day. The food is a mix of western food and Indonesian food. They bake fresh bread every day.
Early breakfast is around 6 am and consists of bread and cereals for those who want to eat before the first dive.
A full breakfast is served after the first dive. It consists of pancakes, pain perdu, eggs, chia seeds, fruits, and juices. Muesli, cereals, fried rice, or fried noodle are also available.
Lunch and dinners are also served in family style. Four or five large plates are placed in the middle of the table for everyone to enjoy. It varied from shrimps, freshly grilled fish, sweet and sour beef, or lasagna. But sometimes, it was also more sophisticated with tuna wellington, for example. Vegetarians were satisfied with plenty of salads, hummus, nans, and other healthy options.
Not only was the food super tasty, but the plates often looked like a work of art with great attention to presentation.
COVID procedures on the Jakare liveaboard
Every passenger flying into Sorong had to take a swab antigen test 24 hours before the flight.
Upon boarding the Jakare liveaboard, our temperature was checked, and we were handed hand sanitizer.
Bottles of hand sanitizer were also placed throughout the boat and in the cabins.
They’ve also placed a sink near the dining table, making it easy to wash your hands before each meal.
Masks were not required while onboard.
Review of the service/ team on the Jakare liveaboard
As soon as you step onboard, you realize that there is a great vibe on the Jakare liveaboard. The service might not be as polished as you’d find on the most luxurious liveaboard cruising Indonesia, but it hits all the marks on what makes a trip great.
The Jakare is a boat that provides simple and friendly service.
Audrey, the cruise director, is full of enthusiasm. She is young, she loves diving, being on the boat, and it shows. Ever attentive to the guests’ needs, her friendly style also impacts the rest of the team. The crew was ever joyful and willing to help, and every request would be met with a smile.
This trip was special, as it was the first time the Jakare was exploring Halmahera. Therefore, they partnered with Alexis from Konjo Cruising Indonesia. Alexis has years of experience exploring Indonesia and helps liveaboard discover new routes. Alexis is passionate about his job and created a splendid itinerary for us. He has a great knowledge of both Misool and Halmahera and took us on a few “ secret” dive sites.
The Jakare liveaboard was kept impeccably clean at all times. Our cabin would be cleaned once a day during the first dive. The only thing missing was a towel service, which is generally provided on the most luxurious liveaboards. After a few days, my towel started to smell very bad. But fortunately, I was able to change it.
Service on the dive deck was five stars. They would take care of all our equipment (including cameras) and bring them in and out of the tender boats after every dive. We only had to bring our mask!
Review of the diving organization on the Jakare Liveaboard
A trip on the Jakare is more than just diving
While the Jakare liveaboard is a diving boat, it also focused on exploration on land. Overland activities to explore the magnificent landscapes of Misool and Halmahera were offered every day.
During our trip, they offered two or three dives a day, and only one night dive was proposed during the 12-day trip (some boats in Indonesia for hardcore divers offer four or five dives a day). The maximum dive time is 60 minutes.
We would typically have the first dive briefing at 6:30 am, the second one around 10:30 am, and the third one around 2 pm. However, time could change, depending on the tide, the overland activities and the navigation time to the next site.
A spacious dive deck and great service
The dive deck is super spacious. Each guest is allocated a large box to store their accessories.
There are no formal camera rooms, but there are lots of plugs available near the kitchen.
The crew would take care of our tanks and all the accessories and move them to the tender before every dive. It was really great service, making it easy for us to just show up on the tender boat.
There are two tender boats. Given that the boat has a maximum of 10 divers, there was no need to rotate the tender boat between multiple groups, and everyone could go and dive at the same time.
It also meant that it never felt crowded underwater.
Limited Nitrox availability
Nitrox is available but in a very limited supply. I usually dive with Nitrox but was not able to as I didn’t pre-book it, and they only provide Nitrox to two divers if pre-booked. Nitrox would have been useful in Misool and Halmahera. We were diving on air and had to manage our bottom time carefully to avoid Deco.
TIP: If you want to dive with Nitrox, book early and make sure you reserve it.
The tanks were all filled perfectly. Over the 30 dives I did, all the tanks were filled consistently.
Genuine efforts to cater to beginners divers
There were nine divers on board, three beginners, and six more advanced. The Jakare team ensured all the sites were also doable for the beginner divers. They would avoid more complicated sites or delay dives so that the current would subside.
Small groups and great dive guides
With nine divers and three dive guides, the group size would be between two and four people.
In my opinion, dive guides are amongst the most important staff on a dive liveaboard as a good dive guide will make your dives much more enjoyable.
The dive guides were Audrey, the cruise director, Alexis from Konjo, and Jack Jason, a dive guide from Papua. He was a great dive guide, having a real instinct to find fish ( especially sharks) and a great understanding of currents. It was overall a great team.
Review of the Itinerary and dive sites of the liveaboard cruise from Sorong to Ternate via Misool and Halmahera
A trip on the Jakare liveaboard is not only about diving. Jakare prides itself in creating itineraries that combine great diving but also overland activities. We discovered many beautiful spots during our trip through Misool and Halmahera. This region is amazing underwater but there is also a lot of beauty on land. Don’t miss it!
Day 1: Arrival and first check dive
Our cruise departed from Sorong.
Unlike most boats, Jakare offered a check dive on the first day, which was a nice way to refresh after a long overnight flight.
Matan dive site is an underwater peninsula at the entrance of the channel between Sorong and Misool. It is a gentle slope that goes down to about 20 meters. The north part is a bit steeper.
We were looking for wobbegong sharks but could not find them. However, there were many schools of fusiliers and snapper around. We also found a pygmy seahorse.
The visibility wasn’t great, but there is a pretty coral garden at around five meters.
This is not the best dive site of Raja Ampat, but it is very nice to get underwater on the first day and is an easy check dive with little current.
After the dive, we started our long crossing towards Misool.
We cruised the whole afternoon and night. The sunset was spectacular, and a pod of dolphins joined us to make it even more spectacular. All the passengers were on the top deck to watch the spectacle, have a few drinks, and get to know each other.
Day 2: Diving in caves, dolphins, and swimming with Jellyfish
After an agitated first night, navigating through big waves, we arrived in North Misool in the morning and went straight for a dive. Goa Ubur Ubur dive site is a secret cave system near the jellyfish lake that Alexis from Konjo cruise has discovered. It was an incredible dive.
Even before we dove, we saw a pod of about 20 dolphins by the entrance of the cave.
The cave system has two large rooms connected by tunnels and ending up in a lake. It is not the jellyfish lake but another lake within the island.
This dive is not for beginners, as the entrance of the cave is about 27 meters.
The first room has a sandy bottom at 15 to 20 meters.
We surfaced in the hidden lake, and it was spectacular. We also surfaced in the second cave. The rock formations are stunning.
Coming out of the cave, we followed a wall with pretty pastel-colored soft corals and many nudibranchs and flatworms. There were blue dragons’ nudibranchs everywhere. One of them was eating another one!
On the way back to the boat, we also saw a marlin jumping out of the water.
What a great way to start this diving liveaboard trip!
Today was active as we went to Misool’s jellyfish lake right after breakfast.
The lake is at the center of an island, so you have to climb a small cliff to get there. It is not a long walk, but it involved some rock climbing. I don’t recommend it to people with mobility issues.
TIP: Bring hiking shoes for the jellyfish lake. I don’t think the climb up is doable in flip-flops, as the stones are sharp. Bring your underwater camera if you have one!
As we got over the ridge, we witnessed thousands of orange jellyfish coming up in the lake! We quickly went down into the lake, and the show started. What a spectacle to swim near those animals. The way they pulsate brings a strong relaxation feeling, almost hypnotic.
Those jellyfish have evolved without predators for thousands of years and have, therefore, lost their sting.
TIP: Don’t bring fins, so you don’t damage the jellyfish as they are quite fragile. Try not to touch them, as you will break them. Also, don’t put sunscreen or deodorant, as chemicals can modify the water balance and kill the jellyfish.
Our next dive was an exploration dive near the jellyfish lake.
As it is an exploration trip, we also tried to find new dive sites. It is always exciting to dive into places where people have not been before. The fish often have a different reaction to divers.
This site was a wall going down to about 25 meters.
There were a lot of nudibranchs and schools of fish. We found a crocodile fish in the shallow coral garden.
It was a full schedule, as we went hiking to the top of the tallest island around to see the love pool viewpoint.
The hike was hard work. It starts with wooden steps, and many steps are broken or missing. The steps then stop, and it becomes a bit more of a hike through sharp rocks.
TIP: Make sure you have good hiking shoes for this hike as well.
The view from the top was stunning. We had a view over the whole area peppered with the most scenic lime karst.
The only thing we could hear was the wind blowing and the birds. It was a magical and peaceful moment at the summit and well worth the strenuous walk-up.
The ride back to the boat turned into a dolphin-watching trip!
We found a pod of dolphins playing in the water and followed them for a few minutes. We ended up on a paradise-looking beach and returned to the boat in time for sunset drinks while we cruised to our next destination.
What a day!
Day 3: Action-packed dive in Misool and turquoise lagoons
We started the day with the no-contest dive site. It is composed of three pinnacles in the middle of a channel.
The pinnacles start at six and eight meters and are connected by a ridge at 17 meters. The ridge then goes down into a very deep wall.
I have been to Misool six times before and had never dived this site!. It reminded me a bit of the famous four kings dive site in South Misool.
The topography is stunning. It is covered by corals and soft corals, and the wall is full of sea fans and black corals.
We started the dive at the end of the falling tide, so there was only a little current.
Tons of fish hang out in the area. We saw three sharks, a turtle, barracudas, schools of jacks, napoleons…
No contest is an amazing dive site! I think it became one of my favorite dive sites in Raja Ampat.
Shortly after the dive, it was already time to go for a boat tour of Balbulol lagoon. The water is turquoise, and the lime karst formations are splendid.
We stopped the boat motors, so we could appreciate the serenity of the place.
A few people went swimming in the lagoon.
The next dive was Yuliet Kecil.
It is a small island surrounded by a wall and a slope, with a nice overhang at around 20 meters. The visibility was not so great, but we saw a lot of fish along the wall.
We then went to Yuliet ranger station to swim with Baby sharks and enjoy the sunset on the beautiful beach
Day 4: Diving the core of Misool
As waves were coming from the South, the team decided not to dive Magic mountain, Raja Ampat’s most famous dive site, fearing it would be too exposed.
We, therefore, dove Boo window, another one of the iconic Misool’s dive sites. It is a small island surrounded by a reef that comes down into a wall and extends into a ridge.
The most scenic part is the edge of the ridge. It is a fantastic dive site due to its scenic topography and the beautiful hard and soft corals. The landscape is dreamy with the large white sea fans and the hundreds of fish swimming by. We even saw a Leopard shark sleeping in the bottom!
Two more dives were offered at Nudirock and Neptune sea fans, but I got sick, and unfortunately, I could not do them.
After all three dives, we started to explore the beautiful scenery of Raja Ampat again. We hiked the viewpoint to the Love Lagoon (not to be confused with the love pool we had visited the day before).
It is an easy but strenuous hike up. The path is good so you can do it in flip-flops.
TIP: The place is so beautiful that you might want to do a selfie when you get up there. Bring a change of clothes for your photo, as your t-shirt will likely be wet from all your effort walking up!
The sunset from the boat was again stunning, with the full moon rising.
Day 5: Diving the famous Four Kings dive site and the west of Misool
Everyone was very excited today as we were diving Four Kings.
Four Kings is one of the iconic dive sites of Raja Ampat. It is a group of four submerged peninsulas, hence the name.
It is famous because it has beautiful topography, soft corals and tons of fish.
If you are lucky, you can even see oceanic mantas here. You have a higher chance of seeing the manta if you dive it with current, as mantas usually visit the cleaning stations when there is current.
We dove it during the slack time, so we didn’t see any mantas but witnessed plenty of fish action. The fusiliers were there en masse and were attracting plenty of predators. A few sharks and barracudas were patrolling the area. Giant Trevally and schools of jacks paraded.
It was a full moon, and many fish were feeding off the coral spawning, creating extra excitement!
We then sailed to Pele and passed the most amazing landscape. Plenty of inhabited islands with picture-perfect beaches, lime karts, and tropical rainforest. It was inspiring because few boats go towards West Misool, and it was my first time in this part of Raja Ampat.
The next dive was the Kaleidoskop dive site, the wall on the southwest corner of Pele.
It had tons of glassfish and fusiliers moving in a hypnotic rhythm, which attracted all the other fish- barramundi, snapper, sharks, barracuda. Even a turtle made an appearance. An amazing dive!
It was already time to say goodbye to Misool and Raja Ampat
In the early afternoon, we started our journey to Pisang island, located halfway between Misool and Halmahera. We had 16 hours of navigation, so plenty of time to chill on the deck. The sea was super quiet, the sunset spectacular. Dolphins made an appearance again during sunset, and the full moon was rising. Everyone was on the top deck enjoying drinks and this amazing spectacle!
Day 6: Playing castaway on deserted islands in the middle of nowhere and big fish action
We arrived at an island in the middle of nowhere at 3 am.
The first “ secret dive” was a great surprise. There were so many fish there that I am keeping the location of the island secret so that it doesn’t fall into fishermen’s ears… Dolphins escorted us to the dive site. It is a sloping reef with a deep drop-off.
The coral is not exceptional and has been dynamite fished in some places.
The wall was utterly full of fish. Schools of fusiliers but also tuna, mackerel, and all the big predators were in attendance. Another group saw a hammerhead!
A school of about 20 bumphead parrotfish followed us for part of the dive. The coral garden at about 10 meters is quite pretty.
We then navigated to Pisang island and explored a new dive site.
The dive here was around two small rocky islands, which I will call the Twin Peaks dive site, as the dive was surreal (the great thing about doing exploration dives in remote areas is that you can name the dive sites as you wish 😊).
The two islands are connected and surrounded by a large coral garden. On the south side of the islands is a mini-wall covered in orange and yellow soft coral, a bit like in Triton Bay. It was gorgeous.
The site was full of fish. This site can be exposed to strong currents, so you need to time it well.
In between the two dives, we went for a beach walk on the deserted Pisang island. The forest has huge trees and is home to hundreds of birds and butterflies. Unfortunately, there was a lot of plastic trash on the beach, making us realize that even super remote places suffer from our overconsumption of plastic.
Day 7: Wreck and coral gardens in Pingaraja.
We arrived near the village of Pingaraja around 7 am and dived on a small wreck. The Pingaraja wreck is in the channel between the village and the small island in front.
It is 17 to 25 meters deep. The wreck was small, so after 10 minutes, we moved to a nearby wall full of critters and creatures.
We saw plenty of nudibranchs, shrimps, and even two leaf fish.
The coral garden at five meters was beautiful ( despite the rain above us) and full of little fish.
The second dive was also around the west and north side of the small island near Pingaraja.
The wall was also covered in coral, soft coral, nudibranchs, and cool-looking shrimps.
The shallow coral garden is absolutely stunning. We saw a family of five black tips in the shallow.
Some people went to visit the Pingaraja village. The village is interesting, as it is separated into two areas. One side is home to the Muslim population with its mosques, while the other side is home to the Christian population with its church.
I decided not to visit the village due to Coronavirus. This area is so remote that they have not been exposed to Coronavirus. Therefore, as a traveler, I believe we have to protect the locals by avoiding interaction and any activities where we could unknowingly transmit the virus to them (even if the risk is small).
A whale passed right by the boat during lunch.
After lunch, we did another exploration dive at the Pingaraja Jetty. It was not so successful. The jetty is relatively new, so the pillars have not yet been colonized.
There was too much current for a muck dive, and the visibility was very bad.
Nevertheless, we found a few cool nudibranchs, a cute baby moray eel hanging out with mama eel, a baby snake, and a few other critters.
It was already time for sunset on the top deck, and one of the guests made us delicious cocktails that we sipped as we watched the sun go down and the full moon come up.
Day 8: Discovering Halmahera – diving in the Patinti Straight
The Patinti straight is slowly getting a reputation as the next diving destination in Indonesia.
Three new diving resorts are currently being built. It is easy to see why people are getting very excited about diving in Halmahera. It is so good that Alexis decided to spend two days diving in the Patinti Straight.
We woke up to a beautiful sunrise near Hulu Island.
The first dive of the day was Hulu East corner.
We dived the wall along the eastern side of Kusu island on a falling time. It was a gentle drift dive.
Down at 20-28 meters, the coral is not the most stunning, and the sloping wall has a lot of overhangs, where sweetlips would congregate. We saw a few pelagic in the blue.
At about 20 meters, we found a dead blacktip shark that had been fished and thrown back in the water. It still had a fishing hook in its mouth. It was heartbreaking.
From 12 meters, a splendid coral garden started with a massive amount of healthy hard corals. The number of fish was prodigious. Thousands of fusiliers passed by us, and thousands more small reef fish of every possible color were playing in the reef. Red, orange, and purple anthias were exploding like a firework!
I skipped the second dive due to ear problems. As I was chilling on the boat, whales kept coming out of the water near the boat.
After lunch, we went to the Tanjung Luna dive site.
The first 30 minutes of the dive were not memorable, but as we shallowed at about 12 meters, I saw the most beautiful coral garden ever. Bommies populated by hard coral of all colors and millions of fish created the perfect reef. Even in my dreams, I can’t imagine a reef so beautiful.
It is also a great place for snorkelers.
After the dives, we went to Sali Bay resort for sunset drinks. It was nice to sit on the beach and look at the baby sharks playing in the water.
Day 9: Big action dives in the Patinti Straight
Tobias point dive site is a rock barely sticking out of the water in the middle of the straight. It looks small from the top, but it is surrounded by a huge reef.
On the eastern side is a smaller pinnacle that starts at 10 meters and goes down to 40 meters.
As soon as we went down, a few very big white tip sharks were hunting. At 30 meters, we saw a massive school of sweetlips. Another school of huge bumphead parrotfish was on parade.
This site has an incredible amount of fish. Schools are everywhere. Sharks were also everywhere. We saw an eagle ray passing by.
The current increased as the dive progressed, and the number of fishes became astonishing.
It was an incredible dive despite the poor visibility. It was my favourite dive from all our time in Halmahera
The tower dive site is the corner just below the telephone tower.
It is a sloping reef that goes down to 25 or 30 meters and becomes a sandy slope. There are a few mini walls and plateau along the slope.
About 10 white tip sharks were hunting in the water
The current increased a lot towards the corner, and the dive turned into a fast drift dive.
In the afternoon, we tried to dive another rock sticking out of the water, but our guide thought the current was too strong, so we went back to the Tower dive site.
As we went back on the boat, we saw marlins jumping out of the water. Amazing! Unfortunately, we didn’t see them during the dive.
Day 10: looking for mantas in Guraichi island
Batu orange dive site is a large rock with orange color, surrounded by a slopy reef with a sandy bottom.
The place was teeming with fish. Two huge tuna were patrolling the area, and schools of fusilier were everywhere.
There are many sharks on the sandy bottom but also in the shallow coral garden.
We accidentally woke up a marble ray that was sleeping by a bommie.
The coral garden is nice but not as nice and full of life as the ones in the Patinti Straight.
The second dive of the day was the Manta bay dive site.
It is a shallow sandy area covered with broken coral and a few bommies.
There were plenty of mantas feeding at the surface, but they were very shy.
Unlike the mantas of Komodo or Penida, they didn’t want to interact with us.
While diving, we saw two mantas passing by quickly, a huge turtle and a few sharks.
We then went to a secret dive site near Pulau Lelei.
I have never seen as many sharks in a dive as there. We saw at least 100 black tips! They were everywhere!
It is a submerged reef that starts around 6 meters and goes down to 30 meters in a gentle slope with some mini walls. Some parts have been dynamite fished, and only coral rubble is left.
In other areas, the coral is still nice but what makes this place special is the number of fish and sharks.
We also saw two big marble rays. One got bumped into by a shark and flew away super quickly.
The end of the day was as exhilarating as the dives. We moored near the picture-perfect paradise island, a tiny island surrounded by a large white sand beach, turquoise water, and coconut trees.
The beach was full of shells.
The Jakare team set up a barbecue on the beach, and we watched the sunset while drinking cocktails. A priceless moment!
Day 11: Action pinnacles and volcano
It was already our last day of diving. We continued to cruise North in the Halmahera sea towards Ternate and encountered two stunning dive sites.
Siko wall dive site is a big rock sticking out of the water near Siko island. The topography is dramatic, with plenty of big stones and deep walls. The place is hit by a strong current, and you can see that the coral struggles to grow. However, the wall is covered by soft coral of all colors!
The place is very fishy. We saw huge napoleons and bumphead parrotfish, and sharks were patrolling the area. We saw a few black tips, white tips, and even a grey reef shark.
There was a lot of swell in the shallow area near the rock, and a huge school of fish seemed to enjoy surfing the waves!
It was a great dive with great visibility.
Batu mandi dive site is a flat rock in the water. It is fully submerged at high tide.
It is a huge rock underwater with plenty of cracks, boulders, and pinnacles.
It was again a super fishy dive site. Millions of fusiliers were speeding to go somewhere…
Big tuna, groupers, and giant trevally were watching them.
There are many sea fans, whipped and black coral. A very exciting dive site with great visibility and a grand finale to a splendid trip diving through Misool and Halmahera. I wish I could have spent more time in Halmahera, as there is still so much to explore!
As we were flying the next day, we couldn’t dive in the afternoon. We went for a relaxing beach afternoon near Siko island. While the beach looked great, it was unfortunately full of trash. It makes us realize that our usage of single-use plastic is unsustainable if even places as remote as this are polluted…
We started navigating before sunset towards Ternate. We admired the seven volcanos in a line on the horizon.
Day 12: Departure
We arrived in Ternate in the early morning. After breakfast, it was already time to say goodbye to the crew and the other passengers and make our way to Ternate airport. The airport is located about 20 minutes from the pier.
TIP: There is a swab antigen testing facility on the first floor of the Ternate airport. It took us about 40 minutes to get the test done.
What a fabulous trip we just had on the Jakare liveaboard!
Internet 4G availability on liveaboards from Sorong to Ternate via Misool and Halmahera.
There is no internet onboard the Jakare. If you want internet during the journey, buy a Telkomsel sim card with a data plan. Telkomsel is the only provider covering these areas.
TIP: The best place on the boat to get a strong signal is on the top deck outdoors.
Internet coverage while cruising Misool in Raja Ampat
We got good 4G coverage while in the harbor at Sorong and while in the delta on the way to Misool. Coverage stops once in the open sea. Near the jellyfish lake, we had a very week 4G signal. Enough to receive and send a few emails and messages. In the core Misool diving area near the Misool resort, there is no internet. We got a weak 4 G signal in Wahil near the hearth lagoon. The signal stopped between Misool and Halmahera
Internet coverage while cruising Halmahera
In Pingaraja, in front of the village, we got a weak signal. Enough to send and to receive a few emails.
The Patinti straight in Halmahera was the first place of the trip after a week of navigation where we could get a decent phone signal. Not only could we send and receive emails but also browse the internet.
Near the antenna tower, I even was able to do WhatsApp video calls!
There was no signal in the Guraichi islands except near the orange dive site where a new mobile phone tower has just been built. On the way up to Ternate, we had weak signals on and off when passing near villages.
In ternate, the 4G signal was very good.
Conclusion of my Jakare liveaboard review of Misool and Halmahera
Expedition cruises are a great way to discover Indonesia and the Jakare Liveaboard offered a fabulous itinerary. Diving in Halmahera was an enormous surprise for me. Splendid corals and lots of pelagic created exhilarating dives.
Jakare liveaboard might not be the most luxurious boat around Indonesia but it has a fantastic value proposition. The boat is small and intimate for a more personalized trip. I loved the open-air design of the boat allowing the sea breeze to come in. Jakare enjoys a friendly team and delicious food. It is a great option for beginner divers or groups of divers and non-diver who want to explore Indonesia both underwater and overland. If you have a sense of adventure, they are offering new exciting diving destinations in Indonesia like Halmahera and Kaimana (Triton Bay).
I really enjoyed my trip on board the Jakare Liveaboard and would love to travel with them again.
For bookings and availability, check their website here.
For more info about what to do in Sorong, read my article here.
If you want to stay a few more days in Raja Ampat, check out my reviews of Papua Explorers resort and Misool Resort
For more info about liveaboard diving in Raja Ampat, read my other articles about the Coralia liveaboard, Neomi liveaboard trip to Misool, Ilike liveaboard trip from Ambon to Sorong ( with Banda islands and hammerheads sharks) and Ilike liveaboard trip from Sorong to Kaimana with Triton Bay and Whale Sharks)
Good to see this helpful information here, Thanks a lot for sharing them with us.