Route Description - Forgotten Islands (Maumere - Saumlaki)
13 Days / 12 Nights (Approximately 34 dives in total)
Indonesia's "Forgotten Islands" - also known as the Southeast Moluccas (Maluku Tenggara), are not a single destination, but rather a 1,000 km long chain of archipelagos stretching from Timor to West Papua on the island of New Guinea. Undeveloped, distant from population centers and far off any beaten path, these "Forgotten Islands" have been largely isolated from the rest of Indonesia and the world.
The terrain of these islands varies from forested mountainous peaks in the Inner Banda Arc of islands (Wetar, Roma, Damar, Nila), with peaks as high as 868 m (on Damer) to essentially flat islands of the easternmost Aru and Kei island groups, dominated by savannah, mangroves and broadleaf forests.
The Inner Arc islands are volcanic, while the island groups in the Outer Banda Arc (Leti, Luang, Sermata, Babar and Tanimbar islands) are mostly up thrust coralline limestone, often characterized by terracing resulting from periodic uplift and changes in sea level.
Together, the islands of Maluku Tenggara make up the eastern end of the bio-geographic province of Wallacea, a transitional region between continental Southeast Asia and Australia-New Guinea, with flora and fauna of the easternmost islands the most similar to New Guinea.
Diving
The Forgotten Islands offer some of the best diving in Indonesian waters. Attractions include gin-clear waters, patch reefs and coral bommies, spectacular wall dives on impossible drop-offs.
On our inaugural trips to the Forgotten Islands in 2010, our excited visitors enjoyed seeing rare Weedy, Bumphead parrotfish, Jacks (Big-eye trevallies), Giant trevallies, Spanish mackerel, schooling barracuda, hammerhead sharks, a 3 meter salt water crocodile, and a whale shark!
Since 2012 the Seven Seas is offering two expeditions to the Forgotten Islands each year in November/December. One trip starts in Maumere (Flores) or Kupang (West Timor) and ends in Saumlaki, in the Tanimbar Islands, and another trip returns along the same or a similar route. Detailed itineraries in this area will vary according to weather and diving conditions and other factors. But a typical journey through this region might include:
P. Lembata, a traditional whaling island, which usually offers spectacular critters dives
Solor/Alor archipelagos. Stops in these islands can include P. Pantar, P. Buaya, P. Alor, Kalabahi)
P. Komba, location of the Batu Tara volcano.
P. Wetar. The people of this island live in harmony with salt water crocodiles!
Barat Daya Islands (P. Romang, P. Nyata, P. Kital, P. Laut, P. Telang)
Leti island group (P. Leti, P. Lakor, P. Moa)
Sermata Group (P. Sermata, P. Luang) P. Sermata is known for the many surviving myths that are still part of Forgotten Islands traditional culture.
Babar Islands (P. Dai, etc.) These islands are known for the survival of boat symbolism.
Tanimbar Islands