Banda Sea

 

The Banda Sea is the deepest in the world. Reaching 8.000 m. in some points (Mariana’s trench, the deepest point in the world, is 11.000), is also part of the Ring of Fire, the chain of volcanic islands that follow the faulty line from the western end of Indonesia up to Sulawesi and the Philippines… These are the famed Spice Islands, the heart of the spice trade during the Dutch occupation of the Banda islands, where nutmeg and mace were originally from, or Ambon, where pepper was the main trade. To the east, the Kay islands offer a radically different look from its volcanic counterparts, with low sandy islands with powder white sand beaches, fringed with coconut palm trees.

 

 

The Banda Sea is also the most exposed of the Inner Seas of Indonesia, thus requiring careful planning. These routes only take place in October and November, in the interval between the two monsoons, when the waters are more likely to be calm. Cruising the Banda sea involves more night powering than other routes, as we sail most nights, just to wake up every morning in a different location. But the adventurous divers are rewarded by impressive walls with giant sea fans, massive barrel sponges, thick schools of fish, and the common sights of pelagic fauna, including hammerheads.