The Moluccas: cruise the Spice Islands

A Spice Islands cruise truly feels like traveling back into colonial times. The Maluku Islands, also known as the Moluccas, offer a unique mix of colonial history, dreamy islands, buzzing ports, and abundant ocean life. The Moluccas lie in the eastern half of Indonesia between Sulawesi and West Papua, and have once been the subject of conflict between Portuguese, Dutch, and English seafarers. This was caused due to the abundance of mace, nutmeg, and clove spices which were traded as precious goods during that period. The dramatic and moving history of the Moluccas is still visible in many colonial buildings, forts, and museums.

Harbor of Banda Neira

Central Mollucca Islands cruise highlights

A Moluccan islands cruise is packed with a mix of extraordinary land and sea sites. The tropical islands are blanketed in lush forests, and the ocean surrounding them is teeming with life. Visit charming local villages throughout the Moluccas and stroll along pristine beaches. Cruising highlights of the Central Moluccas include dive and snorkel sites of the Banda Islands and the harbor of Banda Neira with an option to hike the volcano for an extraordinary view over the islands. Explore Fort Belgica for a nostalgic flair or visit a nutmeg plantation – featuring the huge kenari trees.

Time for some scuba diving during your cruise

Ambon: muck diving in a historical harbor

The Central Moluccans consist of the big island of Seram and the relatively small Ambon. The historic harbour city is the capital of the Moluccas. Situated in the center of the Moluccan islands cluster, Ambon features a mountainous terrain covered in forests. The buzzing port bay of Ambon boasts some of the world’s best muck diving with a great variety of critters to spot. It is also the major departure port for a Spice Islands cruise into the 5,000 m deep Banda Sea.

Spice Islands cruises

While Ambon is the departure port for most Spice Islands cruises in the Moluccas, towards the southeast you can find the picturesque Banda Islands. It was once the center of the spice trade and subject to conflicts between different western seafaring nations. The Banda Islands still hold a lot of colonial evidence of the past. This contributes to the Islands’ nostalgic atmosphere. The charming Banda Neira is the capital island of a group of eleven dreamy islands.

White Hammerhead Sharks sighting

Banda sea diving with hammerhead sharks

The islands of the Banda sea have become a hotspot in Indonesia for diving and snorkeling with schooling hammerhead sharks. The Banda Islands, but also Koon Island and Manuk, are great spots for sighting these impressive animals. Hammerhead sharks are predators, and they feed on a variety of prey, including fish, squid, octopus, and crustaceans. Their unique head shape gives them enhanced sensory abilities, as the positioning of their eyes allows them to have better depth perception and a wider field of vision. Additionally, their specialized lateral line system allows them to detect the electrical fields produced by their prey. Diving with hammerhead sharks can be intimidating, but is truly a highlight of your private yacht charter in the Banda Sea.

Halmahera and the Moluccas are perfect for surf charters

Cruising Northern Moluccas and Halmahera

The Northern Moluccas (Maluku Utara) consist of the islands of Halmahera with the two small but historically important islands of Ternate and Tidore to the west. Halmahera’s landscape boasts several active volcanoes, picturesque lakes, uncharted caves, and plenty of idyllic off-shore islands. The island’s Aketajawe-Lolobata National Park is one of the most untouched and unvisited in all of Indonesia.

Halmahera is inhabited by the highest number of endemic bird species of all Maluku islands and a large variety of reptiles. It is an astonishing group of islands in geological terms. The islands offer a broad variety of different dive sites. This diver’s paradise has remained unspoiled and uncrowded. Morotai in North Halmahera also offers excellent surf breaks and is a great destination for surfing charters.

Humpback Whales migrating over long distances

Migrating whales of the Banda sea

The Banda Islands have a healthy population of resident pilot whales. Larger whales such as humpback whales and sperm whales can often be seen on their migration routes through the Banda Sea. Humpback whales are known for their long-distance migrations, and they travel through the Banda Sea during their annual migration between their summer feeding grounds in the polar regions and their winter breeding and calving grounds in the tropics. The Banda Sea provides an important stopover location for humpback whales as they make their way to and from their breeding grounds in the waters of northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Humpback Whales

Humpback whales are known for their long-distance migrations, and they travel through the Banda Sea during their annual migration between their summer feeding grounds in the polar regions and their winter breeding and calving grounds in the tropics. The Banda Sea provides an important stopover location for humpback whales as they make their way to and from their breeding grounds in the waters of northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Sperm Whales

Sperm whales are also known to migrate through the Banda Sea, although their migration patterns are less well understood than those of humpback whales. Sperm whales are known to dive to great depths in search of squid and other prey, and they can be seen in the Banda Sea feeding in deeper waters. Observing these wonderful animals in real life while diving with them is an unforgettable experience.

Remote and lost Paradises await you

Explore the Spice Islands on a private yacht

Diving into the history of the region and exploring the variety of land and sea highlights of the Banda Sea is a mesmerizing holiday experience for all ages. However, for such a trip you will need a sense of adventure and diving experience. Embark on this beautiful journey and discover the wonders of the Banda Sea!