GC Diving and Exploration Trip—Alor Sea, Indonesia

Global Conservation invites you to an exclusive diving and exploration experience in the Alor Sea, Indonesia, aboard the majestic Seven Seas liveaboard. After arriving in Kupang from Jakarta or Bali, we will take a connecting flight to Alor Island, we will spend eleven days and nights exploring the incredible underwater world of the Alor Sea and eastern Flores.

Expect vibrant walls and coral reefs teeming with colorful fish, hammerhead sharks, dolphins, and melon-headed whales. Alor and its surrounding waters are one of the ocean’s last hidden treasures—a rare gem waiting to be discovered.

Led by Dr. Dadang Mujino, Director of GC Indonesia (top left); Dr. Greg Asner, GC Advisor and Head of ASU Global Discovery; and Michael Sutton, President of the Goldman Prize, this incredible journey takes you far from the tourist areas of Raja Ampat, deep into the Indonesian Coral Triangle, accompanied by one of the most experienced crews and a world-class diving and touring vessel—the Seven Seas.

For more on the Seven Seas, see www.thesevenseas.net

Discover Alor: Indonesia’s Hidden Diving Treasure

Tucked away in the far eastern reaches of the Indonesian archipelago, Alor is one of the country’s best-kept secrets—a pristine diving paradise still largely untouched by mass tourism. Located in the Lesser Sunda Islands, between Flores and Timor, this remote corner of Indonesia offers an extraordinary blend of marine biodiversity, dramatic landscapes, and authentic local culture.

Alor is part of the Coral Triangle, the global epicenter of marine life, and its underwater world is simply spectacular. The narrow straits between the islands funnel nutrient-rich currents that feed vibrant coral reefs, supporting an abundance of marine species. Expect thrilling drift dives, endless coral walls, and encounters with everything from pygmy seahorses to schooling hammerheads.

Why Dive Alor?

• World-Class Visibility — Often exceeding 30 meters, the crystal-clear waters of Alor provide breathtaking views of the underwater seascape.

• Diverse Dive Sites—From dramatic walls and volcanic slopes to calm sandy bays ideal for macro photography

• Rare Marine Encounters—Rhinopias, mimic octopus, leaf scorpionfish, hammerhead sharks, and seasonal sightings of mola mola and thresher sharks

• Thrilling Currents—For experienced divers, Alor delivers adrenaline-pumping drift dives with large pelagics and pristine coral gardens.

• Minimal Crowds—With very few dive boats in the region, it often feels like you have the ocean entirely to yourself.

Photo @shutterstock

A Cultural Journey Beneath and Beyond the Surface

Alor is equally captivating above water. The volcanic islands are rugged and green, dotted with traditional villages where time seems to stand still. Alor is more than a dive destination—it is a land deeply rooted in tradition and community. The islands are home to more than a dozen ethnic groups, each with its own language, music, and rituals. The most prominent are the Abui people, known for their striking traditional attire, harmonious chants, and symbolic dances performed in sacred stone circles.

Villages like Takpala offer glimpses into a way of life preserved for generations. Handwoven ikat textiles, rhythmic gong music, and storytelling through dance are all part of the living culture here. Guests are often welcomed with warmth and ceremony, making cultural excursions as memorable as any dive.

Folklore in Alor is rich with tales of ancestral spirits, sea creatures, and sacred mountains—stories passed down through songs and ceremonies that still mark the seasonal cycles and rites of passage.

Alor remains one of the last places on Earth where the ocean feels untouched and the adventure is still real. Undiscovered by the masses, untamed by development, it’s a destination for the few—not the many.

This is not a place for everyone. It’s for those who crave more.

More nature. More meaning.

More mystery beneath the waves.

In Alor, you trade the rhythm of the city for the rhythm of the sea.

You leave behind traffic and timelines and instead drift alongside trevallies in currents that pulse with life.

You exchange noise for the soft flutter of a nudibranch and routine for the raw magic of a coral wall that drops into the blue unknown.

Come dive Alor and remember what it feels like to fall in love with the ocean all over again.

Photo ©Ethan Daniels

GC Diving and Exploration Trip - Alor Sea, Indonesia

Tentative Itinerary—October 3-14, 2026

October 3–14, 2026

3 October — Arrive at KALABAHI BAY (Alor Island), board the Seven Seas and steam out. Check-out dive.

4 October — BEANGABANG (Pantar Island). A unique dive site known for its excellent muck diving, beautiful shallow top reef and a sloping wall covered in soft corals and healthy reef life, and the opportunity to connect with the local village community.

5 October — ALCATRAZ (Pantar Island). The area is influenced by cooler, nutrient-rich waters from the Indian Ocean, which help support a high diversity of marine life. The dive starts on a sandy slope with large soft coral formations that attract many small reef creatures. Giant frogfish are often seen resting on sponges, while nudibranchs, shrimp, and other macro species are found among the corals. Alcatraz offers both macro and wide-angle opportunities and is a rewarding site for divers looking to explore one of the more remote corners of Pantar.

6 October — PULAU RUSA (Alor Strait).Just off the southwest coast of Pulau Rusa lies Watu Balu, a rugged islet surrounded by some of the most vibrant and undisturbed reefs in Indonesia. Exposed to the open Indian Ocean, this site is influenced by nutrient-rich currents that fuel incredible marine biodiversity and deliver thrilling diving conditions.

The reef is bursting with colorful hard corals, including massive table corals swarming with anthias and other reef life. Divers are often treated to sightings of yellow snappers, schooling surgeonfish, red snapper, and sleek rainbow runners darting through the current. Bamboo sharks are commonly spotted nestled beneath coral structures, and the elusive wobbegong shark may make a rare appearance. When temperatures drop, there’s even a chance to encounter a Mola Mola (ocean sunfish), a bucket-list moment for any diver.

7 October — PULAU KOMBA (Flores Sea). Pulau Komba is a remote volcanic island off the north coast of Lembata. It’s dominated by Mount Batutara, a small but active volcano that frequently emits smoke and ash, adding a dramatic view during surface intervals and between dives.

The underwater landscape includes rocky slopes, black sand areas, coral sections, and steep reef walls. Coral growth is healthy, with a mix of soft and hard corals, sponges, and volcanic rock formations.Divers often see fusiliers, trevallies, and surgeonfish in the open water, along with moray eels, scorpionfish, and leaf fish along the reef. Occasionally, larger species such as tuna or whitetip reef sharks may be seen cruising.

8 October — LEWALING (Kawula Island). The Lewaling area offers a mix of sloping reefs and wall dives, with healthy coral cover and good visibility. The walls start shallow and drop steeply, covered in soft corals, sea fans, and sponges. Wall dives here often allow for a drift along the face of the reef.

Divers can expect to see fusiliers, snappers, anthias, triggerfish, turtles, reef sharks, leaf scorpionfish, and other reef species. One of the dive sites, called Cardinals, is very shallow and ideal for longer dives. It is known for large numbers of cardinalfish, with several species often seen in the same area, especially around coral heads and rocky patches. Above the water, the active volcano Mount Lewotolok creates a dramatic backdrop to the diving.

9 October — ALOR (Pantar Island).

Crucifixion: Known locally as Kelalaka, it starts with a steep, colorful reef slope with impressive overhangs underneath it, then turns into a vertical wall. There are also two small pinnacles at 30-40 meters where more fish action can be observed.

Bama Wall: Bama Wall, sometimes called “The Great Wall of Pantar,” is a steep drop-off on Pantar island opposite of Alor. Here you will find a wall covered in healthy and colorful coral and then a slope with many anthias and butterfly fish, as well as fish feeding, fish hiding, and sometimes schooling humphead parrotfish, snapper, Napoleon wrasse, trevally, and many more.

Cathedral: This dive site is located in the South of Alor, and therefore, given the cooler temperatures of the South, we recommend wearing a 5mm wetsuit during this dive, as it can get pretty cold depending on the thermoclines. The highlights of this dive site are its pristine and dense coral coverage and a swim-through at around thirty meters.

10 October — ALOR (Pura Island).In the heart of the Alor Strait lies Pura, a small volcanic island where every dive pulses with energy and life. Here, the ocean is raw, powerful, and wildly beautiful.

The waters around Pura are renowned for their strong, nutrient-rich currents, which attract an explosion of marine life. Massive schools of jacks, barracudas, and fusiliers swirl in silver tornadoes, while Napoleon wrasses, giant groupers, and reef sharks glide through deep canyons and coral-covered slopes.

During the right season, lucky divers may even encounter Mola mola (sunfish) or hammerhead sharks. But what truly sets Pura apart is its biodiversity: pristine coral gardens, dramatic drop-offs, and muck diving sites teeming with bizarre and beautiful critters: rhinopias, mimic octopus, pygmy seahorses, and an endless variety of nudibranchs.

The Board Room: Located on the northwest corner of Pura, this exhilarating drift dive features a sloping ridge extending toward Pantar Island. Expect dense hard and soft coral, barrel sponges, and vibrant schooling fish, with frequent sightings of reef sharks.

Clown Valley (aka Apuri Bay): Home to one of the largest concentrations of anemones and clownfish on the planet.

Pura Island Wall: A world-class vertical reef wall off Pura Island, starting around 8 m and plunging to depths well below recreational limits. Rich with sea fans, whip corals, and sponge gardens, this wall often attracts eagle rays, manta rays, and various shark species patrolling the depths.

11 October — TERNATE (Alor Strait). The volcanic island of Ternate, in the Alor Strait, is home to one of Indonesia’s best-kept secrets: a series of dive sites where strong currents meet thriving reefs, and where every descent feels like a front-row seat to a marine symphony.

Munaseli (Yellow Corner): It is one of Alor’s most thrilling and dynamic dive sites. Fueled by deep ocean currents and pristine waters, this site is a magnet for pelagic life and dramatic underwater action. Chances for sightings of hammerheads and mola mola, but also the constant presence of pelagics like gray reef sharks, blacktip sharks, giant trevallies, bonitos, and schools of fusiliers in every direction.

Babylon: Located on the southern coast of Ternate Island, this site is a classic vertical wall dive, descending from shallow coral gardens into depths of 25 to 30 m or more, with exceptional visibility often reaching 25–30 m, and a sloping reef full of soft corals, reef fish, and occasional pelagic visitors.

The Arch: Hidden in the waters off Ternate Island in the Pantar Strait, The Arch is a standout dive site renowned for its dramatic underwater architecture, a natural archway carved into a steep coral wall that plunges to depths of 20–30 meters.

12 October — ALOR. Pasir Merah (Red Sand): Located north of Pura, this site features volcanic red sandy slopes with bubbling gas vents, a hallmark of Pura’s volcanic seabed. It’s teeming with macro life, including mandarin fish, hairy shrimp, and even bamboo sharks and nurse sharks at deeper sections.

Bakalang Jetty: Dive beneath the weathered pillars of Bakalang Jetty, where soft corals cling like marine tapestries and frogfishes use them as a hidden place. Rays and schooling batfish may dance in the blue beyond, but it’s the bold texture and color of macro life that steals the show here. With clear water and gentle conditions, this site is a macro magician’s dream and a perfect intro to Alor’s muck scene.

Wolang Cavern: This cave is a highlight of Alor, with two caverns inhabited by an array of creatures. You will usually find crabs, nudibranchs, and sometimes large marble rays and nurse sharks, and you can even see their eggs. Upon exiting the cavern, you will see a beautiful colorful wall full of soft orange corals.

13 October — ALOR. Abila: Glide along the vibrant reef of Abila Wall, where currents carry you across a sloping garden of coral into a dramatic vertical wall. Here, life clings in every crack, from ribbon eels and leaf scorpionfish to electric clams and elusive frogfish. When daylight filters down the wall, schools of fusiliers dance in the blue ahead. Abila blends macro intrigue with big-wall majesty for an unforgettable Alor experience.

Kal’s Dream: With pinnacles just beneath the surface and deep blue currents streaming above, the site feels alive. Schooling fish drift past as sharks and tuna patrol beyond. Whether you arrive in calm conditions or face surging currents, this site delivers unmatched Alor drama and biodiversity.

14 October — DISEMBARKATION. Fly to Bali/Jakarta and transfer to flights home or resorts.