Halmahera Remote Indonesia Liveaboard Trip September 2028

Halmahera Remote Indonesia Liveaboard Trip September 2028

Join us on a 9-night unique itinerary in the heart of the Coral Triangle onboard the MV Ambai.

Why Join This Trip?

• Rich biodiversity and exceptional flora and fauna
• Operator with 16 years of experience diving and cruising Indonesia
• Free nitrox for nitrox-certified divers
• Spacious cabins with individually controlled air-conditioning and en-suite bathrooms with hot water
• Diver to Guide ratio is 4:1
• 25% discount on rental photo gear from Bluewater Photo
• Fully refundable deposit until 12 months from departure

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Trip Overview

Nestled between the renowned diving havens of Lembeh and Raja Ampat, Halmahera stands as a hidden gem in the well-traveled waters of Indonesia. This remote and pristine destination boasts the best of both worlds: the vibrant, healthy reefs reminiscent of Raja Ampat and the unique critters that make Lembeh famous, all without the overwhelming number of boats and divers.

Diving in Halmahera offers an unparalleled experience of exploration and discovery. Here, you can immerse yourself in lush coral gardens teeming with life, encounter majestic pelagic species, and marvel at the intricate beauty of macro marine creatures. With fewer crowds, Halmahera provides a more intimate and peaceful underwater adventure, making it a must-visit destination for avid divers seeking the untouched beauty of Indonesia's marine biodiversity.

Click the Manta Trust logo to learn more!

Want to learn more about this trip? Check out our Halmahera Recap Video!

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Marine Life

On this trip, you can expect to see an abundance of small and medium reef life including barracudas, surgeonfishes, bumphead parrotfish, trevallies, and giant trevallies, spadefish, Napoleon wrasse, tunas, bonitos, manta rays, and mobula rays.

There is also some excellent muck diving with highlights including pygmy seahorse, frogfish, leaf fish, and scorpionfish.

All this to a backdrop of black coral forests, gorgonian fields, soft corals, and so much more...

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Trip Itinerary

• Day 1 – Ternate
  Check-in.
• Day 2 – Goraichi
  3-4 Dives.
• Day 3 – Lilai
  3-4 Dives.
• Day 4 – Saleh
  3-4 Dives.
• Day 5 – Kusu
  3-4 Dives.
• Day 6 – Proco
  3-4 Dives.
• Day 7 – North Bacan & Tolimago
  3-4 Dives.
• Day 8 – Goraichi
  3-4 Dives.
• Day 9 – Tidore
  1 Dive.
• Day 10 – Ternate
  Check-out.

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Diving Conditions

Diving conditions in Halmahera in August - September are excellent, with calm seas, reliable visibility and some of the richest coral reefs in Indonesia. The mix of gentle currents and vibrant marine life makes this a great month for wide-angle photography, reef exploration and relaxed diving. August weather is typically dry, warm and settled, offering ideal surface conditions throughout the trip.

• Water temperature: 80 - 84F (27 - 29C) 
• Visibility: 50 - 100 feet (15 - 30m) 
• Depth range: 20 - 100 feet (6 - 30m)

To learn more about diving in the area, check out our Halmahera Trip Report 2025.

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Recommended Scuba Gear

Download our full scuba gear guide to Halmahera, Bluewater Travel guests receive 10% OFF! Click the image below to download (PDF).

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Trip Type

This is a GROUP TRIP WITH PHOTO SUPPORT. Led by a professional or experienced photographer who will be happy to provide advice and guidance on all elements of your photography as required. The logistics of this trip mean that formal photography tutorials and workshops are not practical.

What to Expect from our Group Trips with Photo Support

• Photography support - Your trip leader will ensure that they spend time with everyone throughout the trip, providing advice and guidance on all elements of photography.
• Quality time with fellow photographers - You will meet like-minded divers or travelers with a passion for photography.
• Suitable for everyone - New and experienced photographers are welcome on all our trips. We also encourage non-photographers to join.

Enjoy free, unlimited access to a wealth of knowledge and advice from your photo instructor.

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Trip Inclusions

• Accommodation in a double-bed or twin-bed cabin
• Full board including all soft drinks, coffee, tea
• 3 daily guided dives plus night dives, depending on the itinerary
• 80 cf tank (12 liters), and weights
• Transfer from the airport to the boat and back to the nearest airport
• Nitrox fills for certified nitrox divers

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Trip Exclusions

• International and domestic flights and transit hotel
• Harbor and Park Fees (€300/$350, cash onboard - subject to change)
• Diving and snorkeling gear
• Scuba diving courses
• 100 cf tank (15 liters) (€75/$87 per cruise - subject to change)
• Laundry (€1/$1.20 per 2 items), massage service on board, use of a satellite phone
• Crew gratuities (5%-10% of the cruise rate suggested)
• Cancellation and (mandatory) Dive Insurances
• Beer, wine, and alcoholic beverages (you can BYOB)
• Fuel surcharge (€100/$116, cash onboard - subject to change)

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About The MV Ambai

The MV Ambai is a liveaboard of choice for underwater photographers with its large dive deck, dedicated camera room and a large screen TV in the lounge. A part of the esteemed Wallacea Cruises, guests aboard the Ambai know they're in for a trip of comfort and style.

The MV Ambai has 8 cabins accommodating 16 passengers. All cabins have individually controlled A/C units and private ensuite bathrooms. Room options include bunk and double-bed cabins.

Lower Deck Cabin (L) & Sea View Cabin (R)

Upper Deck (LEFT) & Front Sun Deck (RIGHT)

Restaurant (LEFT) & Main Deck Lounge (RIGHT)

Deck Plan

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Halmahera Trip Extensions

Want to extend your trip? We can help with that! See more of Indonesia before or after your liveaboard on Halmahera with Bluewater. Contact us for some examples of packages we can add to your reservation:

Read More.

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Trip Leader

Mark Hatter

Mark Hatter is an international award-winning photojournalist who has had over one hundred feature articles with many hundreds of images published in more than three dozen diving publications and fly fishing publications over the last three decades. His most recent destination features have appeared in Ocean Geographic and Asian Diver (UK) magazines.

Mark has traveled the world in pursuit of new underwater photography challenges, including cold-water destinations such as British Columbia and even Antarctica.

“Of course, I love shooting in tropical locations but I think cold water diving is a great forcing function to hone one’s photography skills as the environment and equipment are much more demanding of a diver. Good image capture in cold water is particularly rewarding.” Mark tells us.

Mark has been shooting underwater since the early 1980s and has worked in both film and digital mediums in his photojournalism pursuits. In 35 years of diving, Mark has logged over 2,500 hours, much of it doing underwater photography. Currently, he teaches underwater photography classes locally at Seminole Scuba in Lake Mary, Florida and works for Aggressor Adventures as a commercial photographer and writer.

Read more about Mark Hatter

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Flight Information

The trip will begin and end in Ternate (airport code TTE). The recommended route is to fly internationally to Jakarta and then take a domestic transfer to Ternate. We recommend arriving into Ternate at least 1 day before embarkation to allow time to rest and for delayed flights/baggage. We are happy to assist you with flight suggestions and hotel bookings if required.

Flight Package 

Our group trips attract guests from all over the globe and many of our customers prefer to book their own flights to take advantage of mileage points or credit card discounts. For these reasons, flights are not included in our group trip packages. 

However, we are more than happy to work with you to find the best travel itinerary for your trip and will gladly give suggestions and advice, even if you make the final booking. We will check through your travel reservations at any time to ensure they fit with the trip schedule and can give recommendations on transit hotels and day tours where needed. 

If you would like us to book flights and transit hotels for domestic and/or international travel on your behalf, we are also happy to arrange this.  Contact Us for more information.

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Payment Schedule

• Deposit: $1,000 to book your spot
• Payment 2: $2,000 due 15 October 2027
• Balance: Due 15 February 2028

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