Flores, nestled between the renowned Komodo National Park and the lesser-known gems of Maumere, offers a diverse and unforgettable diving experience. This Indonesian island in the Lesser Sunda Islands is famed for its world-class drift and muck dives. Komodo National Park, accessible via Labuan Bajo, is particularly exciting, known for its swift currents and majestic manta ray squadrons. Divers here can explore the dramatic pinnacles, walls, and drop-offs, encountering everything from elusive frogfish to mighty sunfish, all while witnessing pilot whales streaming past in the blue.
Maumere, centrally located on Flores, is a hidden treasure for divers seeking adventure beyond the Komodo waters. It boasts impressive wall dives and a multitude of muck dives, home to numerous endemic species and otherworldly creatures waiting to be discovered. The best diving conditions are found from April to December, during the dry season. For those wishing to fully immerse themselves in this underwater paradise, liveaboard trips offer a comprehensive exploration of Flores's northern coastline, bringing divers closer to the action.
Komodo diving offers warm, calm and colourful shallow reefs at Siaba Besar and stunning wall dives with soft corals enveloped by swarms of golden and orange anthias at Batu Bolong. At almost every dive site you’ll find yourself drifting along in sites with strong currents among unruly underwater jungles. In North Komodo, the park is full of staggering pinnacles and seamounts which attract incredible schools of fish to the area while at muck dives its possible to investigate the sandy bottom for all types of macro life. At Maumere there are a number of fantastic muck dive sites as well as deep walls, wrecks and drop offs exposed to the strength of the ocean.
Scuba diving in Flores is best during the dry season, from April through to November. Yet, some species are seen more often in the rainy months. In Maumere, sperm whales are seen from November to December while the best season to spot manta rays in Komodo is between December and February. January through to March may have rough conditions at Komodo’s northern dive sites while southern dive sites are rough in July and August. Despite this, daily trips and liveaboards run throughout year-round and are rarely affected.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
