Mermaid I
Mermaid I is a 94-foot motor yacht with many luxurious touches. It accommodates a maximum of fifteen divers in eight cabins. The master cabin has a king-size bed, the four deluxe cabins have a double or two twin beds, and the two budget cabins below deck have a double or two twin beds. There’s also a single cabin on the main deck. The main deck cabins have windows with panoramic sea views. All cabins are equipped with private bathrooms, refrigerators, televisions with DVD players, bathrobes, toiletries and air-conditioning. Thai and international style meals are served in the dining room which has large windows for views. After meals, relax in the salon that has an entertainment center, or one of the two partially covered outdoor areas furnished with comfortable sunbeds and loungers.
The large dive deck has four camera rinse tanks and a camera table, and a wide stern dive platform with two exit ladders and fresh-water showers. From December to April the boat explores Raja Ampat on 9- and 11-night cruises, and the rest of the year it departs from Bali to Komodo on 9-night cruises. There are a couple of special longer biodiversity cruises each year. Mermaid I offers Nitrox.
Itinerary Mermaid I – Bali-Komodo – Bali
Day 1: Check-in on board MV Mermaid I between 13:00-15:00 hours in Benoa Harbour Bali.After the boat and safety briefing, equipment is prepared then settle into your cabin. Dinner is served at approx. 19:00 hours as e cruise overnight to Moyo Island off the north west coast of Sumbawa0
Day 2: Start your adventure with a great dive in the calm, clear waters of Angel Reef at Moyo Island. Massive elephant ear and barrel sponges, schools of long fin banner fish and red tooth triggers In their hundreds, frog fish, nudibrancs, eels, surgeon fish, snapper, dog tooth tuna checking out what is for lunch ! Visit the local village then its lunch for us ! Then we cruise to Satonda Island for a macro dive followed by a world class night dive after watching a million bats fly at sunset. After a great dive and dinner we cruise overnight to Sangeang Volcano off the north coast of Sumbawa.
Day 3: The Nusa Tenggara region has some extremely interesting and unique marine life. Today we spend the day diving around Sangeang Volcano – 2-3 dives for rare nudibrancs, pygmy seahorse, leaf scorpion fish, blue ribbon eels, black sand diving with all its treasures and underwater hot springs that support this very unique marine environment. Night dive here too or head on over to Gili Banta for the chance for Star Gazers and coral cat shark.
Day 4: Current depending, we start the day at GPS Point Gili Banta famous for its sharks and pelagic fishes. Then we enter the Komodo National Park and for more exhilarating blue water/fish soup diving !Gili Lawalaut has several great dives – if the tide is right we hunt grey reef shark and dolphin at Taka Toko Gili Lawalaut. Lighthouse Reef and The Old Passage offer fast drifts with pelagics, maybe manta ! Crystal Rock offers awesome soft corals in gold and orange hues plus the chance for sharks, turtles, Giant Maori wrasse, a ‘fish soup” dive. Tonight we dive the famous Pink Beach – spectacular colours and Frogfish, slipper lobster, basket stars, robust sea cucumbers unique to the area plus more !
Day 5: Start your day with an exciting visit to Loh Liang Komodo National Park to walk with the dragons ! And as we quietly walk through the bush setting look out for Komodo dragons, deer, wild boar and birds. Then relax as we cruise south to dive the Three Sisters or Pillarsteen at Padar Island. Next stop is a diver’s paradise – Horseshoe Bay Rinja Island – home of one of the top 10 dives in the world- Cannibal Rock – an abundance of corals, sponges, ascidians, sea apples, black corals, turtle, cuttlefish, loadsof reef fishes too ! Here we can also watch dragons scavenging on the beach, monkey, deer, wild pigs along the shore, go beach combing…. Maybe even a chance to follow whales and dolphin feeding in the calm bay. We overnight at this peaceful place, diving at one of the many fabulous spots.
Day 6: More world class dives today as we relax in Horseshoe Bay Rinja Island – the Yellow Wall of Texas is absolutely stunning covered with enormous yellow soft corals. Go slowly along the wall looking for unique creatures but don’t forget to look out into the blue to see what’s coming by…maybe e make a deep dive to check if the tiny yellow pygmy seahorses are on the giant gorgonians at depth. Nusa Kode offers more walls and critter chances coupled with white tip reef sharks etc ! Torpedo Alley is famous for its “electric” rays and perhaps one of the best night dives of your life for critter fanciers.
Day 7: Today we’ll head on over to Manta Alley to watch in awe as these magnificent creatures feed, play and get cleaned at the many cleaning stations. In the afternoon we can check out more big fish dives maybe at Loh Serah, Tatawa Kecil or the infamous “Current City” Batu Bolong – come face to face with reef sharks, turtles and giant Wrasse. Many good night dives around here – Gili Darat is great for sleeping turtles, colourful reef stonefish, Spanish dancers – calm sea – a good place to sleep.
Day 8: The diving around Gili Lawalaut, Tatawa Kecil, Gili Darat is so awesome you will all want more so today we make 2-3 dives in clear arm blue waters – loads of fish both big and small. Then we’ll head off for a night dive at either Gili Banta or maybe Batu Putih in Sumbawa – both interesting sites. Overnight we cruise back to Satonda and Sumbawa – solar powered nudibrancs, ghost pipefish anyone?
Day 9: We enjoy two good dives around Sumbawa and Moyo Islands – a chance to shoot anything you missed at the trip beginning. Then the crew wash your equipment for you while you relax on the sundeck or downloading your pictures, enjoying our trip eo as well just before dinner with all your new friends.
Day 10: After breakfast we transfer you ashore to continue your vacation…or its time to head home to start planning your next Mermaid cruise ! Total Dives:28
