News
Dive Safari Asia: Alor and Komodo Trip Report

What an awesome trip this was! We all met in Bali at the airport hotel for dinner and a couple of beers and then had an early night to try and get ahead of jetlag. The following morning we met for a delicious breakfast buffet and then were off to domestic departures to catch our flights to Alor via Kupang.
On arrival in Alor we were greeted by the resort drivers and set off on an hour long drive on a mostly unpaved road through the gorgeous countryside to reach Alami Alor. Tucked away on a remote corner of Alor, the resort is absolutely fabulous. We were greeted by friendly staff, welcome drinks and a delicious Indonesian inspired family style lunch. The rest of the afternoon was spent unpacking and relaxing on the sun-loungers and hammocks on each of the six chalet’s private verandas.
After a delicious Indonesian dinner and freshly baked cake we were off to bed in preparation for a full day of diving the following day. After a hearty breakfast we set off on the two fiberglass speedboats to the first dive site which was only 30 mins away, which is typical in this area. From the get-go the diving had us all enthralled, with exceptionally healthy reefs and an abundance of fish and critters, the clear water and absence of current was ideal. Day one, we saw seven individual rhinopias, frogfish and sea snakes on spectacularly colourful reefs!
The diving was exciting and varied, with sites ranging from deep walls, to sloping fringing reefs, to sandy muck sites. The currents can be strong and unpredictable but the staff are very experienced and able to judge conditions well before each dive, changing dive sites when necessary. The house reef at Alami Alor is a treat and is available to be dived at any time. Here there are resident mandarin fish which come out around sunset, as well as frogfish, pipefish, octopus and more.
Between many of the dives we came across pods of melon-head dolphins and lots of mola-mola sunning themselves on the surface. Some guests chose to snorkel with these strange ocean giants.
On the days following new moon we ventured to a particular sea mound about 45 minutes from the resort in search of hammerhead sharks. We were lucky enough to see a school of over 40 individuals which swam in circles around us for some time, at about 25m. Then we drifted along spotting dozens of black tip reef sharks, schooling barracuda and also a squadron of eight eagle rays. What a dive!
After a very happy and exciting week of diving, in which we were lucky enough to see not only the schooling hammerheads, but harlequin shrimp, mimic octopus, too many frogfish, sea horses, pipefish and nudis to count, to name a few, it was time for an early morning departure and a day’s travelling to reach Komodo Resort. Lauren from Alami baked almond muffins for the road, even though we had eaten her freshly baked cakes twice daily since arrival!
Upon arrival we were greeted with cold face clothes and welcome drinks and after a quick shower we met for a delicious Italian a la carte dinner and drinks at the bar.
The following morning we started diving. The diving in the area is characterised by good visibility, healthy reefs, sometimes-strong currents and lots of fish. And boy did it deliver. On the first day we went to a dive site where we were lucky enough to spend most of the dive surrounded by inquisitive manta rays circling us. And the diving didn’t disappoint going forward either. The sites are motly fringing reefs, pinnacles, sandy slopes and small walls. Some of the highlights of the week included the manta rays, pygmy sea horses, ghost pipefish and frogfish.
With two morning dives about 1-1.5 hours from the resort, back for Indonesian a la carte lunch, and an afternoon dive at a nearby site, with some night dives too, we were able to enjoy a variety of marine life sightings. On our last day, after two morning dives, we travelled to Rinca island to see the Komodo dragons in the wild. We had many sightings and a beautiful walk around the island, a spectacular way to off-gas.
Unfortunately, as happens, all good things come to an end and after 13 days together we returned to Bali and parted ways with smiles and promises to keep in touch and go diving together again soon.
Bernita is a Tour Leader for UK-based tour operator Dive Safari Asia. To find out more, visit www.divesafariasia.com.
Blogs
My Aruba Dive Adventure: Amazing Reefs, Epic Wrecks, and a New Furry Friend

If you’re new to this blog, then I am Mia DaPonte and I share my life underwater with you after I got certified as the youngest female Master Scuba Diver in the USA! You can also follow me and all my adventures on Instagram: @underwaterwithmia.
Last week my family and I returned from our vacation in Aruba, where we did lots of fun activities, and my mom and I went diving with AJ and Aruba Premier Boat and Dive.
Before you think I’m going to say it’s not great diving—it’s actually amazing! Aruba diving is truly an experience, but it all depends on who you go with. On our first day, AJ took us to the Antilla wreck. It is SOOOO cool—maybe one of my favorite wreck dives yet (but I haven’t seen too many wrecks). AJ told us the story of the Antilla wreck, and guess what? It is the largest wreck in the Caribbean! AJ guided us through the wreck. It was filled with fish and moray eels. We saw a sea turtle! My most favorite part of this dive was getting to go through some of the easier parts of the wreck. I am really liking wreck diving and want to do more!
The second dive that day, I got to choose a reef or a wreck. I chose another wreck that was more pieces than a full ship. It’s so cool to see wreckage at the bottom of the ocean, especially when I hear about why it’s there and can imagine the story while I dive.
For our second day of diving, we met AJ on the other side of the island. The goal for this day was to see some beautiful reefs! Both dives this day were beautiful. There were so many colorful corals. We saw a stingray and tons of beautiful tropical fish.
It was a lot of fun diving in Aruba, where the waters are clear. I would definitely want to come back and dive in Aruba—especially with AJ! He was so fun and told great stories. I learned so much about the island from him. Side note: during surface intervals, AJ served us butter and Gouda cheese sandwiches and they were so delicious! Oh—and he gave me and my mom great tips on how to treat the sunburns we got on our first day on the island. Haha.
The rest of the vacation was family time. We spent time relaxing on the white sandy beaches, went to the Aruba waterpark, ate at lots of delicious restaurants, shopped, and spent whole days swimming. The waterpark was a lot of fun and they had some bigger slides for older kids. My personal opinion is that the waterpark is made more for younger kids than older ones—my younger brother loved it—but it was still a good day.
Diving is always a favorite for me, but on this trip something else was even better. This was my favorite part: We were at the airport on our way home, and we were unusually early for our flight. Anyway, I knew my parents had a surprise for my brother and me, but when I asked them, they told us it was just a painting being delivered (not really a great lie, but it worked). I was just on my phone and my brother was playing video games while we waited. We didn’t even notice at first, but then my mom walked up to us with a little puppy in her arms.
He was a surprise that my mom and dad adopted from the Sgt. Pepper’s Rescue on the island! I was so excited to have a new puppy—and he’s the coolest island cunucu mutt! It was the best surprise ever. Now we have a new family member! I think it’s OK to talk about him in this blog. We, of course, named him “Reef”! It fits with my scuba theme.
Thank you for reading my blogs—this one might just be my favorite. See you next time!
Book your next dive adventure in Aruba with AJ:
Call: +297-7445406 or +297-744-2009
Email: arubapremiere@gmail.com
Gear Reviews
Gear Review: Atomic Frameless Mask (Watch Video)

In a video produced exclusively for Scubaverse.com, Jeff Goodman reviews the Frameless Mask from Atomic Aquatics.
For more information about products from Atomic Aquatics, visit www.atomicaquatics.com.
Sea & Sea is the home of Atomic Aquatics and other leading diving brands in the UK.
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