Vessels
Indo Siren
Indo Siren (Rachel Lee Horsfield)
The 40-metre Indo Siren was built in Sulawesi from ironwood and teak and in the style of a gaft-rigged Phinisi and commenced cruises in spring 2011. The Worldwide Dive and Sail team have used valuable lessons from their previous sailing yachts to incorporate features that offer luxurious comfort and safety and are proud to say “built by divers for divers”. Indo Siren can take up to 16 divers in 8 spacious, air-conditioned, luxury cabins which offer a choice of bed configurations. Cabins 1 and 3 have queen-sized beds. Cabins 4 and 5 can be configured as double or twin beds and Cabins 6 and 7 have three single beds, but are only ever allocated to two guests unless requested as triples by families or friends. Cabin 8 has a double bed. Each of Indo Siren’s cabins has a personal computer, audio visual system and en suite bathrooms. Luxury touches such as hair dryers, individually controlled lighting and air-conditioning, along with a massage service and a laundry service mean that quality is not compromised. There is an expansive leisure deck area for relaxation and an air-conditioned saloon with cocktail bar, large flat screen and computer server supporting the inter-cabin network. The covered outdoor dining area offers super sea views while one enjoys some gourmet dining.
Special services for underwater photographers include individual computers in each cabin along with multiple power outlets. The computer has a large flat screen and is integrated in to the yacht’s network server. There are workstations for the preparation and maintenance of cameras and large rinse tanks used only for cameras and videos. Diving usually takes place from one of Indo Siren’s two powerful zodiacs. Nitrox is included in the holiday price for all nitrox certified divers.
Safety is of paramount importance, so Indo Siren has been designed and constructed to the highest safety standards based on Lloyd’s Standards, the leading international body of maritime safety standards. The crew is specially trained in all aspects of safety, including emergency and evacuation procedures. The yacht is equipped with life rafts, life jackets, fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, emergency long distance radios and satellite phones. Indo Siren operates a series of 10 nights cruises to Komodo National Park, operating out of Bima on the island of Sumbawa, from April to October.
Example cruise itineraries:
KOMODO (10 nights)
Day 1: After arriving in Bima you will transfer to Indo Siren to begin your voyage. In the afternoon you will perform a check dive in Bima Bay, home to frogfish and numerous their small critters. Day 2: At Sangeang Island & Gili Banta the lava ridges and volcanic sands make for a day of macro delights. Day 3: On your first day in Komodo National Park, the action hots up with dives at Castle or Crystal Rocks where sharks, Manta Rays and plenty of schooling fish will join you. Day 4: Not for the faint hearted! The current swept sites of Komodo make for some thrilling diving and the pelagics love it too! Day 5: Spend the morning ashore on Rinca where you can see the Komodo Dragons! In the afternoon you will dive the famous ‘Cannibal Rock’ and ‘Torpedo Alley’ where pygmy seahorses, rhinopias and scorpionfish all hide out. Day 6: Head into Southern Komodo for some more peaceful diving and shallow coral sites. Day 7: ‘Manta Alley’ attracts large numbers of Manta Rays waiting to be cleaned. You may need to hold on to a nearby rock as the currents can mean that kneeling down is not possible. Day 8: Another hectic day as you return to the ‘Current City’ to see more Manta Rays, reef sharks and bumphead parrotfish. The afternoon dives calm down a little with some lovely walls. Day 9: Your final day in Komodo National Park means that you finish the trip on a high with somre more current fuelled dives and large pelagics. Day 10: Morning dives in Bima Bay will leave critter lovers wishing for more! Day 11: Disembark Indo Siren.
RAJA AMPAT (10 nights)
Cruise itinerary: Day 1: Meet a crew member at Sorong airport and board Indo Siren. Day 2: Diving at Batanta Island is a muck divers dream come true. Here you can hope to find Mimic octopus, wonderpus and dragonets amongst other macro delights. Day 3: On your first day in the Misool area you’ll be amazed at the underwater scenery. Channels, walls and caves are replete with soft corals and packed with fish. You can also hope to see more than one variety of pygmy seahorse. Day 4: Wide angle photographers will delight with what Pulau Wayilbatan and Pulau Kalig have to offer. The channels here are home to impressve sea fans and scenery and the fish are always willing to pose! Day 5: Today you’ll visit some of the fishiest sites in Misool. Batfish, damselfish and fusiliers abound and the waters surrounding the islands and sea mounts here attract schools of tuna, barracuda, snapper and grouper. Day 6: Diving at Gam can be a thrilling affair with currents brining plenty of fish in. Wobbegong sharks are often seen here. Citrus Ridge is so names for the fabulous array of colours to be seen amongst the corals and fish. Day 7: Mansuar Island is famed for its Manta Rays. Here you can rest on a sandy slope and wait for these magnificent creatures to appear and perform. Day 8 & Day 9: Dives at Mansuar and Dampier Strait take you to the ‘cradle of diversity.’ Here Dr Gerald Allen identified 238 species of fish in a single dive! Expect the unexpected and regular visits from sharks including the Wobbegong. Day 10: The last dives of the trip are taken at Batanta Island. Day 11: Disembark Indo Siren at Sorong.
SORONG TO AMBON (10 NIGHTS)
Day 1: After your arrival into Sorong you will meet a crew member and be escorted to Indo Siren. Day 2: You begin the cruise at Waigeo, famous for Manta Ray encounters at this long standing cleaning station. Bring your reef hook! Day 3: Today you can do up to 4 dives at Raja Ampat’s most popular sites at Misool and Farondi. Soft and hard corals, clouds of fish, rich macro life and sharks all reside! Day 4: Spend the day at the Fiabacet Islands located between Kalig and Boo. The pinnacles and channels attract sharks and schooling fish. You’ll also need your reef hook on the soft coral walls. Day 5: At Misool you’ll be amazed with the colours on show and the range of topographic formations, not least the volume of fish! Day 6: Today is a test even for experienced divers! Help to explore the current swept sites of Koon in this relatively uncharted region. Day 7 & Day 8: In the middle of the Banda Sea enjoy the walls and pristine corals at Pulau Run and Pulau Ai. Evening dives allow opportunities to see Mandarin fish. Some shore landings may be possible. Day 9: Today gives the chance to see hammerhead sharks at ‘Ahmed’. Eagle Rays and trevallies abound too. Day 10: The final day of the cruise is spent diving in one of Indonesia’s best muck diving spots; Ambon. Rhinopias, mimic octopus and ghost pipefish as well as plenty of nudibranchs reside here. Day 11: Disembark Indo Siren after breakfast.
KOMODO: Price from about $3776.
Includes: 10 nights cruise on Indo Siren on a twin/share basis with full board, plus coffee, tea, fruit juice, soft drinks, fresh fruit and beer; 8 full days of diving (up to 4 dives a day including night dives) plus one or two on the last day; air or Nitrox fills; dive gear including wetsuite, fins, regulator, BCD; escorted shore excursions where appropriate; airport transfers.
Reduction for non-divers.
A port/national park fee of €65 (subject to change) is payable on board.
RAJA AMPAT: from around $4096.
Includes: 10 nights cruise on Indo Siren on a twin/share basis with full board, plus coffee, tea, fruit juice, soft drinks, fresh fruit and beer; 5 full days of diving (up to 4 dives per day); air or Nitrox fills; escorted shore excursions where appropriate.
Reduction for non-divers.
Airport/hotel transfers are not included, but local taxis are inexpensive.
A port/national park fee of €110 (subject to change) is payable on board.
Single Occupancy Supplement: 80% of the cruise cost (but you can avoid paying the supplement if you are willing to share a cabin).