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South Forgotten Islands
The South Forgotten Islands comprise parts of eastern Nusa Tenggara and some of the southernmost islands of the Maluku Archipelago of Indonesia.
They include the remote islands of east Flores, Alor, Wetar and a string of atolls and islets quite close to northern Australia. The further east you travel the less populated they become.
As with many places is Indonesia, this region is also home to a large number of volcanoes. It adds to the incredible beauty of the area.
Our trip covered a distance of 770 nautical miles or 1400 km. So it is best done on a comfortable liveaboard.
This area is known for its large population of truly incredible giant sponges.
Most of the diving is done around pristine coral reefs that are not explored a lot and rarely get dived. Often you will find shallow top reefs teeming with life that eventually drop off vertically into walls full of coral and sponges.
Diving at small offshore islands provides almost unlimited visibility. A good example is the small volcanic island of Komba (see photo right). Mt. Batutara, its volcano, constantly sends steam and ash into the air.
At Alor you can combine critter diving with stunning reef wall exploration. Alor’s Pantar strait is known for strong currents and cold upwellings. Be prepared. See also my separate dive destination https://www.leonidbaur.com/alor
The Banda Sea is quite deep and along migration routes for whales, so surface sightings of Sperm and Blue Whales are not uncommon.
