Adelaar Cruises

Adelaar Cruises

Adelaar Cruises sail the Indonesian Archipelago from Bail, eastwards to Alor, and offers a select series of itineraries along this route. This area of Indonesia is rich in natural history and is just as fascinating above the water as it is below. Adelaar Cruises focus’ their trips on diving and snorkeling, with an assortment of cultural excursions. So whether you are a seasoned diver, an occasional snorkeler, or just along for the adventure, Adelaar Cruises will welcome you as an individual traveler or as a small group as a yacht for charter.

Itineraries

Adelaar Cruises specializes in trips in and around Komodo National Park. However, they do offer other itineraries around Indonesia throughout the year so there will always be something new for you to choose from whether it’s your 1st or 5th trip onboard! 

 

Unique to Adelaar Cruises are their Manta, Whale Shark and Coral itineraries. Read about these in the tabs below. 

Whale Shark Specials

Twice a year we invite a marine biologist from Conservation International to join us & explore an exciting new destination, where a permanent aggregate of whale sharks have recently been discovered. Conservation International has been instrumental in tagging the sharks and educating the local villages on conservation measures to preserve the habitat of these gentle giants. They will be giving presentations about their work with Indonesia’s whale shark population and how we can help them in their endeavors. Our whale shark excursions are a part of our Bali-Komodo routes. Each departure timed to coincide with a new moon, which is apparently the best time for an encounter.

 

Contact us today to book your spot on one of these special trips.

Manta Ray Specials

Manta rays are regularly encountered in the Komodo National Park. However, for true manta lovers, there are never enough mantas. One of our Komodo routes will be slightly adjusted to spend more time in areas of Komodo preferred by mantas. We invite a marine biologist to join us on these special trips. She/he talks about her work in the field, and what they are doing to help protect these elegant and graceful creatures. Through their presentation, they’ll explain everything there is to know about mantas, including that they are no longer called “mantas”. Our Manta special itinerary varies depending on the season and the availability of our specialist.

 

Contact us today to book your spot on one of these special trips.

Coral Reef Specials

All Adelaar’s routes being located on the coral triangle, it seemed like a must for us to organize a trip dedicated to Coral Reef rehabilitation. While only covering 1.6% of the planet’s oceanic area, the region has 76% of all known coral species in the world. On these special cruises, we’ll host a coral specialist who’ll lead a course about corals, workshops and identification games, as well as an excursion to a coral rehabilitation center on the North coast of Sumbawa.

 

Contact us today to book your spot on one of these special trips.

Deck Plans

Vessel Specifications
 Name: Adelaar
 Rigging: Dutch Schooner
 Length: 127ft
 Beam: 18ft
 Draft: 8ft
 Cruising Speed: 6.5 to 7.5 knots
 Engine: Mercedes Marine Diesel (380 HP)
 Fresh Water: Sea Recovery Watermaker
 Power: Generators (25 kVA-65 kVA) for 24 hour electrical power
 Electronics:
 Furuno GPS
 Satellite Compass
 Koden Radar
 AIS System
 Raymarine Depth Sounder
 
 Compressors: 3 Bauer Capitano Dive Compressors
 Tanks: 80 cubic feet Aluminum Tanks with INT Valves/Adaptors (100 cubic feet tanks available upon request)
 Tenders: 2 Aluminum tenders, each manned with 2 crew
 Hartenberger underwater dive lamps
 Assorted mixture of spare gear
 NITROX Membrane System
 
Safety: 
10 Nautilus Lifeline Marine Rescue Radio with GPS
 Life Vests, EPIRB Emergency Beacon & Flares
 Man Overboard Pole with attached life vest & flashing light
Two Life Rafts for 24 people with provisions for over 30 days
Medical grade oxygen with flow meter and mask, ambu bag
First Aid Kit
Adelaar Komodo Liveaboard

adrlaar cruises sample itinerary komodo

Day 1: Welcome to Adelaar! (2 dives)

Boarding is from the port town of Labuan Bajo, Flores and will be from 11:00 AM onwards, depending on flight arrival times. Our team will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the harbor. As soon as everyone is aboard, we depart the harbor, with destination Sabolon island, where we will do 2 check dives. We anchor in a quiet bay for the night.

Day 2: Sangeang Volcano (3 dives)

A very early morning departure, with destination Sangeang, a volcano whose most recent eruption was in 2014. Upon our sunrise approach, Sangeang rises majestically from the sea, emitting the occasional puff of smoke. The black sandy bottom of this site makes for spectacular diving. In places, a steady stream of gaseous sulfur bubbles up from the sand making its way towards the surface. Swimming through, you have the feeling of being in an underwater jacuzzi! We will anchor just outside the village for the night, with a night dive planned. If we arrive early enough, there is a chance to go ashore to visit the village.

Day 3: North Komodo National Park (4 dives)

We depart Sangeang Island very early morning with destination Banta Island, which lies just outside the park boundary. We plan two dives here on Banta’s northern coastline. During lunch, we cross to enter the Komodo National Park and plan our first stop in North West Komodo. Our afternoon and night dive will be in this bay. We anchor here for the night.

Day 4: Prehistoric Day & Central/South Komodo National Park (3 dives)

Dragons! We go ashore at 7:00 AM for a ranger-guided hike into the interior of Komodo Island, to look for Komodo dragons. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the only natural habitat of these giant monitor lizards. The area was designated as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 1991. Once safely back aboard, we move around the corner to our dive site just off Komodo’s famous pink beach. During lunch, we travel south for an afternoon dive along the coast of Komodo. At dusk, we dive Lehok Sera to search for the elusive mandarin fish.

Day 5: South Komodo Island & South Rinca (4 dives)

This morning, we move to the extreme southern end of Komodo Island to our dive site, Manta Alley. This area typically has much cooler temperatures with nutrient-rich waters, perfect for Mantas! After our two dives here, we enjoy lunch as the boat moves to Southern Rinca to an area known as Nusa Kode. With the towering cliff walls surrounding all sides, the landscape in this remote destination is breathtaking. Between dives, we board the dinghy and head towards the shore, to get up close to the resident dragon population. After the sun sets, we prepare for a night dive, and then a late dinner.

Day 6: South Rinca & Padar Island  (4 dives)

This morning, we are diving the South East corners of Horseshoe Bay in Nusa Koda. At lunch, we move north to Padar for an afternoon dive. Just before sunset, we go ashore and hike across Padar to a beautiful crescent bay, with a perfect view of the sunset. Alternately, for those who prefer to be underwater, a night dive is planned.

Day 7: Padar Island & Central Komodo National Park (4 dives)

We enter the central park area, also known as ‘current city’. This area of the park is subjected to the strong tidal currents that run through the Lintah Strait, bringing with them, plenty of marine life. These currents make for lots of action and exhilarating drift dives. Mantas are often seen in these parts. We spend the next two days diving the central park dive sites, with a night dive planned each evening.

Day 8: Sebayur & Pungu (3 dives)

Our last diving days are spent around the island of Sebayur just north of the park. For the afternoon, keeping our no-fly time in mind, we plan a tour of the Atlas Pearl Farm on Pulau Pungu. With their environmentally friendly approach, they assure a healthy eco-system, essential for the finest white and silver pearls to be grown. We anchor here for the night.

Day 9: Thanks for joining us!

We arrive in Labuan Bajo in the morning at 7:00 AM. Disembark after breakfast for your onward journey.

sample itinerary alor & forgotten islands

Day 1: Maumere, Flores (2 dives)

A domestic flight from the island of Bali or Jakarta brings you to the harbor town of Maumere on the island of Flores. You are greeted at the airport by our staff and transferred to your hotel (on the day before departure) or to the harbor where Adelaar is anchored (on the day of departure). Once onboard, we plan to do check dives close by, then sail onwards through the night towards North Lembata.

Day 2: North Lembata (3 dives)

Awake and enjoy a coffee on the deck as we start our first full day of diving in this remote location with stunning topographical features and beauty. The narrow strait allows for a steady flow of currents bringing deep water nutrients up to feed the lush corals and marine life. Off in the blue, pelagic creatures often make an appearance. In between dives, keep an eye on the horizon for passing cetaceans, as fall is whale migration season.

Day 3: Komba Volcano (3 dives)

The remote Komba volcano rises majestically on the horizon, venting a plume of smoke which has been caught by the wind and streams off in the distance. Colorful coral thrives beneath the surface, starkly contrasting against the dark sand. Streams of bubbles, created when built-up pressure is released, make their way to the surface, along the slopes of Komba.

Day 4: Pantar Strait (3-4 dives)

West of Pantar Island in the Savu Sea, world-class dive sites around the untouched islands, await us. These small islets tend to attract congregations of fish, along the colorful Indian Ocean reefs. We explore the underwater walls, drop-offs, slopes, valleys and ridges of the islands of Pantar, Pura and Ternate.

Diving the pristine site of “Anemone Valley” we drift above the expansive seabed which is completely covered with anemones and clownfish. Be sure to keep one eye out to the blue water, where thresher sharks can often be spotted!

Just off the shore of Pulau Ternate, dozens of women approach Adelaar in their dugout canoes, displaying colorful ikats. Woven in unique patterns learned from their mothers, each textile can be traced back to a specific village, and are of course, for sale.

Day 5: Kalabahi Bay (2-3 dives)

This morning, we enter the village of the Abui tribe, fierce warriors, until 1984. They welcome us in ceremonial dress and perform the lego lego, an ancient dance passed down through the generations. On our way back to the harbor, we make a stop in the traditional market and a local museum, to further experience Alor’s rich natural history. In the afternoon, our planned dives in Kalabahi Bay will be refreshing after the morning excursion.

Day 6: Pantar Strait (3-4 dives)

Several islands line the Straits of Pantar, where picturesque villages cling to steep rocky slopes. The tiny remote village of Beangabang, built around a church and situated on a black sand beach, hosts the dive site appropriately named “Religious critters”. During our safety stops, we look upwards to the surface in search of local fishermen in traditional hand-carved outriggers. Their children love jumping in the water with their unique homemade glass goggles and swimming down to greet divers, with their big friendly smiles.

Day 7: Lamalera Bay (3 dives)

In the early morning, we leave Alor and make our way to Lamalera, home of the last whaling village in Indonesia. The dive sites in this bay are home to mantas and pilot whales, as well as a host of other pelagics, who are attracted to the strong currents. Alternately, we have planned the dive site, “Shark Plateau” a pinnacle, near the island of Lembata, should the current be too strong in Lamalera.

Day 8: Lamakera/Larantuka (3 dives)

This morning, we go ashore on Larantuka island, to visit the Fisherman’s Cooperative, set up by the Misool Foundation to encourage and promote alternatives to unethical fishing habits among the local population. In the afternoon, we will dive “Gedong” and then do our last night dive of the trip.

Day 9-10: Forgotten Islands (6-7 dives)

Day 11: Thanks for joining us!

 

Gallery

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Call us today at (800) 737-3483 to book your yacht for hire with Adelaar Cruises. Or simply reserve your vacation online by clicking below.

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