Explore the remote Indonesian Islands of Sambit, Maratua, Sanglaki, & Kakaban. Get away from the crowds and enjoy diving as it was meant to be! Here you will find both large and small marine life in abundance; potential for thresher sharks, manta rays, white-tips & nurse sharks, huge schools of barracuda, many turtles, and even Whale Shark! Not to mention plenty of macro life to keep even the most experienced of divers happy. Plus there is a chance to swim amongst millions of non-stinging jellyfish in the fresh water Lake of Kakaban. Price per person:
- USD 3,200 (upper & main deck)
- USD 2,900 (lower deck)
Sample Itinerary
Note; all schedules are subjected to changes according to weather, sea, diving, & local conditions.
Day 1. (0 dives) 2pm, trip departure day. Our staff will meet you upon your arrival to Tarakan Airport or local hotel and transfer you to the awaiting White Manta. Warm welcome & briefing while we sail to Derawan (9-11 hours). Note: There is no diving on trip departure day. First dives will take place on the first morning, usually at Derawan Island for check out dives.
Day 2. (3-4 dives) Diving around Sangalaki looking for manta rays, turtles & more! We also have a chance to visit the beach to watch hatching baby turtles make their dash to the sea!
Day 3-4. (4 dives x2 days) Diving around Maratua island; huge schools of chevron barracudas, and big-eye jacks at the mouth of the channel. Look out for the shark action with possible sightings of hammerhead sharks too!
Day 5. (3-4 dives) Diving around Kakaban with stunning wall dives & visiting the amazing fresh water Jellyfish lake.
Day 6. (4 dives) Diving around Sambit Island with it pristine corals, abundant marine life, and amazing visibility. Heaps of turtles plus look in the blue for sharks & visiting whale shark!
Day 7. (1-2 dives) Looking for whale sharks at local fishing “bagans” then sail back to Tarakan (sailing time 9-11 hours). Plenty of time to wash & dry equipment, rest & relaxation, and if need be, an early flight on trip departure day. Last night sleeping on White Manta in the Tarakan harbour.
Day 8. (0 dives) 5am-12pm. Check out after light breakfast, farewells, and transfer to local hotel or airport. Departure from Tarakan to Jakarta with Batik Air or Bali (via Subabaya) with Lion Air.
Diving days: 7 days (22 dives, including substituting dives for island tours)
Sangalaki in the Derawan Archipelago, East Kalimantann, the Indonesian side of Borneo. You can enter by flying from Bali via Surabaya, or direct via Jakarta. International arrivals should plan to arrive to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Jakarta (CGK) or Denpasar Airporr, Bali (DPS) the evening before trip departure allowing you to take a morning connecting light onwards to Tarakan (TRK).
Embarkation / Disembarkation - Tarakan (TRK), North Kalimantan, Indonesia.
How to get to Tarakan (TRK), Indonesia
We recommend guests plan to arrive to Tarakan no later than the afternoon of trip departure day. Our crew will collect you from the airport & transfer you to the waiting New White Manta where your cabin will be waiting.
Batik Air have daily direct flights from Jakarta (CGK) to Tarakan (TRK) departing 10:00 arriving 13:35.
From Bali (DPS), you can connect with Lion Air 07:00-07:45 or Super Air Jet 07:15-08:00 to Jakarta then connect with above Batik Air flight.
From Singapore: It is possible to fly early morning with Singapore Airlines (SQ 950) departing at 06:20 & arriving at 7am, allowing you to take an onward domestic flight same day with Batik Air.
From Singapore (SIN) you can slo go the day before via direct to Balikpapan (BPN) now available three times a week (Mon/Wed/Fri) with Scoot. Daily morning flights from Balikpapan (BPN) to Tarakan (TRK) are available with Citilink and Super Air Jet.
How to get from Tarakan (TRK), Indonesia
Back to Bali (DPS) with Lion Air, who offer daily morning flights via Surabaya (SUB), departing 07:00 arriving 11:05.
Back to Jakarta (CGK) with Batik Air departing 14:15 arriving 16:05. Citilink also offer flights (Sun, Mon, Wed & Friday only) back to Jakarta via Balikpapan (BPN) departing 13:00 arriving 14:45.
Back to Singapore, same day with Singapore Airlines from Jakarta.
Site Information
- Water Temp: 28-30 degrees Celsius
- Air Temp: 28-30 degrees Celsius
- Visibility: 10-40 meters,
- Currents: mild to medium,
- Level: intermediate to advanced,
- Best Time to Dive: all year round
What to See/ Highlights: Pelagic; Manta rays, hammerheads, barracuda, jacks, tuna, & more Reef; amazing soft corals, turtles, leopard & reef sharks, harlequin shrimps, pygmy seahorses, frogfish, ribbon eels, cuttlefish, nudis, & usual suspects
What's included?
- Round trip transfer local Hotel/Airport - Boat
- All nights' accommodation on Boat
- All meals (Western & Indonesian) snacks, hot beverages, coffee, tea, Milo, soft drinks
- Towels, toiletries, & cabin services
- FOC replacement if equipment breakdown
- Warm towel & drink after every dive
- Regular Air Tanks, weights, belt, 5 dive guides (1x Instructor, 4x Dive Masters)
What's excluded?
- All flights & hotels stay
- Marine Park & Harbour fee
- Dive & Travel insurance
- Fuel surcharge (if applicable). Please see our Booking Information page 'Fuel surcharge' section for more details and fees per person.
- Massage services
- Laundry services
- Nespresso coffee, alcohol; beer & wine
- Satellite Wi-Fi
- Diving Gear; dive computer, torch, large tank rental, BCD, regulator, wetsuit, fins mask.
- Nitrox Enriched Air fills
Note; Nitrox & Diving Gear Items priced per diving day and are subject to availability.
Note: Exposure suits; 3mm shorty wetsuits available ONLY.
Trip Schedule
Departure: 2pm, 1st day - Tarakan, North Kalimantan. Or earlier if everyone arrives before and all trip preparations have been completed. Free transfer from local hotel or Juwata International Airport, Tarakan (TRK) to White Manta on trip departure day (transfer time: 15-20 mins)
Return: 5am, last day - Tarakan, North Kalimantan. After a light breakfast and fond farewells, we take you to the Airport in time for check-in & flight or local hotel. Note: Latest WM Check-out, midday.
Last dive ends: 12pm (midday), penultimate day. Plenty of time for R&R while we sail back to Tarakan where we spend last night on White Manta. This also allows for your minimum 18 hours surface interval/ No Fly Time (as recommended by PADI) before flying next day.
Event Venue
New White Manta, 91 White Rd, Ballston Spa, NY 12020-2119, United States,Ballston Spa, New York
