About the trip
Join this Whale Shark Expedition from Bali with Tim Harvey on board the luxurious Pindito. We will be snorkelling (diving too, if you want), watching Komodo dragons, finding manta rays, relaxing on remote beaches with cocktails and exploring pristine coral reef. But the sheer highlight of this trip is to spend quiet time in the company of filter-feeding whale sharks. Just south east of Moyo is the bay of Saleh. Here is where we will visit the traditional fishing boats ‘Bagan’ that attract anchovies and krill. The locals and whale sharks have formed a relationship and the whale sharks come to feed on catch that spills over. This is your chance to snorkel with a few whale sharks.
Relax and enjoy the customer hospitality
If you have experienced Balinese hospitality before, you’ll know how good that is. Now imagine being on board a small ship where all your daily needs are taken care of. Where all you need to do is step off into a warm ocean and be guided to see some of the world’s most amazing wildlife. Needless to say, this is an exceptional journey to be doing on board the world famous Pindito.
Make a booking / enquire now
Either sign up with a 20% deposit, or for more information, contact Simon Mustoe or Tim Harvey.
Enquire
TIM HARVEY – Email: lesliecreek@gmail.com Phone: +61 (0) 410 145 001
SIMON MUSTOE – Email: simon@wildiaries.com Phone: +61 (0) 405 220 830
Swimming with whale sharks
This is a serene experience. If you imagine swims like in Ningaloo, this is very different. The whale sharks will be swimming around us. We are also remote enough not to be around crowds of people. And our group size is small, usually fewer than 14 guests.
Dates, price and route for the Whale Shark Expedition from Bali
- 29 Jul – 9 Aug 2024 (11 nights), Bali to Bali
- Price from USD5391 pp twin share
About Pindito
Come and snorkel in the world epicentre of biodiversityWhat is the definition of biodiversity? When we ask, what is the definition of biodiversity? It depends on what we want to do with it. The term is widely and commonly misused, leading to significant misinterpretation of the importance of how animals function on Earth and why they matter a great deal, to human survival. Here I will try to More. A lifetime’s knowledge of conditions and no fixed itineraries means everyone is treated to calm and spectacular experiences.
Pindito is not your average dive liveaboard. Our 30 years of experience means we understand conditions better than most other operators. Our clientele tend to be either above-average in terms of experience, or looking for a mixture of diving and non-diving experiences. Many of our trips have diving / non-diving couples and a range of snorkelers from regular to occasional – even some people with little or no prior experience.
About the whale sharks
Whale Sharks move seasonally from coastal upwelling zones in the Ceram Sea, Halmahera Sea and eastern Banda Islands in the southeast monsoon, to congregate at higher densities during the northeast monsoon, in coastal areas and inlets of the Flores Sea, Cenderwasih and Kaimana.
Whale Sharks response to seasonal change and role in nutrientA substance that contains the raw materials for life. At a chemical level, these are contained inside compounds that are absorbed into the body and essential energy-containing molecules are extracted, so that energy can be transformed into other chemical processes that use the energy for living. More amplificationAmplification (of nutrients and energy). Animals consume plants and other animals and in doing so, reintroduce important energy-containing nutrients back into the environment, at even higher concentrations and in patches. Amplification of energy is driven by migration and happens at every scale, from insects moving daily in and out of your vegetable patch, to African wildebeest herds and the seasonal More
The annual cycle of movement of large marine vertebrates can be seen in data from satellite-tracked Whale Sharks. During the northwest monsoon (below, right), sharks congregate inshore, aggregating around Kaimana, Cenderwasih and the northern coastline of Flores and Nusa Tengarra islands (blue dots). It’s at these times that they associate with the local fishers. This is when we can see them. During the southeast monsoon (below, left), sharks congregate offshore in the upwelling zones of the Seram Sea and the margins of the continental slope between the Banda Sea and Arafura Sea (blue dots).
Being large-bodied filter feeders, like Blue Whales, this species moves to areas of predictable seasonal planktonA soup of micro-organisms. Usually refers to all the zooplankton and algae in the ocean but can also be used to describe tiny insects in the atmosphere (see aerial plankton). More so is more likely to be found where there are significant environmental gradients.
Nevertheless, movement into coastal areas such as Kaimana, Cenderwasih and Saleh Bay (Sumbawa) in the northwest monsoon may be to follow other vertebrates, which would congregate in coastal areas as overall nutrientEnergy and nutrients are the same thing. Plants capture energy from the Sun and store it in chemicals, via the process of photosynthesis. The excess greenery and waste that plants create, contain chemicals that animals can eat, in order to build their own bodies and reproduce. When a chemical is used this way, we call it a nutrient. As we More levels fall and the most intense biological activity is focused in nearshore areas.
Why this is this Whale Shark Expedition from Bali the right trip for you
This is a low-impact way to explore the islands of Indonesia and see incredible wildlife in the company of local people.
- Pindito is locally owned and operated, with much of the crew extended family of its Swiss-Indonesian owners.
- While originally set up as a liveaboard, Pindito guests are often non-divers. If you do wish to dive, you can. Gear is available to hire on board.
- There are only 16 guests and plenty of space on board to get away from it all, or hang out with friends, old and new. You decide what you want to do and the crew will look after you.
- In twelve days, your journey will use no more than about 150 litres of fuel per person. With local crew and locally-sourced food, this is a very sustainable alternative to the larger cruise vessels.
- The most experienced team in Indonesia will accommodate you and look after you, and take to secret locations that only they know best (and other ships can’t get into).
- Pindito has an impeccable safety approach and safety record, having been fully serviced and refurbished twice the pandemic.
- Twin stabilisers in the tropical seas north of the islands ensures your journey is incredibly stable (it is rare that anyone gets sea sick on Pindito).
