Found only here
Ambon frogfish
The psychedelic frogfish, discovered in 2008 and found in no other bay in the world.
Laha · Ambon Bay · Maluku, Indonesia
Critters without crowds.
A small, local dive shop right on Ambon Bay, 10 minutes from the airport and 1–5 minutes to the muck. Owner-guided since 2006.
Ambon draws the inevitable comparison to the Lembeh Strait: the same black sand, the same critters. One visiting photographer summed ours up as critters without crowds.
Laha, Ambon BayWhere we are
1–5 min by boatTo the muck sites
5–6 divers maxPer boat
Since 2006Local & owner-guided
What you'll see
Ambon's black sand hides some of the strangest life in the ocean.
Macro divers and underwater photographers come here for animals that are hard to find anywhere else, and one that exists nowhere else at all.
Rhinopias
The weedy scorpionfish Rhinopias frondosa, including the purple morph.
Lembeh velvetfish
The Lembeh signature critter, and it turns up here too.
Octopus
Wonderpus on the open sand, and blue-ringed octopus if you know where to look.
Ghost pipefish & seahorses
Plus mandarinfish, stonefish, and more frogfish species than you'll photograph in a week.
Shrimps, crabs & nudibranchs
Harlequin shrimp, flamboyant cuttlefish, and a vast array of nudibranchs.
Where we dive
Muck first, but not only muck.
Inside the bay it's black sand and critters. Outside it, the reefs open up and the visibility goes with them.
Muck diving
The main event. Slow, close, critter-focused dives on the black sand inside Ambon Bay, built for macro photography. The bay stays quiet and uncrowded.1–5 minutes by boat
Night & blackwater
Night diving in Ambon is exceptional, so bring a torch. Blackwater dives take you out into the open water column after dark.
Reef & wide angle
Outside the bay on the southeast coast: Namalatu, Airlow, Pintu Kota, Seri, Mahiya and Hukurila. Crinoids, big barrel sponges, sea fans and table corals, with fusiliers, bumphead parrotfish and napoleon wrasse. Hukurila's "cave" is really a chimney-like channel in the reef. Visibility is usually over 20 m.
In the colder water around September, bigger animals move through: mobula rays, several shark species, mola mola.30–45 minutes by boat · Area 3 rates apply
The Aquila wreck
The SS Aquila was launched in 1940 as the Duke of Sparta, then bombed and sunk in the bay on 27 May 1958. She's 137 m long and 17 m high, and the hull is intact: stern at about 13 m, bow deck around 30 m, seabed at 35 m. Fifty years of coral growth on top. Visibility depends on the tide.About 25 minutes by boat
Pulau Tiga
Three islands off the west side of Ambon, outside the bay. Healthy, steep coral slopes and a real chance of big fish: tuna, grouper, sometimes dolphins or whales.2 hours by boat
Banda Islands
Multi-day package trips to the Bandas: at least 30 dive sites, huge sea fans, hard coral as far as you can see, and pelagics such as hammerheads, dogtooth tuna and mobula rays. Two itineraries, set by the ferry schedule: 6 days / 5 nights with 12 dives, or 5 days / 4 nights with 9 dives. Minimum 3 divers.
Includes airport transfer to Tulehu harbour, return fast-boat tickets, hotel on a double-share basis, all meals, tanks, weights, boat, guide and conservation fees. Best conditions March–June and September to mid-December.Ask us for the current package price
Prices
Simple, per-dive pricing.
All prices in Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). Minimum 2 dives per day, lunch included.
Fun dive 1–9 divesIDR 500,000 / dive
Fun dive 10+ divesIDR 450,000 / dive
Night diveIDR 600,000 / dive
Blackwater diveIDR 750,000 / dive
Room at the dive shopIDR 400,000 / day
Airport pickup Airport → dive centreIDR 75,000 / person
Every dive includes:
- Tank
- Weight belt
- Boat diving
- Macro guide
Equipment rental
Full setIDR 600,000 / day
BCDIDR 150,000 / day
RegulatorIDR 150,000 / day
WetsuitIDR 100,000 / day
FinsIDR 100,000 / day
BootiesIDR 50,000 / day
MaskIDR 50,000 / day
Private guideIDR 400,000 / day
Dive areas
The boat surcharge is per boat, not per diver, so with 5–6 on board it splits across the group.
Area 1Included
Laha, Kampung Baru, Airmanis, Tawiri.
Area 2+ IDR 1,500,000 / boat
Nama, Silale, Amahusu, Tirta.
Area 3+ IDR 3,000,000 / boat
Namalatu, Airlow, Seri, Pintu Kota and Hukurila. These are the reef and wide-angle sites outside the bay.
Wreck & Pulau TigaOn request
The Aquila wreck and the long run out to Pulau Tiga are quoted separately, so just ask.
Payment is cash (US dollars, Euros or Rupiah) or bank transfer. We don't take cards.
Practical
Everything else you'll want to know.
Getting here
Fly into Pattimura airport (AMQ), which has connections from Jakarta, Bali and Makassar. We're in Laha village, about 10 minutes away by taxi. Airport pickup is IDR 75,000 per person.
Rooms
Three simple, clean rooms at the dive shop, IDR 400,000 per day: air conditioning, WiFi, single or double bed, private bathroom with hot water, breakfast included. They're for our diving guests. There are also comfortable local homestays in the village.
Water & conditions
Water sits around 27–29 °C for most of the year and drops to about 24 °C in September, the coldest month. Currents are usually gentle, occasionally a bit tougher. Bring a torch, because the night diving is worth it.
Money
We take cash (US dollars, Euros or Rupiah) or bank transfer, but no cards. Some ATMs at Ambon airport accept Visa and Mastercard, so draw what you need before you head out to Laha.
Phone & internet
Free WiFi at the dive shop. Telkomsel has good coverage in Ambon and in Laha, and you can buy a SIM card at any Indonesian airport, or just ask our staff to sort one out for you.
Language
Our guides and staff speak Indonesian and English. Most people in the village don't speak English, so if you get stuck, come and ask us.
Insurance
We strongly recommend proper travel and diving insurance for a trip through Indonesia, for example DAN or Aqua Med.
About
Local, and small on purpose.
Ambon Blue Rose Divers has been running since 2006. The owners, Agustinus and Bambang, are both local. They have dived this bay for more than ten years and are on good terms with the village.
Our divemaster Benio is an Ambon frogfish obsessive. He's experienced, he dives constantly, and hunting down the bay's rarest critters is genuinely his hobby.
Two speed boats go out every day, five or six divers on each. Tell us what you're hoping to see and we'll plan the dives around it.
Book your dives
Ready when you are.
Fill in what you know and the WhatsApp message writes itself. We'll confirm availability and send you a quote. Everything here is optional — you can just hit the button and say hello.
WhatsApp+62 813-5722-6633
FacebookAmbon Blue Rose Divers
WhereJl. Raya Air Manis, Desa LahaAmbon, Maluku, Indonesia