Dive Review of Mermaid Liveaboards in
Indonesia/Raja Ampat to Ambon

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Mermaid Liveaboards: "Another glorious cruise through the Banda Sea", Mar, 2017, by Harvey S. Cohen, NJ, US ( Sr. Contributor 27 reports with 18 Helpful votes). Report 9535 has 3 Helpful votes.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This was my 4th cruise on Mermaid 1; they do a lot of repeat business. It was my first time on this particular itinerary. See [mermaid-liveaboards.com link] for a description of the itinerary, and [youtu.be link] for an excellent 4-minute video of highlights for the week I was there. As always, the region's incredible biodiversity and good health make for wonderful diving. Personal firsts for me on this trip were walking sharks and blue-ringed octopuses. One night muck dive featured a very large number of easily viewed mandarin fish. We saw lots of dolphins from the boat, and 1 or 2 minke whales, but did not get a chance to swim with them. One benefit of diving remote places is that the other divers tend to be experienced, skilled, and good at getting along with people in a liveaboard setting. On this trip, there were 3 from Hong Kong, 2 others from the U.S., and 9 Russians. The Russians were a scientifically-oriented dive club, and actually brought a microscope so they could bring interesting micro-organisms back to the boat and examine them. Almost everyone spoke conversational English. The crew can take excellent care of less-experienced divers, but perhaps 1 dive in 5 had significant current. Rooms are very comfortable, the dive operation runs smoothly, food is plentiful and varied, and crew are always helpful and friendly. Aircon in the cabins is functional but weak. I continue to see Mermaid as the best combination of luxury, service, and price in Indonesian liveaboards. One small caution-- Mermaid adds Dettol disinfectant to their suit rinse tank. I rinsed my suit separately for the first week and only used the suit tank toward the end of the trip. On the last day I got a mild rash everywhere my wetsuit touched. I suspect it was the Dettol. If you're concerned, avoid the suit tank.
Websites	Mermaid Liveaboards
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Gulf of Eilat, Bali, Komodo, Raja Ampat, Banda Sea, Fiji, Palau, Coral Sea, Galapagos, many Caribbean locations, New Jersey, Florida, National Aquarium, Dutch Springs, Silfra (Iceland), Panama (Pacific)
Closest Airport	Sorong (SOQ) - Ambon (AMQ)	Getting There	Direct flights from Jakarta(CGK) to Sorong and from Ambon(AMQ) to Jakarta. Flying between New York and Sorong/Ambon is brutal (about 25,000 miles round-trip). Book stopovers in at least one connecting city if you can, do some sightseeing, and get some sleep.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, rainy	Seas	calm, choppy, currents, no currents
Water Temp	82-86°F / 28-30°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	40-80 Ft/ 12-24 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Everyone dived 32% Nitrox, so MOD was 111 feet. Carry Surface Marker Buoy. Safety stop minimum 3 minutes; 5 preferred. Stay with buddy or with guide.
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	1 or 2
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Each cabin has outlets and a power strip for charging. The dive deck has a camera rinse tank, a dry table, and compressed air. The crew is accustomed to supporting divers with elaborate photo gear. One diver also brought a camera drone and got spectacular above-water video [youtu.be link]

Report currently has 3 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Mermaid Liveaboards in Indonesia/Raja Ampat to Ambon

Mermaid Liveaboards: "Another glorious cruise through the Banda Sea", Mar, 2017,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Mermaid Liveaboards in
Indonesia/Raja Ampat to Ambon