Halmahera

Unleash the wonders of Halmahera's underwater world through resort and liveaboards
diving experiences. Immerse yourself in a breathtaking spectacle of untouched coral
reefs, teeming with vibrant schools of fish in particular countless barracuda and
other fascinating marine creatures.

Destination Highlights

Why visit Halmahera?
Overshadowed by other Indonesian more famous destinations such as North Sulawesi, Komodo, and Raja Ampat lies Halmahera Island; a hidden paradise for bird watchers and scuba divers alike.

Being so remote, most of its beaches give you the sensation of being on a private island. It is a perfect destination for those getting away from overcrowded tourist destinations.

Halmahera Diving:
Halmahera along with North Sulawesi, and West Papua are the first land reached by The Indonesia Throughflow which is the biggest water movement on earth. This massive water from the North Pacific Ocean through the Indian Ocean carries countless life and nutrients in it. This is the main reason why Indonesia has the highest biodiversity level underwater. A 37 hours underwater survey conducted in 2005 by Dr. Gerald Allen, found 803 species of reef fish underwater Halmahera, compared to 828 species in Raja Ampat.

Above the water:
Halmahera is part of one biggest biological breakthroughs. Alfred Russel Wallace stayed in Ternate island for some time while doing his research and found his most known finding the Wallace Line that supports the theory of Natural Selection. He also encountered what he considered his greatest gift Standardwing Bird of Paradise Semioptera wallacei in the neighboring island Bacan.

Having over 50 species of birds, many endemic to the area makes Halmahera is a paradise for both bird watchers and divers alike.

quick access

diving & highlights

Having over 70 dive sites, Halmahera is a complete world-class destination both for divers and snorkelers alike.

What to expect:

– School of fish: from Napoleon wrasse triggerfish, jack, dogtooth tunas, and the highlight barracuda.

– Clear water, pristine coral garden host to amazing biodiversity life underwater. Black and white-tips sharks, and turtles.

-Macro: nudibranch, pigmy seahorses, shrimps, crabs, ghost pipefish

Special Encounters

Rhinopias, whale shark, mandarin fish, frogfish, a big “cloud” of countless Barracuda.

Type Of Diving

Slope reef, pinnacle, drift, wall, black sand wreck & deep water

Diver Level

All level of divers.

Water Temperature

The water temperature is similar to Raja Ampat which is between 28 – 30°C (82-86°F). We would recommend you use a 3mm wetsuit for diving in this area. For those who will do many dives, we would suggest bringing an extra vest as sometimes it is getting cooler after multiple dives.

Visibility

10 – 40 meters (32 – 131 feet)

Other things to do in Halmahera

– Endless Cave.
This cave was found in 1996 by a French Exploration Team. Indonesia Tourism Board explored a 7.9km part of it, yet they have not reached its end.

– Aketajawe Lolobata National Park
A rainforest that is home to indigenous people as well as 104 species of birds. So far it is found that 25 of these bird species endemic to North Maluku.

– Volcano Trekking
Trekking to Dukono or Gamkonora Volcanoes

– Telaga Biru (Blue Lake)
Legend has it, that its a bathing place for angels.

Best Time to Visit Halmahera

Halmahera can be dived all year round, but the best time to visit is during the dry is between October to May. Which is similar to Raja Ampat best dive season. For this exact reason, Liveaboards combine the two destinations on their itinerary.

How to get to Halmahera

If you are joining Liveaboard, it is likely the cruise is a combination of Raja Ampat – Halmahera – Lembeh trip. Therefore, the trip will start in Lembeh, North Sulawesi, and finish in Sorong, Raja Ampat (or vice versa).

They do this on purpose having your convenience as a priority.

If you booked on a land-based resort, you will need to fly to Sultan Babullah Airport (IATA: TTE, ICAO: WAEE) on Ternate Island. This island can be reached through Jakarta, Manado, or Makassar airports.

As most resorts are located on different islands, you are likely to continue your trip by boat and then car or even take another flight to Morotai island. The resort operators then will arrange your transfers from the nearest airport to get there

Choose your holiday style....

If you need helps in deciding whether to stay on a resort or liveaboard in Raja Ampat, check our detailed tips on this link. We have listed the pros and cons of each option to ensure you get helpful information before choosing what accommodation will best suit you and your travel buddy.