Giant Sponges.
A Sunken Bomber.
A Black Coral Forest.
Normally explored separately. We’re joining them into one eight day crossing of the Gulf of Tomini.
why this journey
We wanted to experience
the Gulf as a whole,
not just its individual dive sites.
Gorontalo, the Togian Islands, Una-una and Malenge are usually visited separately.
By moving between them in one boat, we get to experience their contrast and,
most importantly, these dive sites are largely untouched.
the journey
Eight days,
seven nights.
Day 01–02
Gorontalo
Tilamuta · Doba · Taulaa
Everything here seems a size too big. Explore walls and deep slopes filled with oversized coral formations, unusual colours and the Salvador Dalí sponge, a distinctive feature of Gorontalo’s reefs.
Day 03
Togian Islands
B-24 Wreck · Mariona Lake
Dive an American WWII B-24 bomber resting at around 20 metres, with much of its structure still intact. Then swap your dive gear for a snorkel and swim among stingless jellyfish in a secluded marine lake, before exploring Togian’s smaller macro life.
Day 04–05
Una-una
Black Forest · Volcanic Reefs
An underwater landscape shaped by a volcano. Dive steep walls and slopes covered in black coral, giant cabbage corals and sea fans. There’s also an optional hike to a volcanic hot spring.
Day 06
Malenge
Pulau Papan · Reef 1–5
Beneath Pulau Papan’s jetty, enormous sea fans grow around the wooden pillars, catching the sunlight in shallow water. Beyond the jetty, explore Malenge’s outer reefs, with healthy corals, colourful reef fish and occasional eagle rays.
Day 07
Pulau Puah
Tanjung Keramat
A change of pace, with current-swept diving and the possibility of larger marine life. Drift from a vertical wall towards a manta cleaning station, watching for passing rays, sharks and tuna before finishing over a fringing hard coral reef.
Day 08
Pagimana
Salodik or Kamumu Waterfall
Our final morning takes us off the boat and into Sulawesi’s landscape. On the way to Luwuk Airport, we’ll stop at either Salodik or Kamumu Waterfall for one last look around before heading home.
Travel thoughtfully
How we try to do this well.
A Note on Whale Shark Viewing
In Gorontalo, local fishermen offer whale shark encounters by attracting the sharks with food. It’s a popular experience, and we understand why. Seeing a whale shark up close is something most people would remember.
But there’s more to the story.
For some fishermen, this provides an alternative income to practices such as dynamite fishing and shark finning. We’ve seen the damage those practices can cause, so we don’t think this benefit should be overlooked. The activity has also created opportunities for whale shark research and tagging.
At the same time, feeding has changed the behaviour of some sharks, and not everyone involved understands how to interact with wildlife responsibly.
It’s a difficult balance.
The fishermen need to make a living, but we also have to consider what’s best for the animals.
For now, we’ve chosen not to include this encounter in our standard itinerary. Guests can still arrange a visit with us before or after the trip.
We haven’t found a perfect answer. We’re still trying to understand what a better balance between local livelihoods, tourism and wildlife protection might look like.
Things We Are Working On
We’ve started talking to local people about the possibility of setting up a dugong conservation team in the Gulf of Tomini.
It’s something we’d like to explore, but wanting to protect an animal and knowing how to protect it are two different things.
We need to understand where dugongs are being seen, what challenges they face, and what local communities already know about them.
More importantly, we want to know whether this is something the community would like to be involved in. We don’t want to arrive with a ready-made project and expect everyone to follow.
If it’s going to work in the long run, it needs to make sense to the people who live here.
There’s no conservation team yet. Just conversations, questions, and hopefully the beginning of something useful.
Your home at sea
Eight days on Blue Dream.
A traditional Indonesian phinisi liveaboard.
Cosy, comfortable, and limited to 14 guests.
On board
Air-conditioned cabins
Deluxe cabins have a private balcony
Shared lounges
Top deck and upper deck
Meals included
Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks
Charging area
For phones and cameras
Diving & safety
Gear stations
Your own spot, with assisted handling
Camera care
Rinse tanks and a camera station
Dive dinghy
Easy entry into the water
Safety equipment
Oxygen, first aid, AED, life jackets
Trip includes
- Return airport transfers
- Room, facilities & amenities
- All meals, snacks, soft drinks, coffee & tea
- Scheduled dives · usually 3–4 guided dives/day*
- Harbour registration & clearance
- Scheduled offboard activities
- 8% service tax
*ABOUT THE DIVING
Dive numbers depend on route design and conditions. Usually 3–4 guided dives per diving day, except on arrival day, long crossings, before flying, or where otherwise specified.
Trip excludes
- Flights
- Port, marine park & village fees
- Dive equipment & torch
- Nitrox
- Alcoholic drinks
- Starlink internet · USD 10 / 3GB
- Tipping · suggested 5%
- Personal/offboard expenses
- Activities not mentioned
If you enjoy diving somewhere unfamiliar and seeing what turns up, we think you'll enjoy this journey.
Price
Deluxe
Upper deck
USD 525 /diver/night
USD 3,675 · 7 nights
- Personal outdoor balcony
- Convertible bed (2 single or 1 king)
Rear
Lower deck
USD 450 /diver/night
USD 3,150 · 7 nights
- Spacious lower deck room
- 2 single beds
Front
Lower deck
USD 400 /diver/night
USD 2,800 · 7 nights
- Slightly smaller than rear room
- 2 single beds
Charter
Whole boat
USD 5,850 /night
USD 40,950 · 7 nights
- 7 rooms (3 deluxe, 2 rear, 2 front)
- Maximum 14 pax
Prices are per diver, per night, for the 8 days / 7 nights crossing.
Dates
Tell us when you’re thinking of and we’ll let you know what’s open.
Questions
FAQs
Open Water diver is the minimum. When you enquire, tell us your certification and roughly how many dives you have logged, so we can plan the right dives for the group.
Yes, non-divers can join the scheduled offboard activities. Please contact us for pricing.
Please note this is a dive-centric trip, so much of the schedule revolves around diving.
Yes. Solo guests are normally arranged to share a cabin with another guest. A solo cabin is available at an additional cost, so please ask us for the price when you enquire.
[Answer to be added]
If you are prone to seasickness, bring medication you have used before and let the crew know. Our route and dive sites are planned around weather and sea conditions. If conditions change, the crew and dive team will adjust the route, dive sites or timings for safety, and we will explain any changes.
We are finalising the payment and cancellation terms for this trip. Please contact us and we will send them to you before you book.
To be confirmed. We will share this when the departure dates are announced.
The trip starts in Gorontalo and ends in Pagimana. Return airport transfers are included, but flights are not. You will fly into Gorontalo and home from Luwuk (Syukuran Aminuddin Amir Airport, LUW).
Please do not book flights until we have confirmed your departure date, and leave enough time after your last dive before flying. Meeting points and timings are in our pre-arrival guide.
Our pre-arrival guide covers it: what to pack, dietary needs, paying for extras on board, nitrox and gear rental, phone signal and Starlink, visas, and the scheduled offboard activities.
[Download the pre-arrival guide: link to be added]
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