At Wakatobi, there are some positive aspects to the months of downtime created by the pandemic. While our resort staff used the time to spruce up and update facilities and accommodations, the dive boat crews have attended to the fleet. Save for the occasional trip to survey reefs, Wakatobi’s iconic dive boats have remained in port, giving the crews plenty of time to refresh brightwork, perform a full range of mechanical maintenance and ensure that everything is ready when diving services resume. With seven boats in service, Wakatobi will once more be in a position to offer divers and snorkelers a diverse daily roster of sites and itineraries.

With seven boats in service, Wakatobi will once more be in a position to offer divers and snorkelers a diverse daily roster of sites and itineraries. Photo by Glen Cowans

Our largest boat, Wakatobi VIII is now joined by a new and similar-sized sister ship, Wakatobi IX. Both are able to handle a greater number of divers without crowding, making them well-suited to supporting dive groups and large families that wish to dive together.

Like all boats in our fleet, Wakatobi IX was built by local craftsmen using traditional materials and methods. Not only does this practice keep revenue in the local community, it creates a far lower carbon footprint than shipping a factory-made boat from a long distance, while also ensuring future repairs can be made quickly without waiting for proprietary parts to be ordered. This short video shows the building and launching of Wakatobi IX in late April of 2020.

As before, Wakatobi VII is dedicated to private boat excursions. Rather than the full-length bench seating found on the resort’s other boats, its spacious covered deck includes an area for dining, forward sun lounges, a kitchen station, and a changing room with a bathroom and shower. The upper deck can be used for sightseeing, sunning, or star gazing. Wakatobi I is currently in drydock being renovated to handle private boat excursions and will include the same features as VII.

You can learn more about our dive boats on our blog Meet the Fleet.

We are encouraging all our guests to reach out to discuss the news on the resort and possibilities for future travel. It’s a good idea to get in touch with us, especially for next year, as we roll a lot of bookings ahead. We’re accepting reservations, so contact your Wakatobi representative or email office@wakatobi.com.  Enquire here.

More great Wakatobi videos here.

Visit us on Facebook and Instagram