A cruise on Pelagian Dive Yacht reveals the full riches of the Wakatobi National Park

Wakatobi’s marine preserve encompasses some of the finest coral reefs in the world. You could spend a lifetime exploring and enjoying its abundant diversity of marine life. And yet, even with this plethora of underwater opportunities, which begin right at the resort’s beach, it’s only natural to wonder what lies beyond. The answer to that question is Pelagian.

Pelagian takes a max of ten divers. A crew of twelve includes an executive chef and stewards, adding fine dining and five-star service to the itinerary. Photo by Walt Stearns

Out to sea

To complement our land-based operation, we offer the Pelagian, a 115-foot/35m dive yacht that cruises a broad swath of the Wakatobi archipelago and ventures to the southern portion of Buton Island. Seven-day itineraries take in a diverse range of underwater environments, from the walls of Karang Kaledupa and Karang Kapota to the exceptional muck diving opportunities of Buton Island’s Pasarwajo Bay. Pelagian’s route also skirts the southwestern edges of Wangi Wangi and Kaledupa Islands, providing another round of magnificent reefs, dramatic vertical drop-offs, and pinnacles, each revealing a kaleidoscopic menagerie of marine life.

Comfortable yacht-like accommodations throughout Pelagian are more akin to those found in a luxury hotel suite; the master suite spans the entire width of the yacht. Photo by Didi Lotze

The Pelagian is not a typical live-aboard vessel that caters to the crowds. Instead, it is configured to take a maximum of just ten guests. This allows guests to enjoy comfortable yacht-like accommodations more akin to a hotel room than a cramped cabin, and in addition to added elbow room, each offers spacious en suite bathrooms and showers. The crew of twelve includes an executive chef and stewards, which allows us to provide a fine dining experience and five-star service.

Dives are conducted from a pair of custom-fabricated 18-foot/5.5m rigid hull inflatable dive tenders. Photo by Walt Stearns

Diving activities are conducted from a pair of custom-fabricated dive tenders, with the crew handling all gear management. Dives are led by one of Wakatobi’s experienced guides, who provide in-water support when requested or needed, and are experts at locating rare marine subjects. Because dives are conducted either in shallow-water muck sites or on structures with significant vertical reliefs that are ideal for multi-level profiles, bottoms times routinely exceed 70 minutes, and the schedule allows for up to four dives a day, including night dives.

The top portion of the reefs at Karang Kaledupa and Karang Kapota are carpeted with a variety of colorful, healthy hard and soft corals. Photo by Walt Stearns

The big atolls

Pelagian trips depart from Wakatobi Resort after lunchtime, which is convenient for guests combining a resort stay before or after their cruise. The first afternoon is devoted to a pair of local warm-up dives, then as the sun sets, Pelagian begins its journey north towards Buton Island. The next morning finds divers exploring sites between the massive atolls of Karang Kaledupa and Karang Kapota.

Here, the reefs are among the most colorful and dramatically-contoured in the region. The top edges of these structures are carpeted with a wide variety of hard and soft corals. The slopes and walls that plunge into the depths are covered in a different but equally broad collection of large, vibrant-colored soft coral trees and gorgonians in red, orange, pink and yellow.

Dramatic drop-offs with visibility that typically exceeds 75 meters are ideal for taking in the big picture while also serving up open-water species such as blackfin barracuda. Photo by Wakatobi Resort

With dramatic drop-offs and visibility that typically exceeds 75 meters, these sites are ideal for taking in the big picture and encountering blackfin barracuda, sea turtles, and eagle rays.

In addition to dramatic seascapes, these reefs hold a wealth of small finds. An excellent place to discover these tiny treasures are among the sea whips that cover the slopes and walls. Though often overlooked by passing divers, these feathery corals are a haven for whip gobies and small shrimp.

Pelagian’s dive guides are experts at finding several species of pygmy seahorse including pontoh’s, which are typically found shallow among halimeda algae. Photo by Marco Fierli

During any Pelagian cruise is the opportunity to find pygmy seahorses, as dives are made in areas home to three of the most prominent species: the bargibant, Denise and pontoh’s. One of the specialties of the Pelagian’s crew is locating the tiny, white pontoh’s (Hippocampus pontohi) seahorse sheltered among the halimeda algae. Capturing these small creatures can be a challenging exercise in macro photography, but they make for great subjects whether you view them with a camera or an underwater magnifying glass.