KOMODO.

This is a very unique trip — we’re leveraging our local expertise to create a fully customized, extended 13-night itinerary around Komodo National Park and Sumbawa, with a focus on manta rays and whale sharks. If you’ve dreamed of doing Komodo ‘properly’… this is that opportunity!

Dive Komodo with MMF

Komodo has it all: beautiful soft coral reefs, exhilarating drift dives, fishy pinnacles, black-sand muck dives — and a large population of manta rays.

Komodo National Park is a World Heritage Site and home to the world’s largest lizard, the Komodo dragon. Day boats only scratch the surface here; our extended liveaboard itinerary reaches the park’s far south and the rarely-visited waters of Sumbawa, where we’ll look for whale sharks — with ample time at the sites most trips have to skip.

Trip Highlights

• Manta rays — lots of manta rays — at famous aggregation sites like Karang Makassar and Manta Alley.

• Search for whale sharks in Sumbawa’s waters with one of the world’s leading whale shark scientists.

• Trek to see Komodo dragons in the wild.

• World-class critter diving — Rhinopias, frogfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, and Bima Bay’s famous muck sites.

• Hosted by MMF co-founder Dr. Simon J Pierce, with a series of evening science presentations and photography guidance.

2027 Departure

May 22 – June 4, 2027 (13 nights, Labuan Bajo to Labuan Bajo)

Master Cabin: US$10,400 per person
Lower Deck Cabin: US$9,100 per person

National park and port fees are paid on board. Booking is confirmed with a 30% deposit, with the balance due 120 days before departure — see our trips terms and conditions. Full flight and boarding details are in the trip FAQ. Enquire below for current availability.

The Komodo–Flores Channel

The big channel between Komodo and Flores holds colorful reefs and exhilarating drift dives. At Karang Makassar we’ll drift along the bottom looking for manta rays, and the coral and fish life at the pinnacle of Batu Bolong is beyond belief. In the north, the famous pinnacles of Crystal Rock and Castle Rock are packed with fish, reef sharks, and turtles.

South Komodo and Rinca

The park’s south is where the extended itinerary earns its keep. Inside Horseshoe Bay, Cannibal Rock and Yellow Wall of Texas offer a completely different coral landscape — crinoids hosting ladybugs, giant frogfish on colorful walls, zebra crabs and Coleman shrimps hiding in fire urchins. Manta Alley, on Komodo’s south coast, is another favorite spot for feeding and cleaning manta rays. The Holy Grail of fish — Rhinopias — has been found in this area too.

Sumbawa

Beyond the park, we’ll explore Sumbawa’s rarely-dived waters — including our search for whale sharks — plus Sangeang volcano, where hot bubbles rise through black sand reefs, and Bima Bay, home to some of the best muck diving in Indonesia: wunderpus, mimic and blue-ringed octopus, seahorses, frogfish, and a long list of amazing critters.

Komodo Dragons

No Komodo trip is complete without the dragons. We’ll include a guided trek to see these magnificent animals in the wild, plus viewpoint walks with breathtaking views across the National Park.

DR. SIMON PIERCE

Dr. Pierce founded MMF’s flagship research program on whale sharks, and is a world expert on the species. Simon works globally on whale shark conservation issues, and led the most recent IUCN Red List assessment of the species. He is also a scientific advisor to the online global whale shark database, and regional co-chair of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group.

The Coralia

The World’s Best Liveaboard

Your vessel is the MV Coralia, managed by Cruise Directors Debbie and Jerry Arriaga — one of the finest boats in the region and voted the World’s Best Liveaboard. A classic wooden Phinisi, the 48-meter Coralia was built specifically for dive liveaboards with a commitment to conserve the surrounding environment. Aboard Coralia you will be well taken care of by the dedicated local crew, with a 1:1 staff-to-guest ratio.

Master Cabin

Double Cabin

Twin Cabin

Enquire

Open trip dates:

May 22 – June 4, 2027 (13 nights, Labuan Bajo–Labuan Bajo)

Prices per person:

Master: $10,400 (4 cabins)
Lower Deck: $9,100 (Double and Twin cabins)

Hosted by Dr Simon J Pierce

• Inclusions

  • Liveaboard cruise on the MV Coralia

  • Up to four dives a day

  • Complimentary Nitrox

  • Shore excursions according to the program, including the Komodo dragon trek

  • All meals and snacks, every day

  • Hot and cold soft beverage selection

  • Tanks, weights, belts

  • Transfers to and from Labuan Bajo airport

  • Presentations from MMF hosts

• Exclusions

  • International or domestic flights

  • Labuan Bajo accommodation

  • National park and port fees (paid on board)

  • Dive courses

  • Dive gear rental *

  • Alcoholic beverages **

  • On-board massages

  • Laundry

  • Use of on-board satellite phone

  • Encouraged gratuity

  • Travel insurance ***