Calico Jack

Raja Ampat is the anchor of the schedule, split between an 8-night northern run to Wayag and an 11-night full-park itinerary, both out of Sorong. The longer trip is the point of the boat: eleven nights and roughly 35 dives reaches the outer edges of the park that shorter charters never get to. Expect biodiversity, manta drifts and heavy fish life rather than a highlights loop.

Komodo sits in the mid-year window when the boat is west, and is the itinerary most likely to be sold as a private charter rather than a scheduled expedition. Strong currents, manta cleaning stations and the ranger treks, with the same small-group dive operation applied to a busier park.

The Spice Islands crossing runs 11 nights from Sorong toward Ambon, around 35 dives. Seamounts, pelagics and the historic Banda islands themselves. These are long open-water passages, which is exactly what the twin-engine, high-capacity-watermaker setup exists for.

Nabire to Manokwari, 11 nights, built around the whale sharks that gather at the fishing bagans. Calm, shallow diving compared with Raja Ampat, and a region few boats schedule at all.

Triton Bay runs out of Kaimana and is the most remote water on the schedule. Soft coral cover is the reason to come, visibility is lower than Raja Ampat, and whale sharks gather around the fishing bagans. It suits divers who have already done the headline parks and want somewhere with almost no other boats on it. Two tenders and dual compressors count for more here than anywhere else, because support is a long way off.