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Diving Gunung Api: Volcano Of The Sea Snakes

In a remote part of Indonesia’s Banda Sea lies the still active volcano Gunung Api, or “Fire Mountain” – and below its lava-encrusted shoreline the volcano is home to hundreds of highly venomous sea snakes that hunt in packs and show little fear of human scuba divers

Sea Snake Coming Right At You © Chris MitchellSea Snake Coming Right At You © Chris Mitchell

Deep within Indonesia’s 17,000 islands lies Gunung Api, one of the remotest volcanic atolls within the Banda Sea. One hundred and twenty miles away from the nearest landmass, getting there takes several days of solid cruising from a scuba diving liveaboard boat departing from the Banda Islands. (I’ve included Gunung Api’s location on a Google Map below if you’re interested in seeing exactly where it is). For our trip we were on the MSY Seahorse with whom I’d previously explored Raja Ampat. There are only a few months in each year where the Banda Sea is calm enough to be safely crossed. And the reason for all this effort is because below the water the slopes of “Fire Mountain” are home to hundreds, possibly thousands of venomous sea snakes that we were going to go scuba diving with.

Sea Snakes Coming In from Above © Chris MitchellSea Snakes Coming In from Above © Chris Mitchell

Banda Sea Liveaboard Departures
The Banda Sea dive sites are only accessible for a few months a year – see current availability and pricing on Banda Sea liveaboards.

Gunung Api Sea Snake In Mid Water © Chris MitchellGunung Api Sea Snake In Mid Water © Chris Mitchell

Two Sea Snakes Swimming Together Over The Reef © Chris MitchellTwo Sea Snakes Swimming Together Over The Reef © Chris Mitchell

Sea Snake In Motion © Chris MitchellSea Snake In Motion © Chris Mitchell

Given that the banded and olive sea snake species which are found at Gunung Api are poisonous, you may wonder why anyone would willingly want to get in the water with them, especially as the snakes seen here are often a metre or more in length and several centimetres in circumference. The answer is that they are incredibly graceful creatures to watch move through the water, quite beautiful in the fluidity of their motion as they cruise hunting across the reef or head for the surface periodically to breathe before sidewinding back down again to the reef. While sea snakes are poisonous, they are also non-aggressive – although they are very, very curious about scuba divers, as the following photos show. They have no fear about coming very close to investigate.

Sea Snakes Investigating Contents Of Cedric's Boardshorts © Chris Mitchell
Sea Snakes Investigating Contents Of Cedric’s Boardshorts © Chris Mitchell

Sea Snake On Cedric's Fin © Chris Mitchell
Sea Snake On Cedric’s Fin © Chris Mitchell

If you look closely, you can see the snake's forked tongue protruding © Chris MitchellIf you look closely, you can see the snake’s forked tongue protruding © Chris Mitchell

Two Snakes In The Blue Over Gunung Api's Rock And Coral Terrain © Chris MitchellTwo Snakes In The Blue Over Gunung Api’s Rock And Coral Terrain © Chris Mitchell

Sea Snake Over Gunung Api's Rocks © Chris MitchellSea Snake Over Gunung Api’s Rocks © Chris Mitchell

Sea Snake In Mid Water © Chris MitchellSea Snake In Mid Water © Chris Mitchell

Sea Snakes Over Gunung Api's Corals © Chris Mitchell
Sea Snakes Over Gunung Api’s Corals © Chris Mitchell

Sea Snakes Investigating Their New Scuba Visitors © Chris Mitchell
Sea Snakes Investigating Their New Scuba Visitors © Chris Mitchell

What is also fascinating about the sea snakes at Gunung Api is that they frequently move in packs together, whereas elsewhere they prefer to operate individually. They have also been seen infiltrating shoals of fish and hunting with them, although I didn’t get to witness this behaviour this time round.

This sea snake group hunting behaviour was completely new to me. The first time I encountered it, I was slightly apart from my group, floating around in 10 metres and scanning the blue around me hoping to get a photo of one of the snakes with a backdrop of the ocean behind it. Several minutes went by and there was not a hint of a snake anywhere to be seen. I was getting a bit bored. I idly looked down to check my camera – and the next thing I knew, there was not one but three sea snakes, each over a metre long, their bodies trailing around me, all staring into the dome of the camera’s housing, as if mesmerised by their own reflections. Did I have the presence of mind to take a photo? No – I did exactly what all my training as a professional scuba diver told me to do and, erm, ran away. Despite knowing they wouldn’t bite, being surrounded by three sea snakes that were extremely close was too much to deal with. I backed off, keeping an eye on them – and they followed me! It took a couple of minutes before they lost interest. However, suitably chastened, I headed back to the reef and now knowing just quite how it felt to be mobbed by snakes, I managed to hold my nerve a bit better when I saw the clusters of snakes pictured below.

Four Sea Snakes Writhing Together In The Blue © Chris MitchellFour Sea Snakes Writhing Together In The Blue © Chris Mitchell

Four Sea Snakes Breaking Apart © Chris MitchellFour Sea Snakes Breaking Apart © Chris Mitchell

Four Sea Snakes Heading For The Surface © Chris MitchellFour Sea Snakes Heading For The Surface © Chris Mitchell

The above images are not really the best, for the simple reason the snakes move so fast – it’s really hard work trying to capture them in a split second because they are continually moving and writhing – it’s amazing to watch, and I wish I’d had a video camera because to film these creatures in motion is the only real way to capture their grace.

Sea snakes need to periodically head to the surface in order to breathe, and we would often see them heading up and coming back down again, as well as resting on the surface. On my very last dive on Gunung Api, two snakes followed me from 5 metres until I surfaced myself – when I ducked my head back under the water, they were still circling around my fins. I had to gently wave my fins at them to make them back off before I got onto the boat for fear I might inadvertently whack them otherwise. I wish I’d got a photo of that moment too. It was an amazing end to a fantastic day at Gunung Api – I only wished we could have stayed longer, but given its remote and utterly exposed location, the boat captain wanted to make sail before the bad weather that had been following us across the Banda Sea caught up with us. Thanks to MSY Seahorse for letting me go on this amazing trip to Gunung Api, and I’m looking forward to hopefully heading back out there with Dive Damai in November – and next time, I’m taking a video camera.

Sea Snake At The Surface © Chris MitchellSea Snake At The Surface © Chris Mitchell

Sea Snake Coming Back Down From The Surface © Chris MitchellSea Snake Coming Back Down From The Surface © Chris Mitchell

Gunung Api Above Water © Chris MitchellGunung Api Above Water © Chris Mitchell

Banda Sea Dive Sites

Banda Sea Scuba Diving

  • Check Banda Sea liveaboard availablity and pricing
  • Ambon Scuba Diving – The Twilight Zone
  • Nusa Laut Scuba Diving
  • Banda Islands Scuba Diving
  • Diving Gunung Api: Volcano Of The Sea Snakes
  • Manuk: The Other Island Of The Sea Snakes
  • Banda Islands Land Tour
  • Breakfast In the Banda Islands


Diving And Travel Insurance

Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities including scuba diving, as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Start Planning Your Indonesia Dive Trip Now!

:: Check the availability and pricing of liveaboards in Indonesia and book online.


:: Find the cheapest flights to Indonesia - one search will show you the prices and times from scores of airlines for your trip. A real timesaver. You'll typically need to fly into Jakarta and then get a connecting flight to Sorong (SOQ) for Raja Ampat, Labuan Bajo (LBJ) for Komodo, Biak for Cenderawasih Bay (BIK) - but check with your liveaboard operator on optimum flights


:: Make sure you don't forget to bring any of the essentials for your scuba diving trip with our comprehensive Liveaboard Packing List


:: World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.


:: Find available places to stay in Indonesia on Booking.com - usually you can reserve a room with no upfront payment. Pay when you check out. Free cancellations too. The Jakarta Airport Hotel, located in Terminal 2, is convenient for a transit stayover.


:: Need inspiration? See our Best Places To Dive In Indonesia for ideas of where to go and what to do.


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More Indonesia Diving Stories

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    • Banda Islands Land Tour
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My Recent Dive Trips

  • February 2023: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • December 2022: Raja Ampat liveaboard, Indonesia
  • December 2022: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • August 2022: Komodo liveaboard, Indonesia
  • June 2022: USAT Liberty shipwreck, Bali, Indonesia
  • April 2022: Stonehenge, Koh Lipe, Thailand
  • March 2022: Manta Rays at Koh Bon, Thailand
  • January 2022: Richelieu Rock liveaboard, Thailand
  • March 2021: HTMS Chang and Alahambra Rock liveaboard, Thailand
  • February 2020: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • December 2019: Raja Ampat liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2019: Malapascua, Philippines
  • June 2019: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • April 2019: Tulamben, Bali
  • December 2018: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • December 2018: Anilao, Philippines
  • October 2018: Moalboal, Philippines
  • October 2018: Malapascua, Philippines
  • July 2018: Tulamben, Bali
  • May 2018: Raja Ampat, Indonesia
  • April 2018: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • May 2017: Apo Island and Dumaguete, Philippines
  • April 2017: Tubbataha Reef, Philippines
  • April 2017: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • March 2017: Triton Bay, Indonesia
  • March 2017: Raja Ampat, Indonesia
  • September 2016: Tulamben, Bali at Alba Dive Resort
  • August 2016: Cenderawasih Bay on Damai 1
  • April 2016: Sogod Bay at Sogod Bay Scuba Resort
  • February 2016: Raja Ampat and Banda Islands on Damai 1
  • April 2015: Anilao at Crystal Dive Resort

My Less Recent Dive Trips

  • March 2015: Myanmar and Similan Islands on Thailand Aggressor
  • May 2013: Similan Islands on Thailand Aggressor
  • April 2013: Tubbataha Reef on Discovery Palawan
  • January 2013: Komodo, Indonesia on MSY Damai
  • August 2012: Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesia
  • April 2012: Similan Islands and Southern Thailand liveaboard
  • January 2012: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • August 2011: Hanifaru, Maldives
  • June 2011: Tubbataha Liveaboard Hans Christian Andersen
  • April 2011: Similan Islands and Southern Thailand liveaboard
  • April 2011: Carpe Vita Liveaboard, Maldives
  • March 2011: Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
  • December 2010: Menjangan, Bali
  • July 2010: Tofo, Mozambique
  • July 2010: Sardine Run, South Africa
  • May 2010: Sangalaki / Derawan, Tambora
  • March 2010: MV Flying Seahorse, Similan Islands
  • March 2010: MV Orion, Southern Maldives
  • January 2010: Big Blue Explorer, Palau
  • November 2009: MSY Damai, Banda Sea Liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2009: MSY Damai, Komodo Liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2009: MV Orion, Maldives Liveaboard
  • September 2009: MV Scubanet, Koh Losin, Thailand
  • May 2009: MSY Seahorse, Banda Sea liveaboard, Indonesia
  • March 2009: Sachika Liveaboard, Maldives
  • February 2009: Daytrips, Koh Lanta, Thailand
  • January 2009: MV Jazz, Burma (Myanmar) Liveaboard

Back In The Day Bragging Rights Dive Trips

  • November 2008: Borneo Explorer, Visayas Liveaboard
  • September 2008: S/Y Siren, Komodo Liveaboard
  • August 2008: Ocean Rover, Sulawesi Liveaboard
  • August 2008: NAD Lembeh Resort, Indonesia
  • June 2008: Koh Tao
  • March 2008: Maldives, Bandos Island
  • February 2008: MSY Seahorse, Raja Ampat Liveaboard
  • January 2008: MV Jazz, Burma Liveaboard
  • October 2007: Bali Dive Safari
  • September 2007: Davao, Philippines
  • July 2007: Great White Sharks, Rodney Fox Liveaboard
  • June 2007: Big Blue, Palau Liveaboard
  • May 2007: Whale Sharks at Exmouth, Australia
  • April 2007: Borneo Explorer, Tubbataha Reef Liveaboard
  • December 2006: Komodo Dancer, Komodo Liveaboard

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