Komodo Liveaboard Diving Review June 2025

An epic trip sailing from Bima to Labuan Bajo to take in the classic Komodo north to south itinerary with a detour to see whale sharks in Saleh Bay

Pook and Sandor with feeding whale shark, Komodo, Indonesia
Pook and Sandro with feeding whale shark, Sumbawa, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

This is one of my favourite liveaboard routes – combining the classic one week Komodo liveaboard itinerary with a visit the whale sharks in Saleh Bay, with some exploratory dives along the way thrown in for good measure.

We were on board my favourite liveaboard boat, Damai II – a big thankyou to all the crew for making it amazing. Here’s some highlights from the June 2025 liveaboard:

Komodo Liveaboard Day 1: Sadapur Atoll

Sadapur SE Corner / Sandbank South / Sandbank East

Reef, Sadapur Atoll, Sumbawa, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Departing from Bima, we headed towards Saleh Bay to see the whale sharks. It’s a long sail from Bima to Saleh Bay – more than a day – so the first day was diving at the previously unexplored atoll of Palau Sebeyur. Turned out to have some lovely coral and a curious cuttlefish too. A good warm up.

Cuttlefish, Sadapur Atoll, Sumbawa, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Komodo Liveaboard Day 2: Saleh Bay Whale Shark Bagans

Whale sharks, Sumbawa, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Hard to beat jumping in the water first thing in the morning and being greeted by not one but three whale sharks. The Saleh Bay whale shark experience is awesome and worth all the sailing time to get here. See my Saleh Bay Whale Sharks page for a complete rundown of diving and snorkelling with the whale sharks at Saleh Bay. There’s also more Sumbawa whale shark pics from this trip if you’re interested.

Two Whale sharks, Sumbawa, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Whale sharks, Sumbawa, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Saleh Bay: Takat Lanco

Seahorse, Takat Lanco, Sumbawa, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Given Saleh Bay is so big, it’s great to have Takat Lanco as an afternoon dive after the whale sharks. Another exploration dive which yielded some interesting critters on a generic black sand slope – here’s my wide angle seahorse.

🛳 Komodo Liveaboard Trip Planning Checklist

A Komodo Liveaboard is typically 3 to 7 nights long - decide your dates and search for availability on liveaboard.com
Also check our Last Minute Liveaboard Deals page for Komodo liveaboard discounts.
FWIW, I've dived with and like Damai I and Damai II in Komodo.
Browse detailed info and photos about individual Komodo dive sites so you can get a sense of what to expect.
Check times and pricing of flights to Labuan Bajo which is where most Komodo liveaboards depart and return.
Check my liveaboard packing list to make sure you bring all you need
It's compulsory to have diving insurance. World Nomads offers diving insurance as part of their Thailand travel insurance
Book a hotel in Labuan Bajo or Bali for when you get back from the liveaboard. Bali has a decent airport hotel if required - no need to leave the airport.
Decide if you want to stay on in Labuan Bajo after your trip and explore Komodo onland

Komodo Liveaboard Day 3: Mojo and Satonda

Juvenile batfish on the reef, Satonda, Sumbawa, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Sailing back from Saleh Bay east towards Sangeang and Komodo, we stopped off at Satonda for a couple of reef and muck dives on the site of Tanjung Brenti. Highlights were seeing these two juvenile emperor angelfish playing together and a juvenile batfish. There was also an excursion to see Satonda Island lake.

Juvenile Emperor Angelfishes, Satonda, Sumbawa, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Komodo Liveaboard Day 4: Sangeang Volcano

Black Magic / Bubble Reef / Tikno Reef

Spikey coral bommie on black sand, Sangeang Volcano, Sumbawa, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

While not technically part of the Komodo national park, Sangeang Volcano is part of most Komodo itineraries and for good reason – the dramatic contrast between the still-active volcano’s black sand and super colourful coral is fantastic. There’s also the bubbles coming up through the black sand from the heat generated by the volcano. You can also access Sangeang from Kalimaya Dive Resort if you prefer resort-based diving.

Featherstars and anthias, Bubble Reef, Sangeang Volcano, Sumbawa, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Anthias over the reef, Bubble Reef, Sangeang Volcano, Sumbawa, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Barrel sponges and black sand, Tekno Reef, Sangeang Volcano, Sumbawa, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Komodo Liveaboard Day 5: Gili Lawa Laut and Darat

Cauldron, Golden Passage, Crystal Rock

Hard corals, The Cauldron (Shotgun), Komodo, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Into Komodo park proper – a gentle drift around The Cauldron (rather than going into the Shotgun) and Golden Passage, and then a fantastic dive at Crystal Rock, one of those Komodo sites that rarely disappoints. Super active, tons of fish, lots of corals, fabulous viz.

Bamboo shark, Golden Passage, Komodo, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Table corals, Crystal Rock, Komodo, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

, Crocodile fish, Crystal Rock, Komodo, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Moray eel and blue spotted stingray, Crystal Rock, Komodo, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Komodo Liveaboard Day 6: Central Komodo

Castle Rock, Batu Balong, Mawan

Whitetip shark, Castle Rock, Komodo, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Castle Rock and Batu Balong – two Komodo classics that delivered, along with a spectacular encounter with the manta rays at Mawan – at least four of them that spent the entire dive circling us. There are a lot more manta ray photos from Mawan if you’re interested.

Anthias and table corals, Batu Balong, Komodo, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Two Manta Rays in train really quite close, Mawan, Komodo, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Four Manta Rays circling, Mawan, Komodo, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Manta ray being cleaned by fish, Mawan, Komodo, Indonesia, June 2025 © [email protected]

Komodo Liveaboard Day 7: Horseshoe Bay, South Komodo

Yellow Wall, Cannibal Rock, Manta Alley

Bad weather meant we had a truncated visit to Horseshoe Bay but at least we got there and Yellow Wall in particular was super active with a massive school of sardines circling in the shallows and an inquisitive cuttlefish. Cannibal Rock also had some colourful cuttlefish moments but Manta Alley, in contrast to my awesome visit last year, was disappointingly quiet. Can’t win them all.

Komodo Liveaboard Day 8: Central Komodo

Tatawa Besar, Tatawa Kecil, Sebayur

Tatawa Besar and Sebayur were very pretty reef dives, but Tatawa Kecil was mindblowing – a vast school of fusiliers continually sweeping across the reef – and what a reef it is – a stunning collection of hard corals in the shallows

Komodo Liveaboard Day 9: Central Komodo

Karang Makassar / Mawan (again)

The final two dives of the trip. Karang Makassar – aka Manta Point – was devoid of any mantas, but there are always consolation turtles waiting at the end of the drift dive. We weren’t bothered as we’d asked for another chance to dive Mawan, and it delivered again – some more epic encounters with mantas providing a fitting finale to the trip.

The Complete Komodo Liveaboard Dive List plus Land Excursions

No	Date	Site Name	Area	GPS Point	Activity
1	6-Jun-25	Unusual Suspects	Bima	8° 23.576’S 118° 42.106’E	Muck slope
2	7-Jun-25	Sadapur SE Corner	Sadapur Atoll	7° 50.462’S 117° 15.318’E	Ridge, Steep Slope, Exploration
3	7-Jun-25	Sandbank South	Sadapur Atoll	7° 50.974’S 117° 12.460’E	Slope, Steep Slope, Exploration
4	7-Jun-25	Sandbank East	Sadapur Atoll	7° 50.974’S 117° 12.460’E	Wall, Overhangs, Exploration
5	8-Jun-25	Whaleshark Bagans	Saleh Bay	8° 30.434’S 118° 5.894’E	Whaleshark Snorkeling and Diving
6	8-Jun-25	Takat Lanco	Saleh Bay	8° 22.209’S 117° 49.663’E	Muck, Exploration
7	9-Jun-25	Tanjung Brenti	Mojo	8° 8.896’S 117° 44.113’E	Coral Reef, Steep Slope
8	9-Jun-25	Tanjung Brenti / Muck	Mojo	8° 8.896’S 117° 44.113’E	Sandy Bottom, Steep Slope
9	9-Jun-25	Sangeang Volcano	Sangeang Volcano	8° 7.143’S 117° 44.864’E	Sandy, Rubble
	9-Jun-25	Sangeang Volcano Island Lake	Sangeang Volcano	8° 7.143’S 117° 44.864’E	Hike
10	10-Jun-25	Black Magic	Sangeang	8° 8.308’S 119° 5.769’E	Black Sand, Coral Reef
11	10-Jun-25	Bubble Reef	Sangeang	8° 08.811’S 119° 06.378’E	Boulder Slope, Black Sand
12	10-Jun-25	Tekno Reef	Sangeang	8° 08.171’S 119° 02.069’E	Muck, Coral Bommies
13	10-Jun-25	Bontho Reef	Sangeang	8° 12.651’S 118° 59.993’E	Muck Dive, Night
14	11-Jun-25	The Cauldron	Gili Lawa Laut	8° 27.605’S 119° 33.709’E	Channel/Drift Dive
15	11-Jun-25	Golden Passage	Gili Lawa Darat	8° 28.539’S 119° 33.038’E	Channel/Drift Dive
16	11-Jun-25	Crystal Rock	Gili Lawa Laut	8° 26.353’S 119° 33.975’E	Seamount
	11-Jun-25	Gili Lawa Darat Hike	Gili Lawa Darat	8° 28.603’S 119° 33.531’E	Landexcursion
17	12-Jun-25	Castle Rock	Gili Lawa Laut	8° 25.778’S 119° 33.924’E	Seamount
18	12-Jun-25	Batu Bolong	Central Komodo	8° 32.183’S 119° 36.895’E	Wall/Slope
19	12-Jun-25	Mauan	Central komodo	8° 33.354’S 119° 37.867’E	Coral, rubble & sandy slope
20	12-Jun-25	Wainilu	Rinca	8° 37.735’S 119° 42.546’E	Sand slope, Rubble, Muck, Night
21	13-Jun-25	Cannibal Rock	Nusa Kode	8° 47.373’S 119° 40.197’E	Seamount
22	13-Jun-25	Cannibal Rock	Nusa Kode	8° 47.373’S 119° 40.197’E	Seamount
23	13-Jun-25	Manta Alley	Langkoi	8° 44.124’S 119° 24.677’E	Slope & channel
24	14-Jun-25	Tatawa Besar	North Komodo	8° 30.651’S 119° 38.685’E	Slope/Drift Dive
25	14-Jun-25	Tatawa Kecil	Central Komodo	8° 31.833’S 119° 37.669’E	Slope/Wall
26	14-Jun-25	Sebayur	North Komodo	8° 30.526’S 119° 42.660’E	Reef slope
27	14-Jun-25	Sebayur	North Komodo	8° 30.526’S 119° 42.660’E	Reef slope
28	15-Jun-25	Karang Makassar	Central Komodo	8° 32.956’S 119° 35.736’E	Reef, Rubbles & Boulders
29	15-Jun-25	Mauan	Central komodo	8° 33.354’S 119° 37.867’E	Coral, rubble & sandy slope
	15-Jun-25	Rinca Komodo Walk	Rinca	8° 39.239’S 119° 43.037’E	Landexcursion