Pelagian Dive Yacht

The 115-foot Pelagian yacht transports guests to stunning Southeast Sulawesi dive sites.

Walt Stearns

Indonesia’s Banda Sea is in the heart of the Coral Triangle, a swath of western Pacific Ocean brimming with spectacular marine biodiversity found nowhere else on Earth. These are the waters that the 115-foot luxury dive yacht Pelagian explores. It’s a route that takes guests to remote parts of Indonesia’s Tukang Besi archipelago and the southern shores of Buton Island, a place Jacques Cousteau explored in the 1980s. Remarkably, little has changed in the decades since. Pelagian is owned by Wakatobi Dive Resort, so guests can combine a cruise with a land-based holiday at the resort. Pelagian takes a maximum of 10 guests on a journey beyond the reefs accessible from the resort’s day boats, offering seven night cruises March through December. On each dive, guests discover an explosion of fish and coral species thriving in the Banda Sea, all while being treated to a five star boutique experience. As one recent guest wrote about their trip: “Pristine reefs bursting with life and a team that is literally the best we have ever experienced.” The five designer cabins are high-end and spacious, with full en suite bathrooms. The spa-like Super lux cabins have queen beds. The Master Suite stateroom, with a king size bed and separate sitting area, spans the full width of the yacht. Sumptuous, gourmet meals are prepared by the yacht’s chef in a wellequipped galley. Maybe best of all, the 12-person crew is dedicated to your every need. As one recent guest said: “The crew was brilliant, attentive to every detail and focused on making sure everything was perfect.”

On each dive, guests discover an explosion of fish and coral species thriving in the Banda Sea.

Walt Stearns

Explore Further

Candid Moments

It’s worth packing your camera gear when you book a trip aboard Pelagian, which has a fully equipped camera workshop. If you love muck diving, you’ll be in heaven at sites like Cheeky Beach and Asphalt Pier. Dramatic backdrops are offered by the cliffs and caves of Tanjung Baturtoro. Patience will pay off at the yacht’s signature dive at Magic Pier, where guests witness mandarin fish mating. Schools of blackfin barracuda gather near Wangi Wangi Island at a site called Fish market. Other seamounts are magnets for bigeye trevally and tuna.

Readers Choice Awards

Departing from Wakatobi Dive Resort, Pelagian offers year-round trips in Indonesia, which won five first-place destination awards: Best Overall, Macro Life, Wall Diving, Advanced Diving and Underwater Photography.