On the second leg of our back-to-back trips aboard the Pindito, we set out with a clear goal – getting close to Blue Whales. No sooner had we boarded in Maumere harbor than the whales made their presence known, circling the boat.

Throughout the trip, we encountered the whales several times exactly where Edi, the owner of Pindito, had predicted. With years of leading whale trips and a well-marked GPS, Edi knew precisely where to find specific whale species.

We had the unique opportunity to get in the water multiple times, witnessing these massive animals as they glided beneath us in the Banda Sea. In between whale sightings, we explored familiar dive spots like Serua, the islands around Banda Neira, and the sea snake island of Manuk.

The trip wrapped up with a few days of diving in Raja Ampat, catching the tail end of a baitfish aggregation in Misool, adding a memorable conclusion to our journey.