Butterfly

Mermaid II is a 105-foot motor yacht known for its onboard comfort and ease of diving. There are nine cabins for a maximum of eighteen divers. The eight deluxe cabins are located on the main deck have panoramic sea view windows and private bathrooms. Two budget cabins on the lower deck share a jack-and-jill bathroom. All cabins are air-conditioned. The dining room serves delicious buffet meals with Thai and international flavors. The large salon has comfortable seating, big windows for views, and an entertainment center. Two outside decks give you plenty of space to hang out. The shade covered party deck has lounge chair, and the sun deck has both covered and sunny areas.

Mermaid II’s huge dive deck has individual boxes for dive gear, a camera table, and rinse tanks. The wide stern dive platform has two exit ladders and fresh-water showers. There are two dinghies for transfers and shore excursions. From December to April the boat explores Raja Ampat on 7- and 11-night cruises, and the rest of the year it departs from Bali to Komodo on 7-night cruises. There are a couple of special longer biodiversity cruises each year. Mermaid II offers Nitrox.

These are just a sample of available itineraries. Please contact us for a comprehensive list of all options.
 

Sorong-Raja Ampat-Sorong – 9 Days/ 8 Nights

DayItineraryDivesDay 1Check-in on board MV Mermaid I. As guest arrivals take place all through the day depending on flights you are welcome to board when you arrive and spend some time looking around Sorong, gearing up etc. Following the boat and safety briefing – its overnight to the Misool area. It is almost impossible to put together a daily itinerary due to the magnificent diving everywhere we go. No trip is the same with so many different sites to visit and explore. If there is somewhere in particular you really have your heart set on please discuss with the Cruise Director who will do their utmost to get you there – conditions, ship and your safety allowing !–Day 2-4Misool area – with literally 100’s of dives around this magnificent area we will be in diver’s paradise for a few days. Soft corals, gorgonians – some of the pretties corals in the world – and the kingdom of the pygmy seahorse ! Pinnacles with masses of fish. Blue water mangroves (crocs depending !) Islands we will thoroughly enjoy the Misool area including Sagof Islands, Wagma and Farondi islands; Wailbatan and Warakaret Island, Kalig, Pele Islands12Day 5-7Fiabacet and Farondi Islands and after the 3rd dive of the day spend some time going around the lagoons in the dinghy for amazing sights and wildlife. Then we may head north to Waigeo Island Perhaps we will spend the day around Batanta Island, a black sand environment – great muck diving ! The Mantas call us to Dampier Strait where they hang out at their cleaning stations. But this place is also fabulous for macro diving with critters such as Pegasus, Pontohi Pgymy Seahorse, pipefish etc. And two dives at a small island called Arborek, with a lovely village and a jetty great for diving ! The jetty pillars are covered in soft corals – a photographer’s delight and also good for macro such as signal gobies, nudibrancs and more Pohtohi’s etc. Dive around the island of Kawe a great place for schooling fish, and beautiful reefs covered in black coral bushes. And dive Alyui Bay (or a full day around Alyui Bay). In Alyui Bay there is a pearl farm. We can tour the pearl farm and learn how they harvest the pearls, and the whole process of pearl farming. You can even buy pearls. Diving in Alyui bay is good for macro and wide angle. Walls covered in soft corals and sea fans with lots of nudies and pygmys. Also a great night dive in the jetty; Raja Epaulette Shark (walking sharks), wobbegongs, crocodilefish, toadfish and frogfish. Dive around the island of Yanggefo – beautiful mangrove areas, stunning reefs covered in orange and pruple soft corals, and submerged reef with lots of schooling fish, and pygmies.The Strait of Dampier are also well known for the amount of schooling fish. There are several pinnacles with zillions of fish . Also the tips (capes) of several islands with again lots of schooling fish; schools of barracudas, school of bigeye jacks, snappers, zillions of fusiliers and surgeonfish, etc…. And lots of wobbegongs.12Day 82 dives in the Strait of Dampier. More of the same. Fish, fish, fish, glorious corals and all ! Then back to Sorong we must go. The crew will take care of rinsing and packing your equipment during this 4-5 hour run.2Day 9After breakfast we transfer you ashore to continue your vacation…or its time to head home to start planning your next Mermaid Liveaboards cruise ! With so many new itineraries and opportunities to choose from you will be back and back and back for more and most welcome on board Mermaid Liveaboards – Asia’s Premier Liveaboard Fleet !
Total Dives:26

Bali – Komodo –  Bali - 8 Days/7 Nights

DayDescriptionDivesSaturdayCheck-in on board MV Mermaid between 14:00-16:00 hours in Benoa Harbour Bali. After the boat and safety briefing, we’ll set up equipment and you can settle into your cabin. Dinner will be served approx 19:00 hours as we cruise into the sunset on overnight journey to Moyo Island, north west Sumbawa.0SundayStart your adventure with a great dive in the calm, clear waters of Angel  Reef at Moyo Island. Massive elephant ear and barrel sponges, schools of long fin banner fish and red tooth triggers. In their hundreds, frog fish, nudibrancs, eels, surgeon fish, snapper, dog tooth tuna checking out what is for lunch ! Visit the local village then its lunch for us ! Next is a great dive at Panjang Reef – are the pygmy seahorses around ? Then we cruise 2 hours to Satonda Island for a world class night dive after watching a million bats fly at sunset.  After a great dive and dinner we cruise  overnight to Sangeang Island, off the north coats of Sumbawa.3Monday2 dives at Sangeang Island for rare nudibrancs, pygmy seahorse and underwater hot springs that support this very unique marine life. Cruise to Gili Banta for exhilarating dives at Tanduk Rusa for big fish and amazing corals or GPS Point, famous for its sharks and pelagics. Then we enter the Komodo National Park and night dive at Gili Darat South Passage – sleeping turtles, colourful reef stone fish, Spanish dancers – calm sea- a great place to stay the night.4TuesdayIf the tide is right we hunt grey reef shark and dolphin at Taka Toko Gili Lawalaut. Dive 2 is a fast drift with pelagics and manta at Lighthouse Reef or the Old Passage. Then Crystal Rock awesome soft corals and the chance for sharks, turtles, giant Maori wrasse, a ‘fish soup” dive with a high chance of eagle rays too ! Then we cruise south for fascinating night dive at Pink Beach near the entrance to the Komodo National Park4WednesdayStart your day with an exciting visit to Komodo National Park to walk with the dragons!  Then relax as we cruise 2 hours south to Horseshoe Bay Rinja Island. Spectacular diving awaits at the world famous site Cannibal Rock –  rare nudibrancs, frogfish, spectacular corals, sponges, ascidians, huge black coral bushes, turtles, cuttlefish, loads of reef fish too ! Watch dragons on the beach, monkey, deer, wild pigs along the shore, go beach combing…. Maybe even a chance to follow whales and dolphin feeding in the calm bay. We overnight at this peaceful place, night diving at one of the many fabulous spots3ThursdayThe Three Sisters call us to Padar Island for sharks and nudibrancs, surgeon fish and devil  Rays. Manta Alley or Takat Makasar follows for the chance for a manta aggregation – WOW ! Batu Bolung aka “Current City” is the home for large Napolean Wrasse, turtles, blue fin trevally Or maybe a dive at Tatawa Kecil – we check out the currents first to make sure the dive will be cool for everyone on board ! Then we say goodbye to Komodo National Park with a fabulous Night dive at Gili Banta with Coral Cat Shark and more then we cruise west enjoying a post dinner night dive along the way. Overnight we cruise to Satonda Island4FridayWe enjoy two fantastic dives at Satonda and Moyo Islands for more chances for ghost  pipe fish, ribbon eels, turtle, cuttlefish and more before we cruise overnight to Benoa in the south of Bali.2SaturdayAfter breakfast we transfer you ashore at 9am to continue your vacation…or its time to head home to start planning your next Mermaid cruise ! Total dives: 20

Length: 33 m/104 feet
Max Guests: 16 main deck in 8 Deluxe Double/Twin bed + 2 in lower deck budget twin
Beam: 7 m/21 feet4 x staff cabins
Draft: 2.5 m/8 feet
11 Bathrooms with hot water
Water: 20.000 l + watermaker
2 stern back deck showers
Fuel16.000 l1
a/c saloon with flat screen TV, DVD, music
Cruising Speed9.5 knots
Large film and book library
Max Speed: 12 Knots
Dive Platform: 18sqm
Dinghies/RIBS2 x4.7 m ladders
Dive Deck: Massive 35 sqm with 6 rinse tanks
Engines: Hino 2 x 450
HPand camera set up areas + air blowers
GeneratorHino 2 x 150 KVA
Hot fluffy towels after each dive
CompressorBauer 3 x 215 l/min
Sundeck and bath towels
Nitrox: Membrane600 l/min 32-36%
Minimum 300 thread count bed linens
Air-Conditioner
Individually Controlled
Hotel Style Beds, Sundeck Towels, Bath Towels