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The Lucipara Islands are a remote atoll of three uninhabited islands in Indonesia’s Banda Sea. Located about 50 kilometers west of Penyu Islands in the Molucca Islands, they’re famous for exceptional diving, sea turtle nesting sites, and some of the healthiest coral reefs in Southeast Asia. Access is only possible by boat during monsoon transitions, requiring approximately 15 hours from Ambon.
The Lucipara Islands sit 200 kilometers south of Ambon in the heart of the Banda Sea. You’ve probably never heard of them. Most travelers haven’t.
That’s exactly what makes them special.
These remote islands remain some of the most untouched in the Banda Sea, rarely visited by travelers. No permanent residents. No tourist infrastructure. Just pristine coral reefs, nesting sea turtles, and marine life that behaves as if humans never existed.
Here’s what you need to know about one of Indonesia’s best-kept secrets.
The Lucipara Islands lie directly south of Manipa Strait near Ceram island. Think of them as tiny dots in the vast Banda Sea—so remote they barely appear on most maps.
The five tiny atolls rise from undersea mountains that climb over a mile from the ocean floor. The water around them plunges to depths of 2,000 meters within a short distance from shore.
Getting there requires commitment. The islands can only be reached during a few months each year during monsoon changes. You’ll need a liveaboard boat, patience, and about 14-15 hours of sailing from Ambon.
But that isolation is the point. It’s what keeps the reefs healthy and the wildlife thriving.
The Lucipara atoll consists of three primary islands:
Local government has identified the island group to become a marine protected area. The designation makes sense.
Because of its remoteness, the Lucipara Islands remain naturally protected, with large fish populations including Napoleon Wrasse (rare elsewhere), lots of Red Emperor, and schools of trevally.
The coral reefs here rank among the healthiest in the Banda Sea. These reefs form part of the Coral Triangle, a marine area in the western Pacific Ocean recognized as the global center of marine biodiversity.
The islands are an important seabird and turtle breeding site, with green turtles making up more than 80% of the turtle population. Beach surveys reveal countless nesting tracks after dark.
One researcher documented an incredible statistic: During 14 snorkel sessions around all the islands, one observer counted a total of 470 green and hawksbill turtles.
However, challenges remain. Despite the isolation, beach debris threatens nesting sites. Turtles are still hunted here, making them noticeably shy around humans.
Travelers heading south from Ambon to Lucipara have encountered as many as ten Blue Whales along the route. The whales feed in areas with Fish Attraction Devices, likely attracted by nutrient-rich upwellings near seamounts.
By counting surface blows—about eleven times—researchers determined Blue Whales feed at approximately 300 meters depth in these waters.
The underwater experience at Lucipara is exceptional.
Liveaboard routes typically start in Ambon then sail overnight to remote Lucipara Atoll, which is utterly pristine with virtually no damage and possibly the best soft corals in Indonesia.
Visibility ranges from 40 to 70 meters in depth, with walls in excellent health featuring beautiful corals, schools of fusiliers and snapper, schools of blue rainbow runners, large tuna, and juvenile reef sharks.
The islands are home to a population of large barrel sponges—some so massive they can swallow a diver in their orifice without difficulty.
Night diving brings special rewards. Night diving is particularly interesting here with the rare Photoblepharon bandanensis, more commonly known as the “flash light fish”.
The water on the extensive flats warms each day, and when the tide goes out, it feels like being engulfed in a warm bath. The corals have adapted to these temperature ranges without showing signs of bleaching.
The steep drop-offs are the main attraction. Walls plunge vertically to 4,000 meters in some locations, creating dramatic underwater topography.
Small groups of juvenile grey reef sharks are notably curious, sometimes swimming alongside snorkelers, while black tip reef sharks love the shallows.
Sport fishing enthusiasts consider Lucipara world-class.
The islands feature steep drop-offs on the perimeter and lagoons in the middle, making them ideal for popping, jigging, trolling, and land-based casting with high strike rates.
Target species include Giant Trevally, Dogtooth tuna, bluefin tuna, escolar, groupers, barracuda, amberjack, and sharks.
Tuna use these islands like staging posts where they can find reliable food including flying fish. Indonesia produces about three-quarters of the world’s tuna export, making these waters critically important for the fishery.
The Lucipara Islands support significant seabird populations.
The treed vegetation hosts Lesser Frigatebirds and Red-footed Boobies, with flocks feeding on nearby upwellings.
There’s a fascinating ecological relationship here. Frigatebirds and boobies need tuna to push flying fish nearer the surface so they can feed, while nutrients the seabirds bring back to the island seep into the surrounding reef and double fish populations.
Protecting seabirds directly helps rebuild tuna stocks—and vice versa.
You have two main options:
Liveaboard Diving Trips: Most visitors arrive via multi-day dive liveaboards departing from Ambon. These trips often combine Lucipara with other Banda Sea destinations like Gunung Api volcano and the main Banda Islands.
Fishing Charters: Specialized fishing operations run trips to Lucipara, typically using a mothership approach with smaller boats for accessing the best spots.
The islands can only be reached during a few months each year during the change of the monsoon. Peak seasons are typically September through December and April through May.
Travel time from Ambon is 14-15 hours by boat. There’s no commercial transportation—you must arrange private charters or join organized tours.
No accommodations exist on the islands. No restaurants. No facilities whatsoever. You’ll stay aboard your vessel for the entire visit.
Government officials responsible for maintaining the lighthouse live on the island for three months at a time. Otherwise, you might encounter a few fishermen from Ambon or Wakatobi, but the islands remain uninhabited.
Pack everything you need. Bring sun protection, reef-safe sunscreen, and all diving or fishing equipment. While some operators provide rental gear, selection is limited.
The remoteness that protects Lucipara also complicates conservation.
Marine resources in the Lucipara islands are mainly threatened by human activities related to destructive fishing practices, with plastics and marine debris found on beaches. Even at 200 kilometers from the nearest major settlement, ocean currents deliver trash to these pristine shores.
Other threats are natural. Wave impact, growth competition between sponges and tunicates with corals, predation, and coral disease pose risks, though currently identified threats remain at low levels.
The Coral Triangle Center team conducted ecological and socio-economic surveys in the Lucipara Islands in April 2021 to establish groundwork for marine protected area designation.
The designation would provide formal protection, but enforcement in such remote waters presents ongoing challenges.
You’ll need to join a liveaboard diving trip or fishing charter from Ambon. The journey takes 14-15 hours by boat and can only be done during monsoon transition months (typically September-December and April-May). There’s no commercial ferry service or public transportation to these uninhabited islands.
Expect to see Napoleon Wrasse, schools of trevally, tuna, juvenile reef sharks, green and hawksbill sea turtles, massive barrel sponges, and colorful soft corals. Night dives offer rare flashlight fish. The walls feature excellent visibility (40-70 meters) with huge schools of unicornfish, surgeonfish, and anthias covering healthy coral formations.
The islands are being considered for marine protected area designation by local government, though formal protection isn’t yet in place. Their remote location provides natural protection, but conservation surveys have documented threats from destructive fishing, marine debris, and turtle hunting that still occurs despite the islands’ isolation.
The Lucipara Islands aren’t easy to reach. They’re expensive. They’re time-consuming. And you won’t find any Instagram-famous beaches or luxury resorts.
But if you want to see Indonesia the way it looked before mass tourism—with reefs still bursting with life, turtles nesting by the hundreds, and fish populations at healthy levels—Lucipara delivers.
This is diving and marine wildlife observation at its purest. No crowds. No distractions. Just you and one of the most pristine marine ecosystems left in Southeast Asia.
The journey may be long, but some places are worth traveling for.
