Wairterang Wreck

Best months: May–Sep

Protected Area

Teluk Maumere

Why dive here

With 163+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue-spotted stingrays, blue whales, seahorses, sperm whales and whale sharks - Wairterang Wreck offers some of Flores's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 28-31°C, warmest May, October, November.

Best timeMay–Sep

WetsuitA 3mm shorty or thin full wetsuit

Marine lifeBlue-Spotted Stingrays, Blue Whales, Seahorses, Sperm Whales and Whale Sharks · 163+ species recorded

Water28-31°C · warmest May, October, November

CharacterWreck dive

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

Wairterang Wreck in Flores is a proper exploration dive, a sunken Japanese cargo ship from WWII that’s really come into its own as a marine habitat. We love this site for its character; the wreck itself is about 50 metres long, lying between 12 and 26 metres, making it accessible but still deep enough to feel like a proper wreck dive. It’s not one of those pristine wrecks you find in museums, but a beautifully colonised skeleton, covered in corals and home to some fascinating creatures. Visibility here averages around 9 metres, which isn't gin-clear, but it adds to the atmosphere, giving the wreck a wonderfully eerie feel as you descend. Look closely, and you'll spot garrupa and various dottybacks darting among the corroded metal plates. We've seen some fantastic nudibranchs and frogfish tucked into crevices. The real delight comes at the end of the dive, when you drift over the adjacent seagrass beds. This is prime hunting ground for seahorses and a huge variety of small critters; we always dedicate time here for some macro photography. It suits divers who appreciate a wreck with a story and the joy of a good treasure hunt for tiny creatures.