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Dive Review of Blue Rose Divers/Santai Beach Resort in
Indonesia/Ambon

Blue Rose Divers/Santai Beach Resort, Oct, 2009,

by Ken Tucker, CA, US ( 2 reports with 3 Helpful votes). Report 5948.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 3 stars Food 2 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 4 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments If you are looking for a boutique dive destination, this is not it. However, the dive operation [if you have own gear] is very good. Excellent guides, fast, comfortable speed boats, few rules, lots to photograph.

This place tends to be overlooked, and sometimes you may be only person diving. It deserves more attention. Schedules are relaxed, dictated by divers, and site selection open to discussion. The guide will do his best to find whatever you are seeking, then come find you. Very conscientious. It's a place worthy of consideration.

All divers I met there were experienced, with at least a few hundred dives, usually quite more. Weather was good, waters were flat, little running current. Would not be too difficult for newer diver. On boat we would usually have one guide and up to 5 divers, usually less. No buddy teams, each diver did his own thing, with guide hunting and seeking us out when finding creatures of note.

Place is right on beach, in a cove where local children swim and play. It's like an old strip motel, with a half dozen rooms. They are spartan, though with aircon, cold running water. Some power outages. No internet, except in office. Meals are family style, and you eat what the staff eats, unless you arrange for something otherwise. Meals prepared by wife of one of staff. Traditional way of cooking there is to prepare all the meals in morning,in stacked pots with lid on top and setting aside for the day. A couple of times we asked for, and got lobster, which was quite good. Breakfast quite simple eggs and bread, or bread and eggs. No toast, no toasters. Can buy cereal and milk in town and keep in shop refrigerator. Grocery store in Ambon well stocked and has Guinness!

Perhaps the cheapest place I have ever gone diving. It's very quiet, relaxing, low key. Also spent time at the trendy Cape Paperu resort, but that's another story.

There is restaurant of sorts in village. Though I did not try, an Australian there thought food was great, with dinner being $0.50. Little else around the place, not like a popular tourist destination.

The place is very quiet, relaxing, low key.

Did not check rental gear. likely not much. No shop or gear for sale.

Did not find the weird Ambon frogfish, but many other typical muck destination creatures. Water clearer than you comes to mind when you think of muck diving. Photographed my first blue-ring octopus here, as well as a number of nudibranch. Quite honestly, unless it's something odd, I pay little attention. Nothing big, nor did I look for such.

Misc of note: pygmy seahorses, flambuoyant cuttlefish,seamoths, zzebra crabs, harlequin shrimp, flower urchins

Different species photographed, total: 115
Nudibranch: 81 [numerous uncatalogued]
Fish: 16
Cuttlefish: 1
Crustacea: 10
Worms: 3
Cowries & snails: 3
Corals: 1

Websites Blue Rose Divers   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Indonesia, Philippines, Fiji, Solomons, Vanuatu, California coast, Costa Rica, Mexico, Bonaire, Grand Cayman
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, dry Seas calm, no currents
Water Temp 79-83°F / 26-28°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 50-80 Ft/ 15-24 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Come up when out of air, solo ok
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? no

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish N/A
Large Pelagics N/A

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 3 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities 1 stars
UW Photo Comments No rinse tanks on boat, no camera work area on boat or at dive operation. Plenty of space on boats for setting down cameras. Cameras carefully handled.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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