Silo 3 · Encounters
Scalloped hammerheads at one deep, current-swept site reaching around 32 metres in the Pantar Strait. Advanced dives demanding strong fitness and October timing. Sightings possible, never guaranteed.
One site
The documented action centres on a single deep site. In the Pantar Strait the profile drops to roughly 32 metres and the current runs very strong. This is not a relaxed reef dive. You descend fast, equalise on the way down, and hold position in moving water while scanning the blue.
Slots are genuinely limited. The site sits inside the Alor marine protected area, so every diver attends a mandatory MPA officer briefing, pays a marine park fee and holds a permit. Diver numbers per site are capped by WWF-determined carrying capacity — another reason to reserve early.
Hammerheads share these waters. The Pantar Strait favours wide-angle shooting: schooling fish, mola mola around September, dolphins, pilot whales and the occasional orca all pass through. Thresher sharks sit among the protected species here.
Build around October
October–November brings the most prevalent currents — exactly the moving water that pulls pelagic action to the deep Pantar sites. The trade-off is that stronger current demands better fitness.
| Window | Currents | Water temp | Visibility | Hammerhead focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr–Jun | Building | 31–32°C | Good, up to ~40 m | Fair |
| Jul–Sep | Moderate | 31–32°C | Variable, plankton blooms | Fair–good |
| Oct–Nov | Most prevalent | ~25°C | 25–30 m | Best odds |
| Dec–Mar | Unsettled | Warm | Reduced | Off-season |
Thermoclines can push some sites down to 20°C or lower, so a 5 mm wetsuit or thicker earns its place.
Hard rules
Alor is for experienced divers, and the deep hammerhead site raises the bar further. For the ~32 m dive specifically, good fitness is non-negotiable.
Alor is remote. Treat the insurance requirement as a floor, not a formality.
Quoted per trip
There is no public, citable price list for Alor dive packages, liveaboards or the marine park fee. Your rate depends on operator, boat, cabin, season and group size.
The marine park fee, permit, DAN insurance and Alor flights are additional. Liveaboard seats in the September–October window sell out first, so treat the pelagic season as book-early or miss-out.
Five steps
We do not run boats; we curate and arrange through licensed Alor operators, then hand the diving to their certified MPA guides.
Start here
Carrying-capacity caps limit diver numbers per site, so the best-odds window books out early.
Honest odds
We build the dive plan around realistic probability, never a promised encounter.
Hammerhead and pelagic encounters are possible, not predictable. Conditions and figures are as of 2026 and subject to change.
Straight answers
No. Scalloped hammerheads are wild pelagics, and no reputable operator promises an encounter. Sightings are possible, not predictable. October's strong currents at the deep Pantar site improve your odds, and stacking several dives across a multi-day trip raises the chance further — but the ocean decides.
The documented scalloped-hammerhead site drops to around 32 metres and carries very strong current, so it demands good fitness and solid buoyancy. You descend rapidly, equalise early, and hold position in moving water. It is not a beginner dive; operators expect real experience and comfort in current before they take you there.
Licensed Alor operators require a minimum of PADI Open Water for fun diving, but recommend 50 to 100 logged dives before you tackle Alor–Pantar's currents comfortably. For the deep hammerhead site specifically, more experience is better. Solo diving is not allowed, all dives are no-decompression, and bottom time is capped at 60 minutes or 50 bar.
Yes. DAN or equivalent dive-accident insurance is mandatory, not optional. Alor is remote and the nearest hyperbaric chamber is in Bali; evacuation and chamber costs are not covered by standard medical insurance. You will also need to attend a mandatory MPA briefing, pay the marine park fee, and hold a permit before any dive.
Silo 3 · Encounters
Next step
We match you to a licensed Alor operator, confirm your permit and MPA briefing, and build the dive plan around honest sighting odds.
