The Banda islands are a small group of around half a dozen. They’re where nutmeg originated, which led to three-way tussles between the locals, English and Dutch four hundred years ago.
We arrived about 7am from the north, anchored in the channel between two islandsand after breakfast went ashore for a tour of the main town of Banda Neira on the island of the same name. It was a small community with narrow, potholed roads and brightly coloured buildings. There was a simple, four room museum and a couple of Dutch forts. Lots of chickens, some cats and locals on motor scooters. There was a constant drizzle but it made the air less hot and humid.
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| Fort Nassau |
We were back on board in time for lunch. In the afternoon I went for a snorkel. This was on the north eastern side of Naira Island where the volcano erupted a few decades ago and the lava flow extended into the sea. There is already a lot of coral, mostly soft corals and staghorn and some fans. The water was calm and very warm and visibility was very good. However while the coral was in good condition, with nothing dead or bleached, the fish were not particularly plentiful and nothing unusual.
After I got back I barely had time to change out of my wet gear before we were summoned again to go ashore where everyone walked up to a different fort (Fort Belgica) for music and drinks. The air was cool, there was a pleasant breeze and we could clearly see all three islands.
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