A large gorgonian sea fan spreading into deep blue water beside a coral wall

Pintu Kota

Airlouw, Nusaniwe, Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia

  • Beginner
  • Moderate current

Pintu Kota is a beginner dive site in Airlouw, Nusaniwe, Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia. Dives run from 7 to 30 m, with moderate current. 3 dive shops on Scubalo run trips here.

Updated

Conditions at Pintu Kota

Max depth
30 m
Depth range
7–30 m
Current
Moderate
Level
Beginner
Depth profile: dives from 7 m to 30 m.

About Pintu Kota

Pintu Kota, "gate of the city", is a wall and archway dive on the southwest tip of Ambon. Its arch sits at 15 to 17 metres, covered in sea fans and gorgonians, beside a slope that drops steeply into deep water.

The name comes from the cliff above the water, where a rock juts into the sea with a hole worn through it. The same shape repeats underwater, and most of the dive is spent working around and through the arch. Divers usually finish on its highest point at about 7 metres. Average depth is around 12 metres, and the maximum is near 30.

It is a wide angle dive. The gorgonians and sea fans on the arch suit a wide lens far better than the muck slopes inside Ambon Bay, and the drop beside the arch brings a chance of something larger passing in the blue. Reef fish gather around the structure.

The site lies at the hamlet of Airlouw in Nusaniwe district, about 45 minutes by road from Ambon city. Currents can pick up, so operators often run it as a drift and pair it with a second dive on the same south coast.

When to dive Pintu Kota

Season

Main season
September to May, when Ambon's operators run most of their trips.
Water temperature
About 26 to 30°C.

Location

Questions about Pintu Kota

What is Pintu Kota known for?

Pintu Kota, which means gate of the city, is named after the rock arch in the cliff above the water. Underwater the shape repeats as an archway at about 15 to 17 metres, covered in sea fans and gorgonians. It is Ambon's best known wide angle dive.

How deep is Pintu Kota?

The archway sits at roughly 15 to 17 metres and the dive usually ends on its top at about 7 metres. Average depth is around 12 metres and the maximum is near 30. The slope beside the arch drops steeply into deep water.

Are there currents at Pintu Kota?

Currents can pick up enough to make Pintu Kota a drift dive, which is how many Ambon operators run it. Ask your guide about the day's conditions, especially if you plan to stay near the deeper slope.

When is the best time to dive Pintu Kota?

Ambon's operators run their main season from about September to May, and water temperature sits around 26 to 30°C. Outside that window, check with the shop you book before planning a trip around this site.

How is Pintu Kota different from Ambon's muck sites?

Ambon is best known for macro and muck diving on dark rubble inside the bay. Pintu Kota is a structure dive on a sea fan covered arch with a steep slope beside it, and it suits a wide angle lens rather than a macro one.

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Dive shops that go to Pintu Kota

3 shops in the directory run trips here.

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