Nutmeg Drop
Run, the small westernmost Banda island once traded by the Dutch for Manhattan, is ringed by walls with huge gorgonian fans and black coral trees. Nutmeg Drop is the classic wall here, with schooling barracuda, snappers, fusiliers and sweetlips, eagle rays, hawksbill turtles and bumphead parrotfish. In October–November hammerheads are sometimes seen in the deeper parts, especially off the south-west point.
Facts
- Region: Banda Sea & Ambon
- Area: Banda Islands
- Level: advanced
- Current: strong
- Type: wall
- Coordinates: -4.5685, 129.665 (approximate)
- Highlights: giant gorgonian sea fans, black coral, barracuda schools, hammerhead sharks, hawksbill turtles, bumphead parrotfish, eagle rays, sweetlips, snapper
- Tips: Often the first Banda stop for boats coming from Ambon; currents can be strong. The exact position of Nutmeg Drop on the island is not published, so the marker is approximate.