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Water Colours
The tiny island of Banda Api in Indonesia’s Banda Sea, is home to a few people, the tiny mosque of Masjid Nur At Taqwa, and Gunung Api, a highly active volcano. (04April2025)
Imagine living in the shadow of an active volcano!
Gunung Api – or Fire Mountain – is a peak of about 640-650 m. (2100-2133 ft.) on the little island of Banda Api in the province of Maluku, Indonesia. The almost-circular island has a diameter only 3 kilometres (1.9 mi), and most of it rises steeply to the volcanic peak.
Banda Api is at the center of the Banda Islands, a volcanic group of ten small islands in the Banda Sea. Between 1586 and 1988 the volcano on Banda Api erupted over twenty times. The last eruption was on May 10, 1988: three people died, and the rest of the population of 1,800 islanders as well the majority of the residents of nearby Banda Neira were evacuated to Ambon, the capital and largest city in the province, some 200 kilometers away.
Today, the volcano is still classed as “highly active” and is subject to scrutiny (see: Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution). The scars on the land still show, only a small subset of the previous inhabitants have moved back, and trekking to the peak is not recommended.
My small ship, the Coral Geographer, was anchored for two days in the Zonnegat Channel, the narrow body of water that separates Banda Api from its much smaller, but more populated neighbour Banda Neira. I had made boat excursions to Banda Neira a couple of times (see: In the Historic Town of Banda Neira), and had snorkeled in the coral reef which had established itself on the lava flow (see: In and On the Banda Sea), but I had yet to visit the volcanic island itself.
Having had tantalising glimpses from the ship and from the tenders, I was really looking forward to exploring what I could of the island. Unfortunately, this was the sort of voyage where: if it could go wrong, it would. I got up early for a 0630am tender departure – but as soon as we landed on Banda Api and met our local guides, the skies opened up.
In spite of the heavy rain, I did manage to follow the narrow concrete path for a walk past typical simple houses, fine forests, tropical gardens, and the little mosque that I had been watching from my porthole. Somewhere along the way, I gave up on using the cameras, and the guides turned us back because they deemed the path ahead too slippery.
Ah well – a short visit is better than none!
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Volcanic Landslip
Evidence from the most recent eruption on Banda Api is still visible on the mountainside. (03April2025)
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From My Window
Is it a porthole if it is square? My view of the little mosque on Banda Api had me keen to visit the next day. (03April2025)
Gunung Api – Mount Api
From Fort Belgica on Banda Neira on our first day, I had great views over the volcanic island next door. (03April2025)
Mosque on Banda Api
It was still dark when I went out to board my tender for the morning’s excursion. (04April2025)
Morning Light on Banda Neira
As we set off in the tenders, morning light breaks through the wet clouds. (04April2025)
Masjid Hatta-Syahrir
With around 7,000 inhabitants, Banda Neira is much more populous than Banda Api, and is home to more than one mosque. We get views of the waterfront as we make our way across the channel to Banda Api. (04April2025)
Village Host
When we arrive on Banda Api, the villagers greet us on the shore and make ready to walk us through the small village. (04April2025)
A Winding, Wobbly Path
Volcanic stone is incorporated into the narrow path that winds through the village clinging to the shoreline. (04April2025)
Boats on the Shoreline
Life on the island is dependant on the surrounding sea. Outboard motors are the community’s lifeblood. (04April2025)
Boats Reflected
I love how the light bounces off the wet boats.
“Give Me Shelter”
Like in much of the tropics, housing is simple and made from a combination of new and recycled materials.
Rose Apples – Syzygium Jambos
Common across Asia, rose apples are a tropical fruit in the myrtle family. The rose apples we used to buy in Thai supermarkets were clearly a different variant, as they were about the size of a pear. These were tiny!
Papaya – Carica Papaya
You will never go hungry in the tropics! Between the sun, the rain and humidity, and the fertile soil, fruit trees grow fast and tall.
Masjid Nur At Taqwa
In spite of the rain, I managed to make it as far as the tidy little mosque.
Boats in the Rain
Our Ship from the Shore
Our nearby vessel almost disappears into the tropical rainstorm.
A Tidy Porch
We take refuge on the porches of kind residents.
Rain like Icicle LED Lights
In the Rear View
Soaked to the skin, we reboarded the tenders and made our way back to the ship.
As I said, a short visit is better than none – and the hot shower in my cabin back on board was most welcome.
For, even in the tropics, rain is wet.
Safe Sailing!
Pictures: 03-04April2025
