BANDA SEA

Bahasa Indonesia Laut Banda portion of the western South Pacific, bounded by the southern islands of the Moluccas of Indonesia (Alor, Timor, Wetar, Babar, Tanimbar, and Kai on the south and Ceram, Buru, and Sula on the north). It occupies a total of 180,000 square miles (470,000 square km) and opens to the Flores (west), Savu (southwest), Timor (south), Arafura (southeast), and Ceram and Molucca (north) seas. The sea's North Banda Basin, plunging to a depth of 19,000 feet (5,800 m), is separated from the South Banda Basin by a submarine ridge that has coral islands surmounting its highest peaks. The South Banda Basin, descending to 17,700 feet (5,400 m), holds Mount Api, a volcano rising from 14,800 feet (4,500 m) below sea level to 2,200 feet (670 m) above. An arc of active volcanic islands stands on a second ridge dividing the South Banda Basin from Weber Basin, the deepest in the sea (24,409 feet ). In the clear waters around many islands, notably the Banda group just south of Ceram, corals flourish in spectacular beauty.