A diving operator and executive at Bluewater Travel has accused Silversea’s expedition ship Silver Cloud of harming coral around Alor, Indonesia.
In a Facebook post, he claimed that thirteen Zodiacs deployed from the vessel each dropped three anchors onto the reef instead of using mooring lines. Allegations are now under scrutiny by ExpeditionCruising.com, which questions the likelihood of such practice. A video reportedly shows a dive guide retrieving an anchor lodged in coral, followed by a terse exchange with a crew member.
The accusation has revived tensions stemming from past incidents in the area, including the grounding of Caledonian Sky in 2017, leaving local dive operators wary of large-scale cruise operations.
Silversea, however, has obtained all necessary permits for operations in Alor—a point confirmed to ExpeditionCruising.com, which contradicts any suggestion of regulatory noncompliance.
Silver Cloud is currently conducting a Darwin-to-Bali itinerary, with scheduled stops at Komodo, Bau Bau, Kupang, and Palopo. Independent reef divers have noted that one anchor was seen wrapped around coral and manually removed, part of what was described as “a total of 39 anchors” used during the exercise—an account from local dive guides suggesting widespread impact.
At present, no formal response has been issued by Silversea, and investigation continues into both the environmental concerns and the specific operational practices aboard Silver Cloud during the Alor stop. The event underscores ongoing friction between expedition lines and regional conservation stakeholders, with reef protection remaining a sensitive priority for local communities. No independent verification has yet been made regarding the extent of reef disturbance or whether permitting addresses anchor deployment methods.
For more Silver Cloud incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.