Last updated: August 2026 · Prices & availability verified for the 2026/2027 season
As of August 16, 2026, every Komodo Luxury guest and crew member who experienced the 15 August earthquake — at sea and ashore — is safe and accounted for, and our boats returned to the water the same afternoon under official clearance. The protocols held because they are trained, not improvised: vessels moved to deep water, guests put on life jackets, shore groups walked to high ground, and every head was counted.
Last updated: August 16, 2026 · Written from Labuan Bajo — by the Komodo Luxury team, whose crews were at sea with guests when the earthquake struck. This account is first-hand.
TL;DR: When the M7.7 Flores earthquake struck at 05:58 WITA on Saturday 15 August 2026, our liveaboard crews followed standing protocol: boats to deep water, life jackets on, guests ashore moved to high ground, full headcount, then a hold until BMKG and the Labuan Bajo Harbormaster gave clearance. No guest or crew member on our fleet was hurt, and sailing officially reopened the same day.
- Earthquake: magnitude 7.7 (BMKG initially estimated M7.0, later revised), 05:58 WITA, 15 August 2026, in the sea north of Flores near Mbay — roughly 200 km northeast of Labuan Bajo, at a shallow depth of about 15 km.
- Tsunami: BMKG’s early warning for NTT and neighboring provinces was lifted about three hours later; no destructive tsunami formed.
- Our guests and crews: all safe and accounted for — on every vessel and every shore excursion.
- Sailing: officially reopened by the Harbormaster on 15 August (Maklumat Pelayaran No. 05/MP-VIII/2026); Komodo National Park was not closed.
- Airport: Komodo Airport’s runway and apron were declared safe and the airport kept operating.
What happened on the morning of 15 August?
At 05:58 WITA, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the sea north of Flores, about 200 km northeast of Labuan Bajo, and BMKG issued a tsunami early warning for East Nusa Tenggara and neighboring provinces. No destructive tsunami formed: tide gauges recorded only small waves — about 0.36 m at Labuan Bajo — and the warning was lifted roughly three hours later. The serious impact was concentrated in central and eastern Flores; Labuan Bajo saw limited damage and kept functioning. These facts come from BMKG, the KSOP Labuan Bajo Harbormaster, and reporting by Antara and Reuters.
| Fact | Status (as of August 16, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Magnitude and time | M7.7 at 05:58 WITA, 15 August 2026 |
| Epicenter | Sea north of Flores near Mbay, ~200 km northeast of Labuan Bajo |
| Tsunami | No destructive tsunami; warning lifted ~3 hours later |
| Komodo Luxury guests and crew | All safe and accounted for |
| Sailing from Labuan Bajo | Reopened same day — Maklumat No. 05/MP-VIII/2026 |
| Komodo National Park | Not closed; trips running normally so far |
Dozens of lives were lost in central and eastern Flores, and communities in Nagekeo, Sikka, Manggarai, and Manggarai Timur are grieving and rebuilding. Labuan Bajo shares one island with them. Our thoughts are with our neighbors across NTT, and our respect goes to the authorities, guides, and crews — many of them Flores-born — who put safety first that morning.
What exactly did our crews do when the earthquake struck?
Our crews were at sea with guests when the earthquake hit. What followed was not a scramble but a sequence every captain and guide has rehearsed:
- Boats moved to deep water. Captains took vessels away from the shallows and held position offshore — the standard maritime response to a tsunami warning.
- Life jackets on. Guests on board were briefed calmly and put on life jackets, exactly as our SOP requires during any tsunami alert.
- Shore groups moved to high ground. Guests on land excursions were walked to elevated points by their guides and kept there until the all-clear.
- Every head counted. Each captain and guide reported a full headcount; “all visitors safe and accounted for” was confirmed for every group before anyone stood down.
- Hold until cleared. No vessel resumed its itinerary until BMKG and the Harbormaster said the water was open again.
None of this was invented on 15 August. Safety briefings happen on day one of every trip, and our captains — most of whom grew up on these waters — drill these responses as routine. Protocol only works when it is culture; 15 August was the day that culture was tested in public.
Why do boats head for deep water during a tsunami warning?
Tsunami energy becomes dangerous as it compresses into shallow water near coasts and harbors; in deep water it passes beneath a hull as a modest swell. That is why harbors empty and boats hold offshore — and it is what our fleet, from day-trip speedboats to our luxury phinisi liveaboards, did that morning.
Who decides when it is safe to sail again?
Not us — and that is the point. We sail only with clearance from the two authorities that govern these waters: BMKG and the Labuan Bajo Harbormaster (KSOP). On 15 August, after BMKG declared the tsunami potential over, the Harbormaster issued Maklumat Pelayaran No. 05/MP-VIII/2026 reopening sailing from Labuan Bajo — the same day as the earthquake. Our boats were back on the water that afternoon, and trips have run normally since 16 August. Komodo Airport’s runway and apron were declared safe as well, and flights continued operating — our update on Komodo Airport status tracks flights to Labuan Bajo in detail.
Is it safe to join a Komodo liveaboard right now?
We won’t answer with a slogan, because honest operators don’t promise what nature cannot. What we can say: so far, conditions in Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park are calm, sailing is officially open, and every departure — whether a private Komodo trip or a shared open trip — runs under the protocol above, with authority clearance checked before every sailing day. We publish a broader assessment in Is Labuan Bajo safe after the earthquake?, updated as the situation develops.
What if you are booked and still feel unsure?
That is a reasonable place to be — nobody on our team will pressure you. If you would rather wait, our Sail Again Guarantee — a flexible rebooking guarantee — protects the full value of your booking as travel credit, so postponing does not mean losing your trip. For help thinking it through, we wrote Should I cancel my Komodo trip?, and our concierge team on WhatsApp will talk through your specific dates. The same applies whether you booked a shared cabin or a full private yacht charter.
What would change this answer?
This page reflects conditions as of August 16, 2026. We would pause departures and update it immediately if:
- BMKG issues a new tsunami warning or raises the alert level for the Flores Sea;
- the Labuan Bajo Harbormaster suspends sailing again for any reason;
- Komodo Airport restricts operations beyond routine inspections;
- Komodo National Park authorities close visitor sites.
None of those is the case so far. A significant aftershock would prompt a fresh authority review — and we follow those reviews, not our own optimism.
What did guests ask us this week?
Is it safe to go on the boat after the earthquake?
Sailing from Labuan Bajo is officially open (Maklumat No. 05/MP-VIII/2026) and conditions so far are calm. We will not use the word “guaranteed” about nature, but every departure runs under full safety protocol and daily authority clearance.
Are there still aftershocks — should we cancel or come?
Aftershocks were felt after the main quake — normal after an event this size — and BMKG monitors them continuously. Sailing remains open so far. If you would rather not decide under stress, the Sail Again Guarantee means waiting costs you nothing.
Someone I love is on one of your boats — how do I know everyone was accounted for?
Because counting is the protocol. Every captain and guide reported a full headcount on 15 August, and “all visitors safe and accounted for” was confirmed for every group — on the water and on land. Our WhatsApp team can confirm a specific group’s status directly.
Were your boats or the harbor damaged?
Our entire fleet returned to the water on the afternoon of 15 August — the clearest answer we can give. The harbor is operating, and the Harbormaster has officially reopened sailing from Labuan Bajo.
Our trip is later this month — is it still confirmed?
Trips have run normally since 16 August, and departures proceed as scheduled as long as BMKG and the Harbormaster keep sailing open — which they have so far. Our team confirms each departure directly on WhatsApp; if anything changes for your date, you will hear it from us first.
If you are ready to sail — or simply want to talk it through with someone who was here on 15 August — explore our private Komodo trips and open trip departures, or message our Labuan Bajo team on WhatsApp at +62 811-3823-875. We will give you the same calm, factual answer we gave our guests that morning.
