Earthquake at Sea: What It’s Like and What to Do
Let me paint the scene: it was an ordinary, beautiful morning at sea in August 2018. We were sailing off the northeast coast of Lombok, Indonesia. The sun was out, the breeze was gentle, and my guests were enjoying breakfast on deck, probably over pancakes and papaya juice, blissfully unaware that we were just minutes away from nature’s version of a jump scare.
As the cruise director, I was already up and about. Suddenly, I felt the boat jolt. A sharp, unnatural movement. My immediate thought? We just hit a reef.
Except… there was no reef where we were.
Cue the “something's not right” alarm bells in my head.
I Locked Eyes with the Captain and Know: This Isn’t Normal
I glanced up to the bridge, and my captain was already looking straight at me. We made the kind of eye contact that says:
“You felt that too?”
“Yup.”
“Was that a reef?”
“God, I hope not.”
I bolted up to the bridge. We scanned every instrument and navigation chart to triple-confirm our position. Depth, speed, GPS, reef maps; everything checked out. No collision. Nothing beneath us. The sea was deep. So what the hell was that?
Then came the ping of a text message from BMKG (Indonesia’s Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency):
Earthquake detected. Epicenter? Roughly 10km from where we were. Magnitude? Big enough to make a boat vibrate.
Earthquake at Sea: Not Like in the Movies
Here’s the thing no one tells you about earthquakes at sea: you don’t hear anything. You don’t see things falling off shelves. You don’t get that dramatic shaking that movies love to overdo. Instead, you just feel… off. Like the boat hit something invisible. It’s subtle, but if you know your vessel well enough, you know when something’s wrong.
To make things more suspenseful, none of the guests felt it. Not even one. So while they happily sipped their coffee and talked about manta rays, I was low-key spiraling into what-if-there’s-a-tsunami panic mode.
Business As Usual? Kind of.
Despite the drama brewing under the surface (literally), the day had to go on. After breakfast, I led the guests ashore for our land excursion to the foothills of Mount Rinjani. The plan: visit a local village, chat with the elders, and soak in a bit of Sasak culture.
We were cruising along the scenic road in our van when I started to notice people standing around in clusters. Huddled by the roadside, looking tense. I brushed it off as a local overreaction. Earthquakes aren’t exactly rare in this part of the world, and usually, life goes on.
That is… until it didn’t.
Halfway through our journey, we hit unexpected traffic. Like, standstill traffic.
News trickled in through the driver. A nearby bridge had collapsed.
Okay. That’s when the penny dropped.
This wasn’t a little earthquake. This was the real deal. Damage-on-land kind of big.
I made the call to turn around immediately and head back to the boat. I notified the captain en route. Turns out, he had already heard from locals warning him about the earthquake’s scale. Without wasting time, he moved the boat farther offshore, away from the shallow waters, just in case any aftershocks triggered a tsunami.
I was to call him once we arrived at the beach so he could send the tenders to pick us up.
The drive back was surreal. Ambulances and military trucks sped past us in the opposite direction, heading straight into the chaos we had just left behind. I kept glancing at my guests in the rearview mirror. Most were quiet. Some didn’t know what was happening. A few were starting to connect the dots.
I tried to stay calm. You know, for morale. Inside though? Full-blown anxiety fiesta.
Once we made it back to port, the captain didn’t waste a second. We pulled anchor and got out of there. Straight to the safety of deeper waters.
And then? We went snorkeling in the Gili Islands. Because why not.
Earthquake Safety While Sailing: What You Should Know
In hindsight, here’s what I learned and what I wish more people talked about when discussing earthquake safety on yachts or boats:
1. Boats Feel Earthquakes Differently
While buildings shake, boats don’t rattle, they lurch. It’s more like being nudged by a giant, invisible whale.
2. Instruments Don’t Always Show the Whole Picture
We relied on our charts and sonar to confirm we hadn’t hit anything. But the true confirmation came from BMKG's alert. Always pay attention to incoming alerts at sea, even if everything seems normal.
3. Tsunami Risk Is Real
If you’re close to shore when a big quake hits, the smartest move is often to head to deeper water. Shallow areas are vulnerable if a tsunami follows. Our captain acted fast, and I’m grateful for that.
4. Communication Is Everything
Having a reliable line between land team and crew is crucial. Without that, we’d have been guessing.
What It Feels Like to Snorkel During an Aftershock
A few days later, we were back in the water, literally snorkeling when I felt a sudden jolt. The water shimmered strangely. Fish darted like they knew something I didn’t.
Yep. Another earthquake. Not as big, but enough to make me say:
“NOPE.”
I swam back to the boat like my fins were on fire. Screw graceful exits. When tectonic plates shift underwater? You get out. Stat.
Lessons from My First Earthquake at Sea
Looking back, the whole experience taught me a few big lessons:
Never underestimate the ocean. It’s calm… until it isn’t.
Respect the captain's instincts. When they say “move the boat,” you don’t ask why.
People process emergencies differently. Some of my guests were chill. Some were scared. I had to wear my calm-cruise-director face the whole time while internally stress-eating imaginary chips.
Snorkeling is fun. Until the Earth starts moving.
Should You Be Worried About Earthquakes While Sailing in Indonesia?
Let’s be real. Indonesia is in the Ring of Fire. Earthquakes are a thing. But should they stop you from sailing here?
Absolutely not.
Here’s why:
Most boats have experienced captains who know what to do.
Technology now gives near-instant earthquake alerts.
Deeper waters are generally safe from tsunamis.
With the right crew and procedures, you're often safer on a yacht than on land.
That 2018 Lombok earthquake was a terrifying, humbling experience. And though it shook me (and the boat), it also reinforced why I love working at sea: the unpredictability, the teamwork, the quick decisions, the snorkel-now-panic-later lifestyle.
Would I want to relive that again? No thanks.
Would I change how we handled it? Not a thing.
Thank you for reading and now back to happily roaming!