TUESDAY - WHALE SHARKS AGAIN

And they turned up. Conditions weren't perfect in that there was a bit swell, the weather was overcast and the water therefore a little gloomy but we got to see the whale sharks being fed by the fishermen and to swim in very close proximity to them – very exciting.

 

In the afternoon, we visited a local village and that was it. We have now packed up and disembark in the morning for the flight back to Darwin. Another great adventure completed. For a couple who love diving and snorkelling, the trip was perfect. We will have to go again one day.

 

 

MONDAY - WHALE SHARKS

Well, there were supposed to be but they didn't turn up! The only thing predictable about fish is their unpredictably. We get another opportunity tomorrow before we head for our disembarkation port of Biak so hopefully they will be there. What we were able to see today were the platforms on which the fishermen live and fish being the platforms to which the whale sharks are normally attracted because the fishermen feed them.

Apparently there was a severe storm in this area last night which meant the fishermen couldn't catch the fish with which to attract the whale sharks.

Instead we went for a walk and a snorkel on a very plushly vegetated sand island nearby.

After lunch, we visited the village of Kwatisore, another Papuan village. Where we are is part of the mainland that stretches east to Papua New Guinea. Unfortunately it was perhaps the worst we have seen insofar as the quality of the housing is concerned. If only they could pick up the rubbish! The only thing that it had going for it was water supply. It is located at sea level at the base of tall mountains with lots of water flowing through the village and into the primitive bathrooms. 

The residents gave us the usual musical welcome and a tour of the village. Why do all the men smoke and how do they afford it?

SUNDAY - AT SEA

The anchor was pulled up at approximately 5:00pm yesterday afternoon and we are cruising along at our usual 10 knots heading for Cenderwasih Bay where we will arrive tomorrow morning for our whale shark encounters.

Today is a day of presentations, some more informative than others but it is giving me the chance to catch up with the blog and to organize photos.

After our whale shark encounters tomorrow and Tuesday, we will arrive at Biak on Wednesday morning where we disembark from the ship for our flight back to Darwin. This trip has been absolutely spectacular from a diving and snorkelling perspective, even better than the literature had indicated. I suspect that we will be doing it again.

SATURDAY - BIRD WATCHING SNORKELLING AND DIVING

This morning, we set the alarm to be ready to depart the ship at 5:00am. It doesn't get light until 6:30 so, armed with torches, we went ashore, walked through the village and headed up a track in the hills behind the village. After a 40 minute walk/climb, we came to some benches situated in the forest on which we sat with our eyes pointing skywards looking for Red Birds of Paradise which carry out a mating ritual in a particular very tall tree at dawn each morning. Sure enough, they turned up and put on an impressive display. Unfortunately, because it all happened close to the top of the tree, it was difficult to photograph but there are some photos whhich give a reasonably clear view of what went on.

After returning to the ship for breakfast, we went for a cruise among the limestone karsts of Kaibui Bay including the famous Wallace Channel being a channel discovered by Wallace which separates Waigeo and Gam islands. We were supposed to do a drift dive in the fast running water which flows through the channel but one of the divers was nervous about it so we went elsewhere.

After lunch, we had another snorkelling and diving session. It was pretty good although it turned out to be another place where the above water scenery was more impressive than the below water scenery. That was our last dive and our last coral snorkelling session. There are two further snorkelling adventures to come being our interaction with the whale sharks.

Between the various activities, there were presentations on the region including both the marine and terrestial environment.

FRIDAY - PENEMU AND GAM

I don't think that I have previously mentioned that the weather has been perfect for our activities. No rain and often a pleasant cooling breeze. The ship is air conditioned but often too cool and it can be quite pleasant stepping into the heat on the external decks.

Today we went snorkelling yet again, this time at Palau Penemu situated in the Fam group north west of Batanta Island, after climbing 320 steps to a lookout overlooking the stunning lagoon in which we snorkelled. The area within which the lagoon is located is privately owned and one has to pay a fee to the owner to be able to enter. That means that there is very little fishing in the lagoon and the fish stocks were very healthy.

This afternoon, we visited Yenwapnour Village at Gam Island. The village is located on a strip of sandy flat land between the water and the hills behind.The villagers are Papuans, as distinct from Indonesian, although their language is Indonesian. They put on a concert, fed us with coconut juice and freshly caught fish, and gave us a tour of their village – very basic, occasional electricity, no refrigeration. They catch or pick what they need to eat every day. The area where they grow their food is an hour's boat ride away. There is no flat land near the village other than that occupied by the village itself.

Tomorrow, we get up before dawn to to try and find some birds of paradise, deep in the jungle behind the village.

THURSDAY - RAJA AMPAT - WAYA

A lazy day today. This morning we went exploring in the aptly named Explorer through the maze of waterways which is the Wayag Lagoon. It is a very picturesque area of numerous limestone conical shaped islands with crystal clear water and numerous coral areas where the water is shallow enough to see it. It would not be hard to get lost if you didn't maintain a consciousness of where you were.

This afternoon, we set up camp on a nearby beach where the afternoon's program was glass bottom boat viewing, kayaking, mountain climbing and, of course, snorkelling. There was no diving today. The water in this area is not deep enough. The mountain climb was to the top of Mt. Pinado from which spectacular views of the surrounding area could be seen. A very pleasant time was had by all.

WEDNESDAY - WE CROSS THE EQUATOR (NUMEROUS TIMES)

As you will have worked out by now, the internet is officially dead and can't be fixed until the ship is next in Darwin. Apparently, they recently did an upgrade after which it intermittently worked for a while but no longer. I am maintaining the blog for our records but won't be able to upload it until after we get off the ship.

We spent this morning at Aljui Bay the very special and private reef area referred to yesterday and it was indeed spectacular. It was a little beach at the foot of a steep cliff and the cliff kept descending out of sight into the depths. Diving down the wall was the best we have yet done and snorkelling along the top was fantastic. I am using the strobe and getting some spectacular colour out of the fan and other corals. I have now done four dives with more to come.

After lunch, we went to Kawe Island where we anchored just north of the equator and then went exploring in the Explorer crossing back and forward across the equator numerous times. There is a monument on the island erected within a few metres of but not on the equator to mark its approximate position.

Tomorrow we go cruising in the Explorer at Wayag Lagoon, said to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. If it is going to top what we have seen so far, it must be outstanding.

 

TUESDAY - A DAY IN/UNDER THE WATER

As you will have noticed, the internet is very unreliable so I am not sure when you will get to read this but I haven't been able to connect at all for the last 24 hours.

We had a little adventure late yesterday in that, just after today's very enticing program was announced, two things happened. The ship picked up a rope and the route it was proposing to take to our destination was unavailable because it was full of local fishermen who couldn't be seen and avoided at night. That meant that would have taken two hours longer to arrive at Wagmab, our first proposed destination for today which meant we had to skip Wagmab after the big build up it had been given.

The captain had to find the first safe anchorage he could access this morning so that the crew could get under the ship and remove the rope. It was 500 metres long and had caught on part of the stabiliser mechanism. That turned out to be very fortuitous in that the crew went exploring and found an idyllic snorkelling and diving spot near where we anchored to remove the rope so we had just as good an experience as we would have done had we been able to get to Wagmab.

We then relocated to this afternoon's spot being an absolutely idyllic part of the archipelago accessed via the Mesemta Channel, a long narrow passage just wide enough for the ship to navigate. I'm sorry I can't show you the photos. The above water scenery was simply spectacular. Under the water wasn't as good as we have seen but it was still worth a snorkel/dive.

I have now had three dives with another one to happen in the morning at a location described as a very special and private reef area where stunning coral awaits us. Sounds pretty good.

Tomorrow afternoon, we will be at Kawe Island where we cross the equator. There is a monument on the island marking the position of the equator. Apparently we will have the opportunity to swim across the equatOR.

MONDAY - ASHORE IN BANDA NEIRA

We are now under way again towards our next stop being the Misool Island Group where we expect to spend more time in the water. Tomorrow we have “water activities” in both the morning and afternoon in two different spots quite near to each other.

This morning, we spent three hours ashore having a guided tour of the town. We were divided up into four groups with a local guide. The guide leading our group was very difficult to understand so we probably didn't get as much information as we might have had his accent been less pronounced. All signage was in Indonesian. Nonetheless it was quite interesting and we certainly got plenty of exposure to the local very basic lifestyle. The roads are very narrow but adequate for motor bikes being the commonly used transportation. The only other roadworthy vehicles we saw were one jackaroo and two small wagons used as ambulances.

We learnt more of the turbulent history of the area and about the growing and processing of spices, particularly nutmeg. It is still happening here but at a very modest level. Both last night and today, we were joined by a group of school children who are quite keen to show off their limited English conversation skill. They do an introduction which they have obviously learnt. Once you stray too far from the words they have learnt, they no longer understand.

Notwithstanding their turbulent history, the people are delightfully friendly and gentle.

SUNDAY - BANDA NEIRA

After another comfortable night at sea, we arrived at our first destination this morning – Banda Neira. We were welcomed by two dragon boats crewed by about 30 of the local men. Unfortunately I can't show you the photos. After they escorted us into the harbour, they brought their boats up to the stern of the ship and each rower received a soft drink from the crew. That is apparently their reward for welcoming us.

Shortly after, the Indonesian officials came aboard to check our paperwork. It must have been OK. We have heard nothing about it.

This afternoon, we went went for a fabulous dive and snorkel at a local lava flow site. There is a volcano which last erupted in 1988 causing lava to flow down into the water. As you would expect, the lava flow on the land is sterile solid lava. Under the water, it has caused the coral which it originally covered and destroyed to grow spectacularly. Again, unfortunately, I can't show you the pictures but it was a brilliant snorkelling and diving site. There are eight certified divers on the boat. Just a comfortable number for a dive.

This evening, we go ashore to have drinks at the historic Dutch fort which overlooks the town. The Dutch took control of the area in the 1500's and killed most of the locals – very barbaric. They wanted to monopolize the spice trade. At that time, spices which were highly valued could only be grown in this part of the world – the Spice Islands. To this day the Dutch are very much hated for that piece of history.

Tomorrow, we spend time exploring the local area and then head off to another snorkelling and diving area.

SATURDAY - UNDER WAY

We were able to dodge the rain showers yesterday to get on board the boat without getting wet. We are now comfortably camped in our cabin and enjoying the hospitality of the ship and it crew. The ship has a passenger capacity of 70. The number on board appear to be fairly close to that.

We left Darwin at 5:00 pm and spent last night and will be spending today at sea. Our destination this evening is Bandar where the fun stuff will start tomorrow. The sea conditions are reasonably comfortable. There was a good crowd at breakfast this morning so, unlike the trip to Antarctica, seasickness doesn't seem to be an issue.

 

The internet is terribly slow so photos won't be an option unless it improves.

THURSDAY – ST PATRICK'S DAY - FIRST DAY OF THE WEST PAPUA ADVENTURE

The blog is back. This time for the purpose of recording our postponed adventure exploring the Spice Islands and whale sharks of West Papua.

We arrived at out hotel early in the morning of St. Patrick's Day and were collected five hours later for a day trip to Kakadu. Having seen it in the dry when we last tried to go on our West Papua cruise in November last year, we were keen to see it in the wet, and we did.

The wet season here hasn't been particularly wet but, thanks to the low pressure system in the Gulf which didn't become a cyclone as threatened, there was plenty of rain on the Arnhem Plateau which meant that the water falls were pumping.

We tried to do a scenic flight when we were here in November but couldn't make it happen. That worked out for the best because we were able to do a scenic flight yesterday and saw the Jim Jim and other falls in full flight. The gorge at the bottom of the falls where we swam last time in idyllic peaceful conditions was a raging torrent obscured by mist from the falls.

 

We also did the same cruise at Yellow Water that we did last time but how different. The water was about two metres deeper. The walkways we used last time were under water. There were water lillies everywhere and no muddy banks for crocs to lie on.

The whole area was under water and there was very little wildlife to be seen because it was able to spread out and not be concentrated in the relatively narrow channels as it was last time. The poor old tourists didn't see one croc. We were very fortunate to be able to experience the difference between the wet and dry seasons.

 

We board the Coral Discoverer at four this afternoon. If our voyage is anywhere near as pleasant as the Kimberley trip we did on the same ship several years ago, it will be fantastic.