Dr. Rodney Salm, on the status & resilience of Komodo coral reefs in July 2012

Looking back 40 years ago when I first came to Komodo and again 30, 20 & 10 years ago, I realize I looked for different things at different times of my life. Forty years ago, whale sharks and whales used to come right into Teluk Slawi and I would see them with each visit. Only in recent years have I become more interested in the effects of climate change on coral reefs. Last year I took a mini sabbatical of 7 months to see how the reefs of Indonesia and the West Pacific had responded to the heat stress and bleaching that happened in 2010 and 2011. While I loved the diving I did in many places: Palau, Yap, Wakatobi, Raja Ampat, islands to the East of Komodo, it was the Komodo National Park and World Heritage site that stood out as exceptional; and not just for its fish life, when so many other parts of Indonesia have been fished out. It was the state of the corals that blew my booties off! They were very healthy, had good color, active growing margins, low incidence of disease, and showed minimal damage.

» CLICK HERE TO READ DR. RODNEY SALM'S FULL REPORT

Trip Report Komodo, 4-14 July 2012

By Karl Klingeler, Cruise Director Seven Seas

Back in our favorite Komodo for our first cruise after 2012 docking! We started the diving this time at Gili Lawa Laut: our check-out dive in front of Fish Bowl was beautiful - nice reef, good fish life, a white-tip shark and a manta at the end of our dive - not a bad start! Castle Rock was loaded with groupers, coral trout & fusiliers. The next day we moved to Batu Monco and had some great critters: orangutan, xeno & porcelain crabs, nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses and a warty frogfish, as well as a jawfish with eggs, blue ribbon eels and flatworms. Also some bigger things too: sharks & turtles.

Then we moved to West Komodo where the currents in the Sape Strait were cranking, but we managed to do 2 of our favorite big dives with good fish life, beautiful corals & lots of color. We did 1 exploratory dive which turned out pretty productive: 2 big cuttlefish, 2 gymnodoris aurita, ribbon eels and our snorkelers saw nice reef, 4 species of anemone fish, a white-tip reef shark and bump head parrotfish. Later that day we went ashore to the ranger station at Loh Wenci, where we were greeted by 2 Komodo dragons who announced mating season open.

» CLICK HERE TO SEE KARL'S FULL REPORT

Special Offer: Remaining Spots WIRODIVE Charter Raja Ampat, March 2013

This top notch dive safari takes you to the sensational coral reefs, big fish and tiny critter dive spots of Raja Ampat. In 12 days, from 19th - 31st March 2013, you (and a maximum of 16 guests) are travelling aboard the M/Y Seven Seas to remote dive spots where nature is still pure & untouched. Explore some of the ocean's best kept secrets with www.wirodive.de (yes, we do speak English!). From EUR 2998,- p.P. Double cabin, incl. full board, diving (up to 4 dives per day), Nitrox for free, excl. flights & incidentals. Feel free to contact us directly under [email protected] for more details, incl. the optional extension in a Raja Ampat Resort.
Also note: There are still 2 spaces available (1♀, 1♂) at a last minute price for the Komodo trip from 13 to 23 August 2012. Contact [email protected] if you are interested.

Diese sensationelle Tauchsafari zu den Großfisch- und Critterplätzen Raja Ampats vermag Ihre Sehnsucht nach "Unberührtheit pur" zu stillen. 12 Tage (vom 19.03. - 31.03.2013) reisen Sie mit der Seven Seas (und insgesamt max. 16 Gästen) zu unvergleichbaren Tauchgebieten. Entdecken Sie einige der noch bestgehüteten Geheimnisse der Meere mit www.wirodive.de. Ab EUR 2998,- p. P., Doppelkabine, inkl. Vollpension, Tauchen (bis zu 4 TG pro Tag), Nitrox for free, nicht-alkoholische Getränke, zzgl. Flüge & Nebenkosten. Informieren Sie sich direkt bei [email protected], auch über einen Anschlussaufenthalt in einem Raja Ampat Resort.
Bitte beachten Sie: Für die Komodo-Tauchsafari vom 13. bis zum 23. August 2012 sind noch 2 Plätze verfügbar (1♀, 1♂), zu einem tollen Last Minute-Preis. Bei Interesse bitte eine Email an [email protected].

What's New on The Seven Seas?

More than meets the eye! We just finished an extended docking period in which we did a LOT of work on the boat, always trying to make it better. Brand new air conditioners in the cabins, complete new finishing in all the cabins, bit lighter than what it was, looks great! New wooden railing and other woodwork up top, new mast tops, new base frame for the winches (stainless steel this time), replacement of various pieces of hard wood, overhaul of the engine room, and just about everything else that we could get our hands on! Very satisfying to see her in Komodo looking better than ever and with all the equipment serviced, overhauled and replaced as needed. Cruising in safety with great comfort while having world class marine experiences is what she made for and more ready than ever to deliver in the new 2012-2013 season!