Back Out East of Flores 2014 - Trip Report by Marty Hood

As soon as we stepped foot on the Seven Seas, all of the efforts and fatigue of 34 hours in the air was all but forgotten. Being welcomed by some old friends on the crew from a previous trip made us feel right at home and ready for adventure. We knew that new friendships were inevitable.

Each person brings anticipation and hope for the next two weeks. We ranged in ages from 10 to 74 so our hopes were as varied as our imaginations. For some it was a brand new experience and for others they seemed as at-home under the water as they are on land. But even to those most comfortable in the blue, there was still wonder and appreciation from the smallest nudi-branch to the giant whales.

At this moment, we are about half way through the adventure and have had surprises that have awakened all of our senses. No one could have imagined the sensation of the rumble and explosion as rocks spewed high in the air, trailing glowing red lava from the depths of the earth. Dining by the side of an active volcano was a surreal experience. It was difficult to give in to the need for sleep knowing that the next explosion could happen at any time.

Since the early days of the Morris family dive trips, there has been a quest to find the elusive rhinopias frondosa, a rare scorpion fish that they have tried to find for 25 years. During a pleasant afternoon dive, we saw Irwan giving the "victory" sign with two fists in the air. We all knew that something was afoot. We gathered around and were able to witness the rare species watching us…watching it. It didn't seem long until suddenly there appeared Fred and Sue. They had been back on the boat but eagerly joined the dive when they were informed that the search was successful. You could see Fred's grin even in full dive gear.

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Testimonial

South Komodo, March 2014 - Trip Report by Colin Marshall

It's an auspicious start to a trip, when you drop in on the first dive and the very first fish you see is one you've never seen before. The mystery fish, below, was a Bandit Dottyback [Pseuduchromis perspiccillatus]. The second image is a local Komodo variant of the same fish, seen on a later dive.

When I first dived Komodo 10 years ago, it was with an Operator (not 7 Seas) on their maiden Komodo voyage. It did not go well. They didn't seem to understand tide tables, nor the need to check out the current before throwing the clientele into the water. A number ofthe dives on that trip were the most frightening of my life. I have since been back to Komodo twice (both with 7 Seas) and whilst the dives are exciting, I have never felt in mortal danger like that first trip; Karl and the team really do know what they are doing!

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Update: "Return to South Komodo" Expedition, Jan./Feb. 2015

Trip Dates: January 31-February 13, 2015 (14 days/ 13 nights)
Trip leaders: Tom Campbell, Beth Davidow and Sonia Goggel
Cost: $5,900.00 USD (including crew tip)

There are 6 places left available on this cruise. Room for a single male, a single female and two fully open cabins. For more information and booking details please CLICK HERE.