Seven Seas Raja Ampat cruise, February 2016

Trip Report by Lawrence Blair. Photos by Scott Goldsbury.

Day 1. Feb 14th.

Hailing from Bermuda, the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Bali our group met up in Makassar, Sulawesi, the night before our dawn flight to Sorong to begin our cruise. Of the 16 of us, only Lisa, Steve an Angie got the full 2-hour city tour because their driver didn't know where the hotel was, and drove them round in circles, disbelieving the advice on Steve's cellphone GPS. 3 a.m call to catch our plane to Sorong. Whisked aboard, and steamed out to Matan island, a picture postcard of palm trees and white sand. A chance for our divers to check their equipment in shallow, surprisingly murky waters. But we still managed to spot lionfish, pygmy seahorses, and a wobegong shark, resembling a bearded carpet with warts.

Day 2.

The Farondi archipelago, trailing South Eastwards from the large island of Misol. First glimpse of surrounding pinnacles of Karst limestone, which so photogenically characterizes the Raja Ampats. Unseasonably overcast weather with rain squalls. Is there any place where the weather is predictable any more? At our anchorage we are circled by both brahminy kites and white-bellied sea eagles, so low that we thought they might be hoping for handouts. Despite rain and murky water, a great 90-foot vertical drop-off dive, amongst forests of soft and hard corals, particularly the black coral so admired by jewelers, and appearing in the wild as great white powder puffs blowing in the current. Exotic nudibranchs, more pygmy seahorses, great schools of fusileers, and yet another wobegong shark, impossible to spot without the gimletty eyes of our dive masters. Our vessel is tied up to a rock, in a protective cradle of islets, where we settle down for a night of good food and excellent company, as we are all friends from previous cruises aboard the Seven Seas. Before dinner we are put to sleep by a lecture called The Coral Triangle and the Creatures of the Deeps, by your humble and tedious author.

Day 3.

Dawn reveals milder but still overcast weather. Two spectacular deep dives, before and after breakfast. The first at Pet's rock, out by itself, and the second to a fish-infested seamount called 'Love potion number 9', whose etymology is obscure. Great walls of red and orange sea fans and giant amphorae coral, looking like sculpted Victorian toilet bowls - and, amongst the fish-blizzards 80 feet down, an enormous 'barrier reef' grouper, which all witnesses attest to being six feet long. After an additional afternoon dive, we cast off from our cozy little anchorage of the previous 2 nights and head North West along the Farondi chain towards the island of Misol. Some of our party take an exploratory launch ride and find an un-named cave large enough to motor around inside. Sudden dense cloud and blinding rain. No one seems the least put out, for the weather and water is warm, and we are enjoying each other's company at this 'ends of the earth'. We find ourselves another snug anchorage for the night, open a few bottles, tell tall tales and watch the first of the 3 part series SHADOW OF THE SHARK, made for National Geographic, about our captain Mark's famous uncle and auntie: Ron and Valerie Taylor.

» CLICK HERE FOR LAWRENCE'S FULL TRIP REPORT & MORE PHOTOS

Testimonial

Raja Ampat and Komodo - the world's best places for snorkeling!

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