Seven Seas Availability in the Next 2 Years

The Raja Ampat season 2017-2018 is starting this month, and we are almost fully booked. Just a cabin here and a sharing spot there between December this year and March 2018 still available. If you are thinking about this season, then take a quick look at the schedule for anything that suits your agenda. After that, for Raja Ampat cruises it is time to start looking at our schedule from December 2018 to March 2019 and you will see that the beginning of that season is also filling up quickly now. Time to think about booking your Raja Ampat cruises for early 2019!

For the first half of 2018, before docking, we still have one very nice cruise with plenty of availability. Komodo 2018 June 3 to 14, beautiful time of year in Komodo and just before the peak season of the Northern Hemisphere summer vacation! After that some cabins available on 2 cruises in Komodo and East of Flores in September and October, perfect time for both destinations, not much space left, grab it now!

» CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON OUR AVAILABILITY

Happy Planning and Happy Holidays with Best Wishes for 2019!
The Seven Seas Team

Curious Creatures and Colorful Encounters

By Lauren Salm. Photos by Lauren Salm, Rod Salm, Byron Bishop & Wayne Angelucci.

My family reunited aboard the Seven Seas for a two-week dive trip around the Forgotten Islands, in celebration of my father’s 70th birthday and his retirement from a 50-year career in marine conservation, much of which was spent working in the waters of Indonesia and the Coral Triangle region. Although my sister and I essentially grew up underwater with masks on our faces, it was the first time in over a decade that we had been together again submerged in a tropical ocean rich with marine biodiversity and underwater spectacle. It was a particularly meaningful trip for me personally, as it was my first time returning to Indonesia after being born there and moving away at three-months old, thirty-three years ago nearly to the day.

We couldn’t have asked for a more memorable and enjoyable holiday. We had multiple encounters with spinner dolphins, pygmy blue whales (and swum underwater with them on one occasion, which has been a life-long dream of mine), spotted rays, sea snakes, napoleon wrasse, turtles, octopi, and an assortment of weird and wonderful sea creatures; a sighting by some snorkelers of a dugong mother and calf; a run-in with 6 hammerhead sharks; schooling trevally, giant trevally, barracuda, not to mention a tremendous variety of other colourful fish species.

The coral-scapes could be described by vast explosions of colour, highly varied textures and a diversity of form that proved testament to “nature’s infinity of design” (to borrow the words of my father, Rod Salm). Neon and “electric” colour are not often observed in nature above the surface of the ocean, and yet below they are so abundant they almost become mundane. I kept thinking how completely mind-boggling it would be to witness these colours for the first time had we not now become accustomed to seeing them given their synthetic generation in our every-day lives.

» CLICK HERE FOR LAUREN'S FULL REPORT

Corals alive and well among the Forgotten Islands

By Rod Salm.

In these desperate days of dying corals, it is always uplifting to see vibrant coral communities. We certainly found these in many of the places we dived and snorkeled during our recent Forgotten Islands trip aboard the Seven Seas.

Our trips aboard the vessel with its happy, helpful crew are always great; but for a longtime observer of corals and their survival or demise in the tropical seas of the world, I keep searching for and celebrating areas where the coral communities display resilience to the stresses affecting reefs elsewhere. These areas stoke my optimism and keep hope for reef survival alive.

I look for deep dark colours of the corals as paling is a symptom of stress and for wide growth margins on branching and table colonies that demonstrate their vigor. I also seek out active repair of lesions, overgrowth of dead patches, and reorientation in the plane of growth in toppled or overturned corals as these indicate healthy energy reserves on which corals draw to maintain or reverse their growth. It is also important to look out for large old table and massive corals. We did find these too at many of the sites.

» CLICK HERE FOR ROD'S FULL REPORT

Testimonials

(Un)Forgotten Paradise

By Marilyn Georgeff. Photos by Rod Salm, Arul Menezes, Byron Bishop & Karl Klingeler.

Pulau Nusa Bun... Dawera... Nila... Nil Desperandum... Teva... You can roll these island names around your mouth like luscious lollies. Never heard of them? Neither had I until I joined The Seven Seas liveaboard for the dive trip of a lifetime.

They are Indonesian islands that sweep from Timor towards New Guinea. Many are uninhabited. Some are active volcanoes, swathed in plumed clouds. All are breathtakingly beautiful.

Once the area was a rich trading centre, busy with local traffic. Then in the 16th Century the VOC – the infamous Dutch East India Company – moved in, crushing local trade. The richness of Holland was made with the precious pepper, cloves and nutmeg and that grow in profusion in this rich volcanic soil.

With the eventual retreat of the VOC, these islands were forgotten. And that is the evocative name they bear today: The Forgotten Islands.

Being forgotten has is benefits. Here man’s footprint is light. In the 15 days we were at sea and the 700 nautical miles we covered, only two other dive boats were seen. Few fishing boats marred the horizon, and the villagers still fish in their traditional dugout canoes.

Less human pressure means more sea life —– and my head is still reeling from the profusion, colour, size and form of the corals and fish. It has to be the best diving in the world!

On most of the islands we dived on, sheer walls of corals plunge into the deeps. Giant fans...oversize soft corals ....bizarre forms in psychedelic shades that a Disney designer couldn’t imagine. A surrealist’s dream...

» CLICK HERE FOR MARILYN'S FULL REPORT

What a Wonderful World

By Candra Dewi – Operational Director Seven Seas

Time flies, huh? Can you believe it’s December already and there goes 2017! Feels like it all happened just in a blink of an eye!!! My first born is in high school and my baby boy turned 7 years old this year. I remember when I held them in my arms, changing diapers and now, they just wave me goodbye “Bye, Ibu... Have a good they at work” as I dropped them in school and most of the times I have to pleaded them for that little kisses I have missed before they got off the car.

As I arrived in the office, I would say Hi to my trusted kimosabe Ms. Guteri Ganggus and of course my all time go to my colleague Mr. Mansuetus Muta..... the two very person that I can always rely on in any conditions.

Settling down, make myself a cup of coffee and we would go through matters of the day. After that I would be selecting my playlist. I have arranged them in accordance to my mood or different activities of my days. There would days when I need a boost from Ray Charles or The Doors’ Light My Fire... especially on Logistic Day.... Hahahahahaa.

» CLICK HERE TO READ CANDRA'S FULL STORY