Dreamtime in Southern Raja Ampat Region (Misool)
kat...@gmail.com
Dreamtime
Waking up in the morning from a big, extended splash underneath my
water cottage I recognize millions of small fish being chased by a
baby blacktip shark, and then another one and still another one. It
doesn’t need much to convince me of an early morning snorkeling out
into the serene lagoon of Misool Eco Resort (MER). Curious parrotfish
accompany me out. And then I bump into a majestic school of large
parrot bump-head fish, none less than a meter in size, there might be
more than 40 in this group. I can hear them chewing. Their teeth are
impressive. On my way back I spot a medium sized hawksbill turtle. Now
I am ready for breakfast as I still “have to go diving” --- but even
if I didn’t I have already encountered more than I ever would have
imagined for a short swim.
Raja Ampat is said to host the greatest variety of marine life and
it’s supposed to be one of the areas of origin of all life on earth.
But predators are foraging: shark finning hunters, also fishing boats
from Sulawesi using dynamite to ensure a huge catch within minutes.
Misool Eco Resort which is the only resort operating in the Southern
Raja Ampat region which otherwise is just being passed through by live-
a-boards is the only one dedicated to marine protection. They have
rented a large area of 250 sea miles2 around the resort which is
marked now as a “no fishing zone”
Today we are off in one of the speedy dive boats to a manta ray
cleaning station. On our way we pass a live-a-board and see some of
the crew fishing off the vessel. We interrupt our journey to remind
them that they have to stick to the rules set in the protected area if
they expect to still do diving here in the years to come. It can’t be
that the local owners of the area refrain from fishing whereas
“intruders” don’t care, Lauren, one of the very knowledgeable dive
guides explains. Her eyes, together with local guide Sanggut, spot
even the smallest macro creatures. And they have a very good timing to
avoid currents which can be violent in Raja Ampat. Still on that same
trip we spot a bag filled with rubbish swept ashore. We inspect it and
read the name of a live-a-board on the packing, empty bottles of wine,
milk, plastic bags. Although they should, it seems that liveaboards
operating in the area don’t care about the marine conservation as
Misool Eco Resort as a stationary enterprise does.
We not only encounter several manta ray this morning, but also jack,
emperor, a few white tip sharks and an octopus defending his feast
against some ferocious groupers. Lunch is back in the resort’s
stunning setting. The buildings are all constructed from drift wood
which they dug out under meters of sand, as far as Seram. It was cut
on site and then arduously transported back to Batbitim, the little
island the resort sits on. Buidling here must have involved oceans of
sweat and heart blood. A delicious buffet lunch is served in a very
stylish octagonal restaurant on the far end of the lagoon which is
thatched with elephant grass from Seram. That way it’s always nice and
cool, also in the cottages (which are too comfortable to leave) and
the resort could employ a whole village over several months sowing
roof elements. It’s part of their philosophy. Ecological and
environmentally friendly as much as is possible and socially
responsible.
I didn’t know that these bizarre islands must have been inhabited some
60,000 years ago. Andy, the resort manager and director of MER,
explains to me when he takes us on an excursion to a little island
labyrinth one day. In caverns and ridges just above the waterline we
amaze at rock paintings which are thousands of years old. There’s
fish, dolphins, hunters, there are hands in a print negative and there
are shells piled up on ledges in a certain pattern that must have been
used by the former inhabitants of these waters as sign markers. It’s
unreal. Those sharp, bizarre rocks sticking out of the water, some
like mushrooms, being shaped by water erosion and wind abrasion. I
imagine people paddling their canoes around here and at night
gathering for chats and feasts.
During the night dive in the absolutely amazing house reef off the
resort we encounter a walking shark and a huge moray eel. I choose to
keep my distance…
I am a dive resort owner myself in Sulawesi, a different class though,
and this is my hide away. I love to swing in my cottage hammock just
above the crystal clear water of the lagoon. I enjoy diving as a
guest, not a host. And I am impressed by this stunning beauty under
water and the amount of big fish which exceeds what we have in
Sulawesi. Visibility is - except for two dives – more than 30 metres.
Coral colors vivid. Maybe I will come to live out here when I retire.
Dreamtime, timeless-
Perezoso
<kat...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:391f7360-fbb3-4c8f...@x31g2000prc.googlegroups.com...
I have found my paradise off Papua
Dreamtime
Maybe I will come to live out here when I retire.
Dreamtime, timeless-
Just watch out to some naughty crocs....
This has been copied from SMY Ondina, which has been cruising that area for
long time, but not anymore:
"Leave the Crocs alone!
In our last cruise in Rajah Ampat, one of our guests, David, was attack by a
3-4m salty Water Croc when coming out of a beautiful dive in the mangroves
of Misool. Fortunately David had such an incredible and brave respond that
he could fight the beast and give time to Noldi, our Indonesian DM and
Jes�s, his diving buddy who were close to bravely swim fast to help him.
With these three brave buddies on it, the croc finally opened his jaws and
released David although not without leaving some bad injuries behind. The
providential help of another guest onboard who is a dentist for the first
aids, Thanks Fernando!, and the fast decisions to arrange an emergency
evacuation by our cruise manager, Celso and our captain, finally got David
in Singapore for surgery and I can happily inform he is actually recovering
fast.
Anyone wishing to send David a get well message can do it through us. I will
happily send it to him.
DAVID: GET WELL SOON!
SMY Ondina has decided not to dive in that area any more unless a proven
safety protocol is set and I am aware that many other operators have decided
so.
Those mangroves are the crocs' home .....lets leave those beautiful but
fearsome and dangeorus creatures live their life undisturbed."
Lee Bell
> a 3-4m salty Water Croc when coming out of a beautiful dive in the
> mangroves of Misool.
I've never heard a dive in the mangroves described as beautiful before. We
have lots of mangroves down here and diving around them tends to be gloomy
and unexciting, even if we do see a fish now and then.
On the other hand, legal sized lobster sometimes can be found among the
mangrove roots.
Lee
Greg Mossman
> > In our last cruise in Rajah Ampat, one of our guests, David, was attack by
> > a 3-4m salty Water Croc when coming out of a beautiful dive in the
> > mangroves of Misool.
>
> I've never heard a dive in the mangroves described as beautiful before. We
> have lots of mangroves down here and diving around them tends to be gloomy
> and unexciting, even if we do see a fish now and then.
Obviously that's at least one difference between diving in SE Florida
and diving in Raja Ampat. There are plenty more.
Here's a nice shot from the "blue water" mangroves (not mine):
http://www.wetpixel.com/competition/index.php?view=entry&id=4065