Dewi Telegraph - Dive Travel Services

The Dewi Telegraph
R A J A A M PAT - A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 3
DN2013-09
Dewi Nusantara - Raja Ampat
The Dewi Telegraph
23rd April to 4th May, 2013 - Cruise Code DN2013-09
23rd April - Sorong to Mioskon
24th April - Mioskon & Frewin
25th April - Mioskon & Frewin
26th April - Arborek & Yangello
27th April - Alyui Bay & The Cendana Pearl Farm
28th April - Penemu
29th April - Fiabacet
30th April - Wayil
01st May - Wayilbatan & Fiabacet
02nd May - Boo & Farondi
03rd May - Batanta
04th May - Sorong
Sea conditions:
Mostly calm seas. There was the occasional area of swell
but for the most part we had a calm and comfortable
cruise. Water temperature was an average 30 degrees C.
Weather conditions:
Changeable but sunny nearly all the time. There were a
couple of heavy downpours but they rarely lasted more
than an hour.
The Away Team
The Home Team
Tuesday 23rd April 2013 - Day 1
The Dewi Telegraph
Sorong to Mioskon
12:00 to 15:00
Guests arrival from different locations
during the afternoon.
16:00
Depart Sorong Harbour and head north
west to the island of Mioskon.
17:00
Vessel orientation and safety briefings
followed by dinner and a well needed
sleep for some of our guests.
21:00
After a calm and trouble free passage we
arrive and anchor close to Mioskon island.
Sunset over Gam
Weather: Sunny with a light NW breeze.
Seastate: Calm with little chop.
Dewi Nusantara anchored at dawn, Mioskon
Sorong Harbour
Wednesday 24th April 2013 - Day 2
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Mioskon & Frewin
08:00 - Dive 1
Mioskon
Reef and point dive. Mantas, Sharks,
schooling Spanish Mackerel, Pygmy
Seahorse.
11:00 - Dive 2
Sardine Reef
Large oval seamount/shallow reef. Dived
on the eastern end with current facing,
many different schools.
15:00 - Dive 3
Blue Magic
Smaller seamount with strong current.
Once again many schooling fish.
18:00 - Dive 4
Batu Lima
Night dive at Five Rocks. Blue Ringed
Octopus.
Summary:
Nice start to the cruise with great visibility
and cobalt blue water.
Weather: Sunny with a light breeze.
Seastate: Calm, clear and very blue.
Saonek Island, east of Mioskon
Thursday 25th April 2013 - Day 3
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Mioskon & Frewin
07:30 - Dive 5
Otdima Reef
Reef system in the middle of the strait.
High current, lots of fish, particularly nice
coral heads with glassfish/sweepers and
a great hard coral garden at the south
western end.
11:00 - Dive 6
Mioskon
A return to yesterday’s first dive and
it was just as good, minus underwater
mantas but there was one performing
crash dives on the surface
15:00 - Dive 7
Frewin Bonda Channel
A fast current reef dive that ends with a
mini wall and nice reef. Undescribed coral
pipefish on this one.
18:00 - Dive 8
Yanbeser Village Jetty
A newish night dive for Dewi. We
managed to get permission to dive
the village pier. Lots of ghostpipefish,
including a halimeda, various octopi,
pleurobranch, crocodile fish.
Weather: Overcast with sunny spells.
Seastate: Calm, choppy, a little swell.
Frewin Bonda Island
Friday 26th April 2013 - Day 4
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Arborek & Yangello
07:15 - Dive 9
Manta Sandy
An early morning dive on Manta Sandy
brings us plenty of baitfish and other
critters but unfortunately only one Manta.
Hardly any current surprisingly.
10:30 - Dive 10
Manta Sandy Reloaded
Once again, the lone Manta returns again,
and once again there is no current??
15:00 - Dive 11
Citrus Ridge
The Yangello/Gam channel was surging
with current when we arrived on a rising
tide. After checking we decided on diving
Citrus Ridge which turned out to be calm
at the start, fast on the ridge and calm at
the end. The current did however bring
out the best in the site in the form of a lot
of schooling fish, including a big bunch of
Baraccudas and a couple of Black Tip Reef
Sharks.
Weather: Sunny, breezy, whispy cloud.
Seastate: A little bit of swell.
Dawn over the Arborek reef sysem
Saturday 27th April 2013 - Day 5
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Aljui Bay & Cendana Pearl Farm
07:15 - Dive 12
Bird Wall
A fascinating wall critter dive opposite
the pearl farm. Zebra Crabs and Coleman
Shrimp.
10:00: Cendana Pearl Farm Visit
For very brave men only.
11:30 - Dive 13
Bird Wall
A return to the first dive site with more of
the same and also some different animals.
11:30: Waigeo Kayak Adventure
For the sporty types.
15:00 - Dive 14
Ganan West
Plenty of current and plenty of places to
hide too. Very nice reef and wall system.
Baby Wobbegong, according to Janet? It
was actually a scorpionfish.
18:00 - Dive 15
Cendana Pearl Farm Pier
Plenty of the usual suspects at this famous
critter site.
Weather: Sunny, breezy, whispy cloud.
Seastate: Very calm in Aljui Bay.
The Cendana Pearl Farm Dock in Aljui Bay
Sunday 28th April 2013 - Day 6
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Penemu
07:15 - Dive 16
Batu Burung (Melissa’s Garden)
11:00 - Dive 17
Batu Burung (Melissa’s Garden)
One of the signature dives of the Raja
Ampat region, and it did not let us down.
Despite being a little overcast and with
some current on both dives the site
delivered great (really great) coral gardens
as well as clouds of schooling fish and
plenty of Wobbegong Sharks too.
14:30 - Dive 18
Keruo Channel
Our third dive of the day is a gentle drift
between a couple of islands in the Penemu
group. Nice soft corals and plenty of
nudibranchs.
16:30 - Land Expedition
Penemu
Walking up to a small peak on Penemu
island to take in the panorama followed
by a boat ride around the karst limestone
islands. Lots of exotic birds and plants.
Weather: Sunny, breezy, whispy cloud.
Seastate: Slight swell and chop, but calm.
Dewi Nusantara from Penemu Island
Monday 29th April 2013 - Day 7
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Fiabacet
08:00 - Dive 19
Nudi Rock - Boat 1
Tank Rock - Boat 2
11:00 - Dive 20
Nudi Rock - Boat 2
Tank Rock - Boat 1
Two of the top dives in the Fiabacet area
of SE Missool, split between two boats.
Slight current running bought out lots
of schooling fish. Combined with the
stunningly colourful and varied soft and
hard coral growths made these morning
dives hard to beat.
14:30 - Dive 21
Boo Western Rocks and Reef
Todays third dive on the western end of
Boo islands turned up plenty of pygmy
seahorses and, for the brave, and excursion
over to the huge rocky seamount to see
hundreds of schooling fish in the current.
18:30 - Dive 22
Pulau Kecil
Andrey’s night dive over on Pulau Kecil
featured a colourful coral crab, amongst
over critters.
Weather: Sunny, breezy, whispy cloud.
Seastate: Slight chop, but calm.
The dive sites of the Fiabacet area as seen from the Misool Eco Resort
Tuesday 30th April 2013 - Day 8
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Wayil
08:00 - Dive 23
Wayil Kecil (Baracuda Rock) - Boat 1
Taman Rahasia (Layer Cake) - Boat 2
11:00 - Dive 24
Wayil Kecil (Baracuda Rock) - Boat 2
Taman Rahasia (Layer Cake) - Boat 1
Another two dive sites where we split the
tender teams. Wayil Kecil didn’t dissapoint
with schooling baracuda and plenty of
critters on the wall over the back of the
ridge.
15:30 - Dive 25
The Four Kings
A spectacular four pointed seamount set in
the seascape between Wailbatan and Pele
islands. Lots of current and hunting fish as
well as plenty of critters.
18:30 - Dive 26
Wayil Kecil
Once again Andrey undertakes a night
dive while everyone else has dinner, this
time with Andri. The two Andreyis.
Weather: Overcast, rainy then sunny.
Seastate: Choppy outside, but calm inside.
Dewi Nusantara approaching the Wayil island group
Wednesday 01st May 2013 - Day 9
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Wayil/Fiabacet/Boo
07:15 - Dive 27
Neptune’s Fantasea Channel Passage
One of the most popular and fascinating
dives in Raja Ampat, a vertical fan covered
wall on the east side of the WailbatanKarawarapop channel.
11:00 - Dive 28
Whale Rock
Another of the Fiabacet area’s famous dive
sites. This one features two rocks with a
shallow ridge running between them. Very
pretty on all sides.
14:30 - Dive 29
Whale Rocks Little Brother
This afternoon’s dive takes place at Whale
Rock, but this time on the reefs of the
smaller island on the other side of the
ridge.
18:30 - Dive 30
Boo Eastern Rocks and Reef
This evenings dive is at the eastern end of
Boo island on the rocky reef, leaving us in
a nice position for tomorrows diving.
Weather: Sun, heavy rain, overcast, sun.
Seastate: A little choppy and swelly.
The northern approach to Fantasea Channel
Thursday 2nd May 2013 - Day 10
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Boo & Farondi
07:15 - Dive 31
Boo Windows (XP)
An early morning dive on the areas
signature site. Vast groups of schooling
fish, several big Napoleon Wrasses,
Painted Frogfish and fabulous coral slope
vistas.
10:30 - Dive 32
Boo Windows (Vista)
A repeat of this mornings dive, and once
again this fantastic site delivers the goods.
After getting back to the main vessel we
make tracks for Farondi.
14:30 - Dive 33
Farondi - Wall & Cave
This remarkable dive was done in perfect
conditions, sunlight streaming into the
overhangs, no current at all and plenty to
look at, even in the darkest depths of the
Rat Hole cave.
17:00
Balbulol Speedboat Ride
A late afternoon motor around and
trying to get into the Balbulol karst island
complex.
Weather: Sunny all day, fresh breeze.
Seastate: A little choppy and swelly.
Captain Samsara oversees the return of one of Dewi’s dive tenders
Friday 3rd May 2013 - Day 11
The Dewi Telegraph
Batanta
07:15 - Dive 34
Algae Patch
10:00 - Dive 35
Algae Patch
Batanta’s famous critter dive is the site for
our last two dives of the trip. Once again
the little bay on the south side of the island
comes up with some weird and wonderful
marine life to gaze at and photograph.
12 Noon
Anchors up and away to Sorong Harbour.
Weather: Mostly sunny.
Seastate: Calm but currenty in the strait.
Three Sea Gypsies
The Dewi Telegraph
R A J A A M PAT - A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 3
DN2013-09
Marine images kindly supplied by Janet Czapski