.jpg)
As we entered a new month, the next liveaboard trip aboard the Jaya headed into the Komodo National park for the final manta education trip of this season. Hopes were high for guides and guests alike that these graceful beasts would make an appearance for us.
Guests on board were Chrissy and Carlos from the US, Yoo Jin from Korea, Jacqui, Kim, Janna, Dean, Mandy and Mark, dives instructors from all over the globe and returning guest who had made 3 trips in the Similans with Wicked already, Per and his uncle Hans from Sweden.
Looking after the guests, both on the surface and underwater were Ricky, Jo and Erik and they were supported by crew Captain Amed, Sulaiman, Heri, Marwan, Dullah, Joss and Ardy.
The trip started with a check dive on the beautiful island of Sabayor. We dived the wall here and were treated to great dive during which we saw fields of garden eels, blue spotted sting rays, tomato head shrimp, barramundi cod and moray eels. We spent that evening getting to know one another and talking about all the great places in the world to dive – no doubt adding to most people’s long lists of ‘must see’ dive locations.
The next day we started the dive schedule with a Komodo Liveaboard classic - Castle Rock. Although full moon would occur over the next two nights, and normally indicates pretty strong currents at times, we jumped at slack tide meaning that the currents were not particularly fierce. However this had no effect on the marine life and we were still treated to a lot of activity down on the site. White tips swam back and forth, oblivious to divers and five grey reef sharks were also spotted out in the deep. Huge schools of fusilier and longfin bannerfish danced above the corals and giant Napoleon wrasse wove their way between the schools. Turtles, fat pufferfish, and dogtooth tuna also impressed us during the pinnacle dive.
The next dives focused on passageway sites The Golden Passage and The Cauldron. These sites are prone to strong and fast moving drifts in places due to the water being channelled in a narrower and shallower area. The Golden Passage was pretty current free until we reached the end of the dive site, but The Cauldron certainly gave an eye opener of the types of currents that make Komodo famous. Everyone enjoyed the ride and all divers spotted around 10 white tips sharks cruising around the entrance in addition to the hoards of giant trevally and turtles at the end of the dive. After a quick shower, we headed onto Gili Lawa Darat where we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and stunning scenery from the view point there.
The next day started with another famous Komodo site, Batu Bolong. This stunning site sees coral cover from top to bottom with barely inch of the pinnacle free of life. If you can tear your eyes away from the multitude of schooling fish, napoleon wrasse, turtles and sharks, you’ll be greeted with the treats of colourful nudibranchs, scorpionfish and moray eels.
After Batu Bolong we headed to Karang Makassar or Manta Point for our next two dives. This was a manta education trip and therefore we were on the hunt for these great ocean wanderers. We jumped in the south of the site and were pushed north by a relatively strong rising tide. Luckily for us the mantas were enjoying the current too and all divers had multiple encounters with mantas from small to big and even a couple of all black mantas too. Everyone came up from the dive exhilarated and ready to dive it again.
The final dive of the day was a night dive, on the reef outside the Cauldron. This was the first night dive for some and the beautiful staghorn covered reef was a great hiding place for many shrimps and crabs, whose red eyes twinkled back at us from the reef. Also creeping around the reef were brightly coloured nudibranchs and flatworms, crinoids tiptoed and bristle stars slithered. One of the most fascinating parts of the dive was the multitude of bioluminescent plankton in the water. In addition to the motion reactive type which twinkles as we move, there were also stationary types which made the reef look as though it were lit up like a Christmas village. As we finished the dive, we were greeted with the site of a perfectly round, amber coloured moon rising over the horizon. Breath taking.
We awoke early the next morning and after a quick bowl of cereal and cup of tea, we were ready to jump in at the Cauldron one last time. The current was a little milder than the first dive, but the dive was just as incredible. Some groups were lucky enough to spend time with a couple of mobulas on the reef before we entered the cauldron area, white tips still swam in large numbers and a manta even flew over the head of one lucky group.
In addition to the dive schedule, guests were given manta education briefings throughout the trip, which gave information about how to take ID shots of manta rays, how to establish which sex a particular manta is and ways in which we as divers can help to protect mantas.
Spirits were high as we made our way back to Labuan Bajo to collect new guests. All of the team were staying on for the whole six day trip, and were excited by what more would be seen over the next three days in the park.
No comments:
Post a Comment