We though we'd try to create a bit more insight and background into the places we are visiting...and why!
This expedition will be focused more on the diving than some of our past trips, so we'll have limited time (due to the big distances covered) for many above ground activities. There will still be some great places we visit and some amazing scenery. We may just have to note them and come back to visit them again :) And since the current trips are already booked, we'll have spaces for you to join us!!!
So we begin with a huge island that is very poorly known. Halmahera. Why do so few people know it? One reason is that it goes by several names - Halmahera, North Moluku's, Gilolo. None of which are very familiar to us Westerners...but if you realize this was the main base for the Japanese in WWII and then the main base for Macarthur's return to the Philippine's then it starts to click a bit. It also played a huge part in the spice trade in the Dutch East indies.
For the Marine fanatic it holds something more. The Coral Triangle is the world's largest and densest concentration of marine life in the world. The number of coral species is more than 10 TIMES that of the Caribbean, and that barely touches the surface of all the other marine life encountered. Lying at the heart of the Coral Triangle....is Halmahera. With incredibly famous dive region surrounding the island this remains the hidden gem of Indonesia. Raja Ampat to the East, Lembeh Straits and Manado to the West, the rest of the Moluku or the Spice Islands directly South (geologically it's part of the same region) and Alor and Komodo to the South and Southwest. This is the very heart of Marine biodiversity on Earth. This is it. Learn some more - http://worldwildlife.org/places/coral-triangle
But this is only part of it. Halmahera is located right in the heart of the divergent ecosystems. Here is major point of divergence in evolution and a major cusp of evolutionary development on Earth. The Wallace, Lydekker and Weber lines all converge here. This is massive information for the floral and fauna enthusiasts. The number of bird species is amazing as are many others...this is home to the largest Bee on earth - 5 times bigger than your average bee. It is also located right in the path of the Indonesian Throughflow. This is where the South Seas and the Western Pacific ocean empties through Indonesia into the Indian Ocean....carrying massive amounts of marine life with it. So this area is not jsut home to corals and reef fish - but whales, dolphins, turtles, sharks and so much more. So very much more!!!
But also a huge mix of cultures, history and migration has made this another key piece in the life throughout SE Asia and Australia. From the Dutch Colonialists, the Chinese traders on up to the rapid development of mineral resources - Halmahera has been a key piece in the changes that take place around the world throughout history!And we are going there! The diving is still a great mystery with only a few of the areas even vaguely explored. Our intention is to pass along the Southwestern corner and see several of the dive sites there. Will pass up on the opportunity to explore the sunken Japanese fleet around Morotai, as well as the sites off Weda to focus on Goraici and the nearby islands.
And quite honestly, we reckon we could spend close to three or four years focused on JUST Halmahera. The dive sites of Indonesia are only just getting known and there are dozens of regions as amazing as this, and literally thousands of islands yet to be dived! Keep abreast of our expeditions for more on these, and future trips.
-Wicked Diving Expeditions
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