Wicked Expedition - Komodo to Sulawesi

This trip was a very special and very different trip for the Wicked team and guests - an adventurous expedition from our base in Komodo heading north over 10 days to our final destination of Bira in South Suluwesi. To explore the rare and new dive sites we had the Wicked dive crew of Martyn and Ricky both from the UK with the wonderful varied guest group of ex Wicked staff Dani and Anna from Catalan, ex Wicked DMTs Bas (Netherlands), Laura (Belgium)and Thomas (Ireland). Aswell as members of the Wicked family Melati (Netherlands), Uwe (Denmark) and Jens (Germany). On the first day we had only a relaxing check dive on the schedule and went to Bididari (Angel island) just 20 minutes from the Labuan Bajo harbour. A really good macro dive site full of dramatic walls and beautiful whip coral covered slopes. We were treated to scores of rare nudis, plenty of ribbon eels, crocodile fish, scorpion fish, sweetlips, batfish and even a completely white stick pipefish which Dani and Anna kept secret much to Martyn's dissappointment having been in the area just moments before only seeing the photos when returning to the surface.”Finders keepers aye Dani ha ha”. After reaching the boat, full of smiles, we began the 2 hour journey to Wainilu just outside Loh Bouhaya (Crocodile Bay in the local tongue) to moor up for the night. But being a special trip and seeing the team still hungry for more we decided to do an extra dive at Wainilu (Cold Water in Rinca dialect) at night. Probably the best macro dive in the park we felt this was one we couldn't miss and it didn't disappoint, frogfish, halimeda ghost pipefish, indian ocean walkman, cuttlefish and hoards of decorator crabs and shrimps. The day done we had some delicious dinner and got some sleep before our journey south the following day.

Day 2 was a day of exploration with 2 sites being completely new and 2 which had only been visited once on previous trips. The dive sites were Lonely tree, Padar west wall, The Arch and Pantai Padar. In the three day dives we saw brown banded bamboo sharks, white tip reef sharks, black tip reef sharks, napoleon wrasse, huge bumphead parrotfish schools, green, hawksbill and olive ridley turtles and trevally and tuna hunting. The night dive at Padar beach was great too with ornate ghost pipefish, sea snakes, tiny octopus ( unidentified), scorpionfish, lionfish, morays and loads of nudis and crabs. A completely exhausted but thrilled boat anchored up in Padar beach ready for day 3.

The first dive was Pillarsteen a site of dramatic drop offs, walls loads of swim throughs and a generally gloomy sinister feel especially when large black tip reef sharks are patrolling the deep waters. The site is also known as surge city and true to form it was a surge filled exciting dive perfect to start the day and get the pulse racing! The next three dives were again exploratory dives on the south and west sides of Padar places we have wanted to explore for a while especially Sarang and Padar west rocks (Marathon Man) which we did in the day due to the strong currents and large swell experienced there. We had two great dives with incredible steep coral covered reefs and good visibility with white tip and brown banded bamboo sharks, napolean wrasse, bumphead parrotfish loads of rare nudis and huge schools of fusiliers trying to avoid the circling giant trevally predators. We attempted an extra night dive on west Padar but due to the 4 knot current we decided to abort for safety reasons! Well maybe thats one for next time when the suns still up, Grand Prix Padar comes to mind as a site name.

The next morning we awoke to go and dive Pink beach an exceptionally special area not just for the great dive site but also for the red/pink hue the sand of the beach has due to it's mineral content - it's 1 of only 7 official pink beaches in the world. A great dive with tons of snapper, stingray, green and hawksbill turtles and even a rare leaf scorpion fish. Next up we headed back towards central Komodo for a dive at the world famous Karang Makasser (Manta Point) judging it to be a good time in the lunar cycle and with positive reports from other boats, we had 3 manta sightings from the Jaya as we arrived at the site. We jumped in and saw nothing for the first 20 minutes just 1 turtle with the pressure on we crossed our fingers and fins and were rewarded with 10 plus manta for each group for about 40 minutes with 1 group seeing 7 in a mating train. Also thanks to Dani and Uwe 2 of the photo fanatics on board we managed to get some very good manta ID shots to send to The Manta Trust for our ongoing population monitoring with this great organisation. Well done guys woop!

Onwards and upwards we say and with faces grinning from ear to ear we headed to the very north of Komodo for the last dives in the park. The last dive of the day was the Cauldron where we saw leaf scorpion fish, fields of garden eels, white tip and black tip reef sharks, giant sweetlips and as we went through the “Shotgun” towards the end of the dive we came across a solitary manta ray woooohoooo! With cameras ready we found an area of slack water adjacent to the ripping current where the manta was feeding and playing and enjoyed 30 minutes with the graceful creature as well as more ID shots from the team of Dani and Uwe well done guys! Last of the day was a beach trip or relaxing times on the boat for sunset. Those of us that made the beach were surprised by a reef manta swimming right past the dingy as we crossed the Golden Passage and then quickly did another clean on a beach that is vastly improved in condition since we started at the start of the season. We headed up to the viewpoint for a sunset to remember with a cold beer and some delicious humous and bread prepared by the Wicked long time friend and chef sensation Melati. With tummies full of food and bin bags full of waste we headed to the Jaya to rest for the final day in the park.

The last day we arose early to do back to back dives at Castle Rock. Probably the most famous dive in the park and always a guest and staff favourite we had 2 incredible dives. Full of white tip reef sharks over 15 on one dive, giant trevally, napolean wrasse, leaf scorpion fish, hairy squat lobsters, raggy scorpion fish, ribbon eels and even 5 huge grey reef sharks! We thought it couldn't get any better and then it did when a baby whale shark appeared just 1.5m in length and we had the pleasure of diving and snorkelling with him for over forty minutes! WOOP WOOP! Last dive of the first half of the trip was an exploratory dive in Sebayor Passage a great drift and a great dive with a huge white tip, bumphead parrotfish, scorpion fish, green turtles and huge sea fans everywhere! The first half done we headed back to Labuan Bajo to restock the Jaya and do some maintenance on the boat to make sure she was ship shape for the long journey ahead. We headed to land for a couple of evening drinks of celebration and anticipation for the coming days before returning to the boat for some supper and well earned rest.

The next day we were still doing final checks on the brand new gearbox so decided to go to Bumphead Bommie, a beautiful seamount just outside the park before heading north full of white tip and black tip reef sharks, massive bumphead parrotfish of course, reef octopus and giant moray eels. On returning we had a light lunch and headed to the north of Flores to dive Sabolon Kecil and Seraya wall to find white tip and black tip reef sharks, Reef octopus, leaf scorpion fish, H.denise pygmy seahorse, winged pipefish, green turtles and crocodile fish. Not to forget the giant oceanic white manta we snorkelled with barrel rolling on the surface and dancing around in the water. With the sun setting we embarked on the 16 hour crossing to Taka Bonnerate on calm seas and a clear starry sky overhead.

The first day in Taka Bonnerate consisted of dives at Sane Sane and Timoro Kayuadi two islands on the outskirts of the park. The first two dives were in daylight and very similar with beautiful hard and soft coral slopes and 30m plus visibility, we saw sean snakes, giant marble rays on both dives, enormous dogtooth tuna, orangutan crabs and even three H. bargibant pygmy seahorse on a single gorgonia sae fan. The night dive at Tomoro Kayuadi was great too yielding ornate and robust ghost pipefish, stumpy spined and broad club cuttlefish, big fin reef squid, orangutan crabs, strange moray eels, nudis and crabs.

The next day we travelled into Taka Bonnerate proper and did the northern most point called Belane followed by two dives around Lumangan. All these dives were vertical walls with overhangs, small caves and ridges. Incredibly dramatic with 40m vis it was easy to see why people come dive here. In the three dives we saw orangutan crabs every dive, schools of large tuna, green and hawksbill turtles, reef octopus, scorpion fish, swathes of batfish sweetlips and in particular red tooth trigger fish and longfin banner fish hanging just off the rocky face making these dives truly memorable. The sun was setting as we surfaced after the last dive, the ocean was like glass and the sky was clear with the lagoon blue of the reef around the Jaya. It truly was a great day.

We set off first thing in the morning to make our first dive at the Selayar islands then onwards to Bira. The Northern Lighthouse Point was a reef slope ending in a wall and ridge descending down to 50m plus. That's where we saw several very large whitetip reef sharks and also as yet some unidentified “monster” sharks either huge grey reefs or bull we're not sure, but also great small stuff too weird nudis, hairy squat lobsters and leaf scorpion fish hunting glass fish made it a varied exciting start to the day.Onwards to Bira we did 3 more dives at Pulau Kambing, Shark Point and Bira beach night dive, we saw sharks on all 3 day dives and green turtles, napolean wrasse, oramgutan crabs, batfish and more leaf scorpion fish!

The last day of the trip had to come sometime and what a day to remember. The first dive was at a place called The Fish Market and was a favourite for many of the guests as well as myself and Ricky. Why I hear you ask? Well the 30 plus white tip reef sharks, napolean wrasse and massive school of barracuda was just the start as groups of sweetlips, batfish, tuna schools, massive morays and our favourite little orangutan crabs all added to a great dive! The last dive was at Cape Bira a notoriously dangerous sight but we timed it right and got in around slack tide to find great overhands full of sea fans, whip corals and sponges down at 18m full of life and plenty of the same macro critters we had loved finding and photographing all trip with both groups together for the safety stop and surfacing at the same time it was a great end to an incredible diving trip.


All that was left was to come into to harbour to see the ship yards of the Bugis craftsmen. Here a fleet of traditional Phinisi Schooners was being constructed some up to 35m long all from iron wood and hand tools is really something special. We decided to meet up in a Suluwesi Warung for a local style meal before we headed to a local kareoke bar with all the crew and guests for a good ol sing song and dance (also debate who was champion of dots Laura or Anna) before we went our seperate ways after a wicked 10 days I'm sure none of us will ever forget!



-Wicked Diving Expeditions

Diving Expeditions - Video montage of a recent trip

Our expeditions take us to some amazing places. Ranging from 6 days to 21 days we visit some of the most remote and spectacular places in Indonesia. From the currents and Dragons of Komodo National Park to the uninhabited islands with pristine reefs of Raja Ampat.

Our boat takes only 12 guests and is designed for operating in these remote locations. While safety and service are among the best you will find, we do not offer luxury or excessive amenities. We offer exploration, camaraderie, boating done with generators off at night. We stay up telling tales of the places we've been, the things we've seen....all the while staring at the stars and listening to the waters of the remote seas. It's just the way we are...

On the other hand, we see amazing things. Ever dived and erupting volcano? Sat down with Orangutangs? Swam with Sharks? Walked with Dragons? Stared into the eyes of a Manta Ray? Walked through a pirate village? Gotten rice directly from the villagers who grow it? Woven a sarong? Seen petroglyphs? Seen Megaliths? Drank moonshine at a waterfall with the local villagers? And MUCH more....



- Diving Expeditions

Final leg of the Gili to Komodo Expedition - Trip Report

Our jolly band of adventurers arrived into Labuan Bajo on the night of the 14th of April for a pit stop to refuel for the Jaya and it gave all the guests a chance to check in with home, grab an ice cream and have a look around the town. After a couple of hours we arrived back onboard and started the next  leg of our Diving expedition with a birthday celebration for Brian, who’d already had a pretty great day of diving. It was topped off by a delicious cake made by Mala, and he was treated to a great rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ by Marcel. During our changeover, we’d said goodbye to Valentino and welcomed new guide, Massimo from Italy. We had a little ‘get-to-know’ you session and introduced each other for Massimo’s benefit and then headed off to bed at an uncharacteristically late hour.

We travelled through the night back into the national park and arrived in the north that night. In the morning, after a light breakfast it was time to dive Crystal Rock, fishy as ever with a couple of sharks and napoleon wrasse thrown into the mix, it was good to get back into the water. We then travelled west to the Batu Moncu are off the coast of Komodo, where we put our explorers hats on and tried out a few new dive sites. One was a wall and a sheltered bay dive, which the team named Bamboo Nursery. Nursery, as there were many juvenile fish and Bamboo, not due to bamboo sharks, but to commemorate the bamboo raft made on the beach. Brian was in charge of construction with many helpers gathering wood and rope. Massimo was security and keeping an eye out for dragons on the beach with a protective stick! The challenge was set to take the raft back to the Jaya. The prize; another dive at Castle Rock. Armed with a paddle made from a Frisbee, she made it all the way back and the whole group were happy with their prize which was to be claimed the next day.

We woke early and headed back to Batu Moncu where the current brought in turtles, which pleased Hannah no end as she had never seen one, and even a couple of devil rays for Brian, Diana and Massimo. After that we headed back to Castle Rock which was as epic as the first time – sharks, napoleons, schooling trevally and lots of macro too. A little chill out time followed and then we went to check out Lighthouse on the tip of Gili Lawa Laut. As we arrived the currents looked a little dicey, with water bubbling all around, we held off for a while and put the sails up instead. When the waters had calmed, we leapt in and had a great dive – whip coral partner shrimp, giant frogfish, turtles, nudis and many fish schooling around the beautiful pinnacles. Not tired and ready for more the last dive of the day was made on Cauldron Reef. However, before then, a game of the famous ‘Toothbrush Game’ was initiated and all guests and dive crew were pitted against one another with the sole purpose of ‘killing’ as many people as possible armed only with a  toothbrush. Probably the quickest game ever, it was all over after the night dive, with Shelia proclaimed as the winner!

An early morning call preceded a dive at The Cauldron. Always a spectacular site, the dive did not disappoint. The vis was beautiful and the marine life put on a great show, including sharks schooling around the exit of the cauldron. For a few lucky divers, a dugong was seen cruising overhead – a pretty unbelievable sight, dive guide Jo was gobsmacked. How to top such a dive? Head to Batu Bolong, were conditions were once again fantastic and it proved itself as one of Komodo’s best sites. After that we headed over to Karang Makassar and in the surface interval, Jo gave everyone a short presentation about mantas. After a dive at Makassar we were escorted to Wainilu by a couple of playful dolphins and arrived in time to enjoy the sunset. Mucky Wainilu provided many treats for divers – stumpy spine cuttlefish, stonefish, Indian ocean walkman, nudibranchs galore, cowries, upside down jellyfish and 3 frogfish hanging out together. What a dive site.

The next day started with a chilly dive at Tengah and then a trip to the dragons followed afterwards. The team made a hike around Rinca island looking for the beasties, and also saw monkeys playing trampoline in the mangroves. Luckily all made it back to the boat safely! It was at this point that we had to say our goodbyes to Brian and Diana who were leaving the trip one day early. We met up with our day trip boat who took them back to Labuan Bajo. After this we headed back to Karang Makassar to check it out one last time. Some divers were lucky to see mantas, and eagle ray and sharks and for the rest, the chance to snorkel up close with a manta came at the end of the dive. We made the last night dive of the trip at Siaba Besar and saw long armed octopus, stumpy spine cuttlefish, bob tail squid and sleeping turtles too. Our last night on the Jaya was spent with few beers and games.

The next day we topped off the trip with a beautiful dive at Tatawa Besar, where the soft corals looked amazing and the drift was just right to spot plenty of turtles. We then slowly made our way into Labuan Bajo and arrived in around lunchtime. However, we didn’t want it to end there, so we arranged to meet up that evening and head out to a bar on the beach where a traditional Mangarrai dance performance had been organised. It was a lot of fun to watch and the dancers put on a great effort showing us different traditional dances of their culture. We whiled a few hours away, with a spot of dinner and drinks, then it was sadly time to say our final goodbyes. Thanks so much to all for joining us, we had a great time and hope to see you again soon.


 To learn more about our upcoming expeditions

Gili Islands to Komodo 10 day expedition - Part 1...

Hot on the tail of our trip from Komodo to Gili, the 10th of April saw the departure of Wicked Diving’s 2nd expedition of the year from Gili Trawangan back to the Komodo National Park.


With the Jaya fuelled, stocked with fresh and dry food, the crew’s cravings for new sunglasses and such like satisfied, we set sail in the afternoon with a new band of adventurers ready to spend 10 days at sea and sample the delights of Nusa Tengarra.


Joining us were Diana and Brian, stagehands working for Wicked the Musical (no, it’s not about us and our dive exploits), from the US who were embarking on their very first liveaboard, Sheila and Pash from the UK who’d dived with Wicked in Thailand before and were ready to see what Indonesia had to offer, Guy and Danielle from Belgium who have been diving on liveaboards all over the world and thought it was time to try this part of Indonesia, Rachael from the US who was taking a short break from work and calculated that 10 days was the best way to maximise her time underwater, Lloyd from the US but now living in Bali whose continuing love affair with Indonesia led him our way, Hannah from Australia who’d made her divemaster course in Thailand a couple of years ago and Carole from Spain who was ending her 4 months of travel in style.


As always the best boat crew in Indo were on board – Cap Ahmed, Suleman, Heri, Marwan, Dullah aka Rambo, Cook Ahmed and Mala and representing the dive crew were Ricky heading up proceedings as tour leader, and dive guides Jo, Valentino and Marcel from the UK, Sulawesi and Flores respectively.


We gathered on the boat and after a little orientation we were ready to jump in for the first dive in Gili Trawangan called Hans Reef. The check dive turned up a few delights for some including a few lovely turtle encounters. Afterwards we headed straight out west towards Moyo Island to avoid the ensuing storms. This was our first night of travel and we arrived in Moyo early the next morning.


We started the day off with a great dive on site Haji’s wall – full of fish and corals, before heading over to recently discovered site, Jo’s Mountain. On the surface interval it was time for a shady, pretty walk through Moyo village to visit the nearby waterfall. The cool waters were perfect for a mid-morning dip and the acrobatics from the swings provided a lot of fun and entertainment.


After a quick snack we headed out for a sunset dive near to Haji’s Wall. On the way to the site we were greeted by a rare and spectacular treat – a sailfish breaching the water over and over again.


The next morning, we left early to arrive in Satonda where we spent the majority of the day diving the reefs and trekking on the island to a beautiful viewpoint which looks down on the volcanic crater lake. In the afternoon, we left and headed east along the northern coast of Sumbawa. We choose a spot to make a final dive of the day. This was an exploratory dive for the Wicked dive team, and what a treat it was for a few lucky divers; black volcanic sand, mucky conditions and a school of about 50 cow nose rays feeding in the sand!


We travelled throughout the night and arrived in Wera in the early hours of the morning and after a light breakfast we headed into town. As always, the army of cute and cheerful kids escorted us as we took in the sights of the boat building yards and the women weaving in their homes. We were also lucky enough to be invited into the school and gave the kids there an impromptu performance of “head, shoulders, knees and toes”!


Sangeang was the next stop, and on the way to the volcano we saw our first pod of dolphins for this trip, cruising alongside the boat. We made 3 dives at Sangeang, and as always everyone wanted to stay for days to amble around the black sand looking for macro life. We saw leaf fish, ribbon eels, countless nudibranchs, bargabanti pygmy seahorses including a pregnant male and much more. It was also a time to finally prove the long held theory that eggs could be cooked in the sands of Sangeang. Ricky and Jo took eggs with them and buried them in the sand, to return around 3 hours later to collect them. Ricky’s was partially cooked but Jo’s was pretty much still raw. It was a little disappointing that we weren’t able to serve volcano boiled eggs for dinner, but we think if we refine our methods and extend the cooking time, it’s still possible! Next time! In between time we found an opportunity to bring out the hidden pirates in Shelia and Lloyd who’d both made milestone dives on the trip and they gave us a great briefing about the dragon of Sangeang!

We left that night for Gili Banta and our first job the next day was a rousing chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ for Brian, who was celebrating another year. And what better way to start your birthday than an early morning dive at High Voltage Reef with huge cuttlefish, nudibranchs, scorpion fish and unexpected 24 degree thermoclines.


Next stop Batu Moncu, on the North West coast of Komodo island. This was the first dive for all the guests in the Komodo National Park and a great intro with sharks, huge slate sweetlips and sea snakes. After that it was a short hop over to Castle Rock where the last dive of the first leg of our journey was taking place. And what a dive to finish with! Grey Reef Sharks, White-tip Sharks, huge napoleon wrasse, giant trevally, schooling longfin bannerfish all hanging off a ledge at around 20m which everyone sat watching for at least 15 minutes. Followed by schools of fusilier, napoleons following us around the site, surgeon fish schooling and bluefin trevally in countless numbers. Did we mention all the sharks?

And to top it off moray popping out of barrel sponges, scorpionfish of all sizes and textures and beautiful nudibranchs on the safety stop – just incredible. As soon as we got up to the surface everyone requested a second round!


With the day’s diving finished, we headed into port at Labuan Bajo where we were ready to restock supplies at the halfway point. Everyone left the boat to get a little taste of civilisation and to stretch their legs. After our short break we were ready to head straight out again for another 5 days of diving around the Komodo National Park. Watch this space for more updates on what we saw along the way.

This is just the first of the expeditions we have planned this year! Not only will we be having several more exploratory trips, we will also be operating for 4 months in Raja Ampat! 6 Day Raja Ampat Liveaboard trips with the same Wicked Diving flair!

 -Wicked Diving Expeditions!

First Wicked Diving Expedition of the year completed! Weaving, volcanoes, Manta Rays and much more...

The second part of the trip report from our first Expedition of the year, 10 days from Komodo to the Gili Islands. 

5 days into our trip to Gili Trawangan and after a briefing stop to refuel, the Jaya, her guests and crew headed west towards their final destination. But far from being over, another 5 days of fun, diving and exploring lay ahead for everyone.

First stop was made at Castle Rock – the must do dive site in the North of Komodo, famous for sharks and many types of schooling fish. After that, we headed out to the west corner of Komodo before crossing to Gili Banta. The crystal waters of Banta and sheltered moorings made this an ideal location to while away some hours and dives. The beach also provided materials for Gazza to build and ride on his own raft, helped out by Maggie, Doug and Ricky. He wasn’t sure it was up for the journey back to the Gilis, so he abandoned raft and came back to the Jaya.

After Banta, we made the journey over to twin peaked, active volcano – Gunung Sangeang – to dive a favourite of many, Bubble Reef. This site is very special, firstly because the bottom is composed of black sand, making the colours of the reef even more striking. It’s also a great place to see unusual macro life, such as pygmy seahorses and many different nudibranchs. However, what makes it really unique are the volcanic gas bubbles escaping from the sand in the shallow water, and places where the sand is so hot that you can cook eggs.

We left Sangeang and travelled over towards Wera, which is on the north coast of Sumbawa. Here the villagers still build boats using traditional craftsmanship and the women of the village weave ikat to trade between villages. It was a good time to get back on land, shake off the land wobbles and explore a new place. Wera doesn’t see too many tourists, so the people, especially the kids are always excited to come and say hi and practice their English.

Pete certainly felt the full volume of the kids’ exuberance when they mobbed him on the beach as he brought out candy for them all.

Back to the Jaya, we then prepared for our first journey at night, to Satonda. We arrived early in the morning, ready to make a dive and we were lucky to find denise pygmy seahorses for all of the guests. As well as having some great diving, Satonda is also another great spot for some land activities, as the inner island hides a huge crater lake which developed after the eruption of Gunung Tambora. It’s a wonderful spot for a swim in the brackish water, or a short hike up to the fantastic view point. When everyone was suitably relaxed, it was time to leave Satonda for another dive at a new site we’d never dived before, but dubbed Maggie’s Mountain. It was a real treat – a seamount with lots of secrets from ribbon eels to bamboo sharks, schooling oceanic triggerfish and cuttlefish. Definitely one to head back to another time.

We were then bound for Moyo, playground of rich and famous with a very expensive and isolated resort and some lovely diving too. We made a couple of dives exploring the walls here and then headed onto the island for a sunset trek to the waterfall. The waterfall is small, but has a great swing that people can discover their inner tarzans on, and a small cave behind the waterfall that you can swim into.

In addition to the diving, land exploring, and obvious napping and eating that come as standard on any liveaboard trip, guests had a few more educational pursuits too. Jo taught guests about manta rays and everyone learned a few more facts about these graceful beasts. Who knew they had 4000 teeth? Brian, a skipper and sailing instructor in his normal life, gave a great workshop on knots to guests who got their heads around bowlines, cleats and hitches. And prior to her upcoming speaking slots at the Adex Dive Show in Singapore, Lia treated guests to a lecture about Deep Sea and her experiences photographing in this environment. The odd impromptu guitar session from Valentino, Marcel and Marwan also kept everyone entertained during the dusky sunset hours.

After Moyo, we travelled by night to Gili Trawangan and arrived there early in the morning ready for departure. After 27 dives, many miles travelled, a slew of new rules developed in the game of Uno and many new friends made, it was time to say our goodbyes. It had been such a great trip and as always it’s a shame it has to end, but we’re so happy we got to share this beautiful part of Indonesia with 12 adventurous souls. We hope to see you all again soon.

 -Wicked Diving Komodo

Komodo to Gilis: First Expedition of the year mid-point update

somewhere in Komodo

The first Wicked Diving Expedition of the year is currently underway: 10 days from Komodo to the Gili Islands. Halfway through the trip, they got mobile phone reception and uploaded this update and photos! 



On the 31st of March, the first Wicked Diving Expedition of the year left Labuan Bajo and headed out to the Komodo National Park where the initial leg of the trip was to be spent.

The Jaya

Joining us on boat were a "campuran di negera" ( mix of nationalities). Diego from Italy, but an Ozzie resident, Gazza an Ozzie resident with Italian heritage, Doug from the UK but working in Saudi, Martin ex Wicked DMT and fireman from the UK, Patricia from Belgium who has spent many years living and diving in SE Asia, Maggie from Hong Kong with a very American accent, Pete from lovely Leicester in the UK currently residing in Cheltenham, Anna, Nicole, Chris and Rickard from Sweden all friends joining the trip together and earning some well deserved holidays in Indonesia and Vijay from California who’d just spent 3 days on the Jaya and was ready for another 10 days. We were also joined by Lia Barrett, friend of Wicked and professional photographer and Brian, another ex DMT and captain in his home town ready to share his sailing and knot tying experience with us.

Relaxing between dives, pretending to be captain

Also onboard were out tireless crew hailing from all over Indonesia; Captain Ahmed, Heri, Marwan, Suleman, Ahmed, Dullah and Mala and dive crew Ricky our Irish trip leader, Valentino from Sulawesi, Marcel from Flores and Jo from sunny England.



With plenty of time to explore the plan was to hit up the National Park from North to South and that’s exactly what we did. During the first five days notable dive sites visited were Pillarsteen and 3 Sisters near to Padar and Manta Alley in the South of Komodo. The South of Komodo is noted for its cooler waters and it’s more rugged appearance – and of course these cool nutrient rich waters bring in large pelagic and create a great environment for interesting macro life too.

And a very special guest!

Coolest Captain in Komodo

One topside condition that was noted by all of our guests was the blissful isolation. Bar one other boat we spent our time in the south entirely alone. The Jaya cut a dramatic picture framed by the craggy cliffs and bays of the region. The diving was pretty breath taking – not just the 20 degree water! A highlight for most was the 2 dives made at Manta Alley which lived up to its namesake with divers spending most of their dives surrounded by mantas which were both feeding and cleaning. We were lucky to see a couple of pregnant females and also a small and larger melonistic mantas, which are all black in colour and look like ninjas cruising in the current. We collected useful data for our ongoing work and research with The Manta Trust and also got some great ID shots. We’re hoping some of the mantas we saw are new to the database so that divers will get a chance to name them. (You can read more about our special trips dedicated to Manta Ray or Shark Research)



On our way back up to the centre we stopped off on Komodo island, as what visit would be complete without a chance to view the dragons. We headed in early in the morning and were lucky to see a large male dragon relaxing by the waterhole. The intrepid got close for photos and then we headed off to the hills. We also spotted wild deers, wild pigs and white cockatoos and got an education on the plants growing naturally and how to local villages use these in their daily lives. As is our custom at Wicked Diving, we also did a beach clean-up.



The rest of the day was spent in the centre of the National Park with a beautiful (and warm) dive at Tatawa Kecil were crystal clear vis complemented this dramatic site. Then during the surface intervals we spotted a pack?! Swarm?! Herd?! of mantas at Karang Makassar. Snorkelers grabbed their masks and were literally engulfed by mantas. Those who stayed on the boat weren’t to miss out as the witness multiple mantas breaching and flipping in the air!

Beach Cleanup on Komodo

Needless to say, Karang Makassar was full of mantas for all the divers too, who’d yet to get bored of them. Doug was even in kissing range of one lucky beast. An eventful night dive began with a surprise briefing for Martin to give to the group - we’ll keep the content between ourselves as it may not be too family friendly. It ended in dramatic style too as crew and Gazza wrestled a wayward sea snake from our dingy!

The next day we made an early morning dive at Siaba Kecil and then we were bound for Labuan Bajo to restock supplies before the next leg of the trip begins – heading to Gili Banta, twin peaked volcano Sangeang, the northern coast line of Sumbawa, crater lake island Satonda and the playground of rich and famous – Moyo. When we arrive in Gili Trawangan we will update you on the adventures we had along the way.

-Indonesia Diving Expeditions

Wicked Diving Expedition - Pulau Kri

From a few days ago :)

The Expedition continues, this time they are making their way West. Currently they are around Pulau Gam. 

Last night they dive Pulau Friwinbonda, which may sound like a mouthful....but the diving was spectacular. Plenty of juvenile Shaded Batfish, cowries everywhere, many different stingrays, Stonefish, Slipper Lobsters. But the real highlight as an Epaulette Shark on the reef. These sharks tend to "walk" along the reefs on their pectoral fins as they hunt at night. What a sight!

They also dived at "Sardine reef" off of Pulau Kri which is located on the Dampier Straits. This was a super "fishy" dive with so much going on that they could barely see the reef for all the fish!  Just a few of the species they mentioned seeing:
Sharks
Turtles
Wobbegong
Massive schools of Fusiliers
Schools of Barracuda
Bumphead Parrotfish
Schools of Snappers 
Heaps of Sweetlips. 


In the days ahead the Expedition will be heading West towards Halamahera and beyond. You can follow their hourly progress here: http://ow.ly/eEAwR

We also have a Facebook page you can see more of the photos and gossip on. 


And if you were curious - we are offering 2 different 10 day trips in 2013 Wicked Expeditions

Wicked Expedition - Halmahera

Our Next Expedition departs on October 23rd from Maumere, Flores, Indonesia. In the past we started and stopped at some well-known places. This time the places we start and stop at are only know in the diving community and a few enthusiasts of adventure and Indonesia.

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

Sensational Sangeang

Sangeang is an island just off the coast of Sumbawa that Wicked has regularly visited with the Jaya on our longer exploratory and charter trips from Batam and Bali. Cutting a stunning silhouette into the surrounding landscape, Sangeang has masses to offer for divers and explorers alike.

The island is a volcanic island, one that is still very much active. The last eruption was in 1989 and the island was evacuated. Between its first recorded eruption in 1512 and 1989 it erupted 17 times. There are 2 peaks - Doro Api which peaks at 1949m and Doro Mantoi at 1495m. The island is sparsely populated. 

The island has a rugged, craggy appearance punctuated along the coastline with a series of black sand beaches, where water buffalo roam. Even from afar it has the look of adventure.

The underwater appearance is breathtaking. The black sand leaks from the surface to the reefs, showcasing the kaleidoscope of colours from the corals, sponges and tunicates. From muck diving, to walls, slopes and pinnacles, it really does have it all.

The firm favourite with everyone is ‘Bubble Reef’, so called due to the bubbles of volcanic gases which escape from the sandy substrate in the shallow waters.  Huge portions of the dive can be whiled away, playing in the bubbles, covering the exit holes and watching where they pop out from next. There are also areas where the sand is hot enough to boil an egg even just under the surface of the sand.

If this unique occurrence wasn’t enough, the marine life will blow your socks off. On one dive at Bubble Reef we spotted a blue ribbon eel, a robust ghostpipefish, an ornate ghostpipefish, a scorpion leaf fish, a juvenile painted frogfish and five bargabanti pygmy seahorses. Schooling fusilier danced, bumphead parrotfish roamed and huge dogtooth tuna also patrolled the reef.

If it weren’t for its active volcano status, Sangaeng would no doubt be on the verge of development, as it has so much to offer and is in easy reach of Flores and the Komodo National Park. However, right now we’re happy that we get to share its natural and pristine beauty with some of our lucky guests.

We visit Sangeang (and many other amazing places) on our expeditions.  There are plenty more places left to explore :) 

Wicked Diving Komodo

Wicked Expedition - Pulau Moyo & Satonda

The Wicked Expedition has finally passed civilization and come out unscathed! After a day moored off Bali and then another near Gili...they are back into the wilds.

Today finds the trip exploring Pulau(s) Moyo and Satonda. (how does one write that correctly?) Tomorrow they will visit the mentioned below...

 



Bit of a choppy night across the strait, but gorgeous scenery to wake up to more than made up for it! First dive of the day at Haji’s Wall, off Moyo, where Shannon found us some Denise pygmy seahorses, lovely sloping coral reef with napoleon wrasse and schools of snapper all over. 







Carrying our way along the coast to Satonda, we made our last dive at Satonda Bay, a fantastically chilled dive site that had all kinds of treasures, more pygmy seahorses, neon nudibranchs, robust ghost pipefish, and to top it all off, Sam’s first manta ray! 

Jubilant surface swim back to the boat for some pad thai then nap time! Dinghyed across to Satonda later that afternoon, made our way to land over the wonkiest little pier you’ve ever seen, and up to a mini viewpoint for photo time. 

Lake in Pulau Satonda

One of the neighboring volcanoes erupted a few hundred years ago and caused a tsunami that over spilled into the valley on Satonda and created a lake, that has no water input from the ocean. Gradually over the years the rainwater’s desalinized the lake, making it layers of salt and fresh water, and there’s a few cool organisms and fish that can survive in both types of water that live there. Time for a swim?! OK!

Bats at Night

Another beautiful sunset as we rounded the corner of Satonda and cruised towards the volcanic island of Sangeang just in time to see the bat migration on the way, hundreds and hundreds of bats flying above the boat, very cool!

Here is some video we took of the area and some interviews with guests and staff from last year when we visited Moyo. And some footage from Satonda - the lake and the bats!



If you would like to read some of the entries from the expedition last year....http://www.slideshare.net/wickeddiving/wicked-expedition-singapore-to-komodo

Remember to follow their progress, real-time here...http://ow.ly/aIZh6

If you would like to join our adventures in Komodo, you can join our 3 or 6 day Komodo Liveaboards.


-Wicked Diving

Wicked Expedition - Tulamben and beyond....

The last few days have seen the Jaya do some amazing travels - crossing the Java Sea, heading into Probolinggo and then climbing Mount Bromo....an active volcano!


No - our expeditions are not just diving!

Then they headed over to Bali and spent the last day diving around Tulamben - with a great wreck and some amazing reefs.


Here are some pictures from last year and Amanda's entry about the wreck.

A whole boat load of Jacks at the wreck

…and woke up to stunning panorama, volcanoes & so much green! Welcome to the north coast of Bali! The Liberty Wreck, off the coast of Tulamben, is so close to the beach that it’s possible to do most dives as shore dives. 

Unless you’ve got your own pirate ship that can moor up off the site and dinghy you in to drop on top of the wreck! 

pulling into Bali

Descending into and through a swirling shoal of jacks onto the top of the wreck, it’s like entering a different world. Swim-throughs and overhangs created by sections of the ship, and the whole thing is home to an immense variety of marine flora and fauna - electric clams, giant barracuda, banded pipefish, juvenile batfish and so much more. 

The Wreck and corals

We did 2 dives on the wreck (and could have stayed for many more!) then moved to a dive site aptly named Drop-Off. Just along from the wreck, it’s a deep wall drop-off, then the sand shallows up into a bit more of a muck dive. 

Leafy Scorpionfish

Scott holding on....

We stayed shallow to explore the macros - cone shells feeding on pipefish, leafy scorpionfish, octopus, and more vibrant blue ribbon eels than we could count!

Here is some video footage from last year when we visited the Tulamben wreck





If you would like to read some of the entries from the expedition last year....http://www.slideshare.net/wickeddiving/wicked-expedition-singapore-to-komodo

Remember to follow their progress, real-time here...http://ow.ly/aIZh6

If you would like to join our adventures in Komodo, you can join our 3 or 6 day Komodo Liveaboards.


-Wicked Diving