Trip Report Raja Ampat Jan 2020 Trip Report

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Dan

Contributor
Messages
10,015
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Location
Lake Jackson, Texas
# of dives
1000 - 2499
Summary
This is a twelve-day (14-25 January, 2020) liveaboard trip to Raja Ampat on Amira liveaboard. The itinerary, as shown in Table 1, includes 10 days of diving, 4 dives / day, except during long passage and the last dive day for 24-hour surface interval before flying home.
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Figure 1 shows the dive sites we visited and Amira cruising routes (marked by red loop line) from Sorong to Misool, Batanta, Penemu, Gam, Dampier Strait and back to Sorong.

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Figure 1: Dive sites and Amira route in Raja Ampat on 14 – 25 January, 2020 trip (courtesy of Nora Nigg, Cruise Director of www.amira-indonesia.com).

Here is a short video of the highlight of what I saw during the 10 days of diving in Raja Ampat:


Background
I was thrilled when @Casey Smith the son of Larry Smith (the legend of Indonesian’s diving industry) invited me to join his father’s Memorial trip to Raja Ampat on MSV Amira. Although I have been to Raja Ampat a few times in the past, I have never been on Amira, but have heard a lot of good feedback about the boat, which would make the trip even more appealing. We even posted the invitation in Scubaboard to share the experience with some Scubaboard members who know about Larry Smith and / or have never been in Raja Ampat:

Raja Ampat 14-25 Jan 2020 with Amira $837 off

Raja Ampat is located just about at the equator with Misool slightly below it (Latitude: -2°, Longitude: 130°). So, the air temperature is pretty much constant throughout the year at around 32°C with 1- 2°C swing between sunny day and rainy day. Similarly, water temperature would be around 29°C +/- 1°C with no thermocline to speak of. I usually wear 3mm full wetsuit more for skin protection than for keeping my body warm. After 5 days of 4 times/day of diving, I may put 2mm shorty over the 3mm full wetsuit as I tend to start feeling chilly.

It is marine protected area, so no glove policy is enforced. Fortunately, pointer (a foot long stainless-steel stick) is allowed to use, which is a good thing to have for anchoring yourself on a rock while taking picture and for keeping your hand off the coral, especially away from those stinging hydroids.

Another background information, we have the honor of having Burt Jones and Bill Macdonald on this trip. They were with Larry Smith during the early diving exploration days of Raja Ampat. Some of the dive sites were named by them.

The Liveaboard
MSV Amira, as shown in Figure 2, is 52m long Phinisi boat with 5 double cabins and a single cabin at the lower deck, 4 double cabins at the upper deck for up to 19 guests, along with two rigid inflatable boats (RIB / Zodiac) and a skiff. More detail info is available in Amira-Indonesia
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Figure 2: MSV Amira sailing in Raja Ampat, Indonesia on 24 January, 2020

Here is a video clip about MSV Amira, courtesy of Dive The World


The Zodiac can take 10 people, but we normally have it filled to 6 people (for the Zodiac pilot, a DM and 4 divers). There were 15 divers on that trip. We were divided into 4 groups with divers-to-DM ratio of 4.

Setting up our dive gears and handling them were pretty typical liveaboard diving. Each diver has his / her own station in the dive deck in back of the boat. I was in station 25A, as shown in Figure 3. All dives were on 30-32% Nitrox.

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Figure 3: Dive gear station in back of MSV Amira

After dive briefing, we kit up our dive gears at our assigned stations in the dive deck. Deckhands would assist us to get ready including getting onto the Zodiac. Once everyone was onboard, the deckhand would hand over the fins and the cameras. Then we went to the dive site.

Before backrolling into the water, DM would check the water condition (entry location relative to the reef, current direction and strength, etc.). He / she would would freedive into the water if needed. If a negative entry is necessary, we would be advised to empty all the air out of the BCD and backrolling to the water with camera, otherwise the camera would be handed to us after we are in the water. Once we were all ready to enter the water, the Zodiac pilot or DM would count to 3 and we all backrolled into the water at the same time. Then we would descend together following the DM.

The meal (breakfast, lunch & dinner) were buffet type in most of the days. Full course of dinners were served during special day (e.g., last dinner). The food were excellent. I love their Indonesian-style breakfast. Special dietary meals were served to those who asked for it.

The diving
As shown in Figure 1, we did 4 dives / day in most of 10 diving days, except on the day when needed to sail on a long passage from Misool to Batanta and on the last diving day in order to meet a 24-hour surface interval before flying home, with a total of 35 dives. The diving schedule would be posted in the lounge whiteboard and cruise director would announce it to everyone 5 minutes before the scheduled dive briefing. The drive briefing was conducted 15 minutes before the scheduled dive. Typical 4-dives / day schedule was as follows:

06:30 – continental breakfast
07:00 – dive 1
09:00 – hot breakfast
11:00 – dive 2
13:00 – lunch
15:00 – dive 3
17:00 – snack
18:30 – dive 4 (night dive)
20:30 – dinner

We saw a variety of fishes including anemonefish, angelfish, anthias, barracuda, butterflyfish, eel, grouper, lionfish, pipefish, ray, shark, snapper, trevally, wrasse, variety of critters, including clam, crab, cuttlefish, nudibranch, octopus, seahorse, and turtle. They would be too many to list them all here from every dives. So I would just mention a few unusual / uncommonly seen by me or the first time I saw them during the trip and anything that was noted in my logbook.

continue to post # 2.
 
1st Day of Diving
After an over night passage from Sorong to Misool, we start the 1st day of diving in Daram. Air temperature was about 32°C. Water temperature was about 29°C. Dive 1 was in Candy Store, 21m depth with 10m visibility. It was a calm dive site, a good place for a check dive. Dive 2 was in Andiamo Pinnacle, 24m depth with 15m visibility. Andiamo is named after the liveaboard that Burt Jones went with during the early Raja Ampat exploration days. Dive 3 was in Andiamo Ridge, 26m depth with 15m visibility. Dive 4 (night dive) was in Daram Surprise, 18m depth with 15m visibility.
Some fish worth noting were schooling blackfin barracuda, schooling golden-line snapper, orangutan crab, bubble coral shrimp, Ocellated Tozeuma shrimp, Denise pygmy seahorse, Corallimorph Decorator crab, as shown in short video, below.


Afterwards, we cruise down to Fiabacet.

2nd Day of Diving
Another nice and calm day in paradise. Air temperature was about 31°C. Water temperature was about 29°C. Dive 5 was in Nudi Rock, 30m depth with 15m visibility. Dive 6 was in Tank Rock, 28m depth with 15m visibility. Dive 7 was in Whale Rock, 23m depth with 15m visibility. Dive 8 (night dive) was in Yillet Kecil, 15m depth with 15m visibility.

Some animal worth noting were Gray Reef Shark, Fabriated Moray, Hawksbill Turtle, Dragonet, Comet, Two-toneDartfish, Raja Ampat Pygmy Seahorse, Twinspot Lionfish, and Octopus, as shown in short video, below.


Afterwards, we cruise down to Warakaraket.

3rd Day of Diving
We contacted Misool Eco Resort earlier and got 7am slot to dive in Magic Mountain (Dive 9) to see both Oceanic and Reef Manta in their cleaning station. Water temperature was 29°C and depth was 26m with 20m visibility. What a treat that was, as shown in the video, below.


Dive 10 was in Eagle’s Nest, 19m depth with 20m visibility. Dive 11 was in Boo Windows, 36m depth with 20m visibility. Dive 12 (night dive) was in Boo Windows, 19m with 20m visibility.

Some animal worth noting were Spot-tail Dartfish, Clown Triggerfish, Baramundi, Black Velutinid, Blue stripped Fang Blenny, Raja Ampat Pygmy Seahorse, Bargibanti Pygmy Seahorse, several kinds of nudibranchs (Funeral Jorunna, Crested Nembrotha, India Caloria) and the endemic nocturnal fish Walking Shark (Raja Epaulette Shark), as shown in short video, below.


4th Day of Diving
We had a great day of diving in this area and decided to repeat the dives on the 4th day of diving as some of us missed seeing the mantas and walking shark. Misool Eco Resort was nice enough to give us 7:45 am slot to dive in Magic Mountain for the 2nd time (Dive 13). Dive 14 was in Boo West, 33m depth with 15m visibility. Dive 15 was in Puri Pinnacle, 27m with 15m visibility. Dive 16 (night dive) was in Romeo, 13m with 15m visibility.

Afterwards, we cruise down to Wayil.

5th Day of Diving
This was the last diving day in Misool, specifically in Wayil. There were schooling fish in all the sites we dove. I love schooling fish and wishing I were one of them. Dive 17 was in Wedding Cake, 23m depth with 20m visibility. Dive 18 was in the Four King, 33m depth with 15m visibility. Dive 19 was also in The Four King at the shallower part, 22m depth. Dive 20 (night dive) was in Batu Baracuda, 18m with 15m visibility.

Some animal worth noting were Dancing Shrimp, Electric Clam, Denise Pygmy Seahorse, Crynoid Crab, Leopard Shrimp, Painted Frogfish, Bargibanti Pygmy Seahorse, and Leaf Scorpionfish, as shown in the video, below.


Afterwards, we cruise northwards to Balbulol.

Continue to post # 3.
 
6th Day of Diving
Balbulol is on the north edge of Misool. The next big island is Batanta. We made 2 morning dives on this area before afternoon and night sailing to Batanta. The interesting things about Balbulol for me were seeing a lot of turtles and swim-through reef formation. Dive 21 was in Two Tree Rock, 23m depth with 15m visibility. Dive 22 was in Baby Rock, 24m depth with 10m visibility.

Some animal worth noting were Turtles, Bargibanti Pygmy Seahorse, Squat Shrimp, Giant Moray, Spotfin Lionfish, Striped Catfish, Raja mpat Pygmy Seahorse and variety of nudibranch (Willan’s Chromodoris, Swollen Phylidia, Kumbayarna’s Nembrotha), as shown in the short video, below.


Afterwards, we cruise northwards to Batanta.

7th Day of Diving
Batanta turned out to be a great place for muck diving. Dive 23 and 24 were in Algae Patch I, 26m depth with 15m visibility. Dive 25 and 26 (night dive) were in Algae Patch II, 25m depth with 15m visibility.

Some animal worth noting were Mimic Octopus, Napoleon Snake Eel, Ghost Pipefish, Orange-Black Dragonet, Shortfin Lionfish, Long-arm Octopus, Pink-ear Mantis, Dwarf Cuttlefish, Broadclub Cuttlefish, Flamboyant Cuttlefish, Halimeda Ghost Pipefish, Painted Frogfish, Tiger Tail Seahorse, Mollucan Seahorse and variety of nudibranch (Three-Lobed T-bar, Okinawan Halgerda, Girlded Glossodoris), as shown in the short video, below.


Afterwards, we cruise northwards to Penemu.

8th Day of Diving
Penemu has both above water and underwater scenic view that anyone does not want to miss. We had a chance to walk up to the top of the island to see the panoramic view of Penemu as shown in Figure 4, below.

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Figure 4: Penemu panoramic view on 22 January, 2020

Underwater scenery is also impressive with thick hard coral as far as you can see in Melissa’s Garden sites, as shown in the short video, below:


Dive 27 was in Melissa’s Garden, 28m depth with 20m visibility. Dive 28 was in Keruo Channel, 23m depth with 20m visibility. Dive 29 and 30 (night dive) were in Batu Rufus, 19-25m depth with 20m visibility.

Some animal worth noting were Wobbegong Shark, Napoleon Wrase, Crocodilefish, Blacktip Shark, Rock Mover Wrasse, Papuan Scorpionfish, and Blue-Ringed, as shown in the short video, above.

Afterwards, we cruise eastwards to Gam.

9th Day of Diving
We spent most of the diving on small island at the south tip of Gam, called Yangeffo, where we saw quite a few of Wobbegong sharks. Dive 31 was in Mayhem, 23m depth with 20m visibility. Dive 32 was in Citrus Ridge, 23m depth with 15m visibility. Dive 33 was in Way Pretty Shallow, 22m depth with 15m visibility. Dive 34 (night dive) was in Gam Selatan, 17m depth with 15m visibility.

Some animal worth noting were Pontohi Pygmy Seahorse, Wobbegong Sharks, Day Octopus, Denise Pygmy Seahorse, Blacktip Shark, Spotted Garden Eel, Shrimp Gobby, as shown in the short video, below.


Afterwards, we cruise eastwards to Friwingbonda, Dampier Strait.


10th Day of Diving
This was the last day of diving. We had one morning dive (Dive 35) in Friwingbonda at 21m depth with 10m visibility, so we would have 24-hour surface interval before flying home. After the dive we spent the day touring the island village.

Conclusions
This trip on Amira is my favorite Raja Ampat trip so far. The liveaboard is very well organized. I like the boat so much and have booked for the next trip to Forgotten Island, the place I have never been.
 
Burt Jones, the photographer (Burt Jones and Maureen Shimlock)?

If so, I met them 20 some years ago at Borneo Divers, Mabul when it was brand spanking new.

Burt showed me my very first nudibranch (actually a pair doing it!)


AND forever shall I worship him because he is the guy that turned me on to lycra socks! I love love love that guy. Maureen is very nice too.

Excellent trip report Dan. I'm totally jealous
 
Burt Jones, the photographer (Burt Jones and Maureen Shimlock)?

If so, I met them 20 some years ago at Borneo Divers, Mabul when it was brand spanking new.

Burt showed me my very first nudibranch (actually a pair doing it!)


AND forever shall I worship him because he is the guy that turned me on to lycra socks! I love love love that guy. Maureen is very nice too.

Excellent trip report Dan. I'm totally jealous

Yep, that's him.

Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad to hear that you like the trip report.

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Some of Raja Ampat dive sites are known for currents, which bring nutrients for the fish to feed on and therefore, a lot of cool schooling fish actions to observe. The possibility of being swept away by the current is there. One of the safety measures implemented by Amira is to loan ENOS Rescue Device at free of charge to each guest. So the minute we are lost at sea, we can activate it to send MOB (man overboard) signal with GPS position to the mothership ASAP.
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