Biodiversity Cruise Indonesia Alor and Gunung Api Part 1

[weeksd]

Biodiversity cruise started in maumere indonesia and ended in sorong. Cruising overnight to the alor area. Alor diving is reefs on a slope for the most part. Reefs covered with very few bare patches. Very healthy reefs. Many small fish and creatures to photograph. Currents steady but not vicious so photography is easy. Macro and close focus wide angle is the type of photography i found on the sites. Visibility is 85 feet most days. Cruising overnight to Gunung Api volcano for two dives with the highlight being sea snakes. A very healthy reef system but hard to concentrate with wide angle scenics with sea snakes swimming very close to you. Very clear visibilty. Crossing to Gunung Api very smooth. On my website there is Alor and Gunung Api section.
reefscenics' Photos | SmugMug

 

[weeksd]

Flights from bali to maumere was with Wings air. Flight on atr72 aircraft. Good aircraft. Check in baggage weight 15 kilo. Any extra weight is paid in the bali airport. Office is a little hard to find as they are undergoing renovations in bali airport so signage was not good. No problems with added weight just pay for how heavy your bag is over limit. Carry on luggage they never asked how much it weighed which is good as camera bag is 11 kilo and carry on weight is 7 kilo. On aircraft bins above seats are very small but a space at the back of aircraft inside is where all the oversize carryon luggage went. Flight crews were very careful with camera bag so no problem. Maumere airport terminal is still being built. No luggage conveyor working. Tiling, electrical, windows, doors and just about everything else is still to be done. It is a bare shell right now. Overnighted at sea world beach club. Basic room but comfy. Dinner and breakfast was very good but not everything was available. Depends on the grocery stores supplies.

 

[jake11]

Nice photos!! I dove with the sea snakes as well at Gunung Api. It was pretty cool to see so many of them in one place! It sounds like you had a great trip!