Cenderawasih Bay?

[Uli Kunkel]

Hey everyone!

Ive got the chance to go on a liveaboard next July to Cenderawasih Bay to do some diving, but Im not quite decided...

I have heard about the diving around Ahe, and of course the whaleshark dives that are there. The question is; does anyone have any experience with the other dives in the area from a liveaboard? How did you find the dives compared to say, Raja or komodo?

Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it!

 

[Mike Veitch]

I was just there last week and am going again next week.. just go! Trust me, even if you don't see another coral the whole time, the whalesharks are worth the whole trip!

The reefs are quite pretty, lots of hard corals and sponges, some reefs have schooling of oceanic triggerfish which is pretty cool. Overall, a trip well worth doing.

 

[neve]

I'm going next month, can hardly wait! :banana:

 

[jake11]

On the bucket list! I have heard nothing but GOOD about this location!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Utila Simon]

I am lucky enough to have done three trips to the area and as Mike says its worth it just for the Whale Shark experience, it is like nothing else you have done before (well thats quite an assumption as I have never met you, but you get my drift! ).

You can go to the maldives, galapagos, mexico and anyone of a number of places to see them but the quality of the experience in Cenderawasih is second to none. The fish here are all adolescent so not as big as, say Galapagos, and on a recent survey 30 out of 31 were males. But what makes this special is the fact that they keep coming back. We have had up to 8 of them circling and coming in to the fishing platforms to feed at one time. They really dont care about the divers in the water and I was literally nosed out of the way when I was careless enough to not have eyes in the back of my head! They may stay all day under a single fishing platform, or Bagan, and if you get a good day I can assure you that you will be heading back for new batteries, memory cards or food log before they move on.

To answer the original question the diving in cenderawasih is not as good, in my opinion, as Raja and Komodo. Not many places in the world are so that would be asking alot. But there are some good or even great dives to be done here, just dont expect the pretty coral reef in those other destinations, its volcanic rock, but there is coral, fans and soft corals, its also quite fishy in places. Its also the scene of a long ongoing battle between the Japanese and Allied forces during WWII so there are some good wrecks to be had in the north, especially Manokwari, and one of a Zero lying on the reef further south. Add to this some pretty decent muck diving and I think you have a pretty complete picture of Cenderawasih Bay! (Oh, did I mention the water is warmer than both komodo and Raja (which might account for the lesser amount of coral).

Uli, go.... absolutely... with bells on! If you choose the right liveaboard Mike or I may well be on the trip with you to show you around.

Wishing you warm waters and good vis...
Simon

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