reubencahn
Contributor
This part summarizes the dive experience.
Dives were at 7:30, 10:30, 3:00 and 6:30. (I would have preferred an extra day/dusk dive and requested this but it never happened.) Divers geared up at their stations, then walked to the tenders where fins and cameras were waiting. At the beginning of the trip, the fourteen divers were typically divided into three boats, but as the week wore on, two groups. When only two groups were sent, the tenders were crowded. The tender crews were very good at picking divers up as soon as they surfaced. All dives were guided. Lindsay and Katya, husband and wife, were new "tour directors" or "hosts." Together with Gusti, they led all dives. Divers were not required to stay with guides. Dives were limited to 60 minutes generally.
After a 30 hour steam, we arrived at Satonda island for our first dives. The diving was over white sand and coral. The reefs were mediocre but we did see some interesting nudibranchs, a pygmy seahorse and several cuttlefish.
Overnight we steamed to Sangeang Island, a large volcano. The diving here was muck diving over black sand. We missed the best sites--apparently because slow steaming to the island made us late to catch these sites when the currents were right. Again, we saw some interesting nudibranchs, a couple of large sea kraits, some xenocrabs, etc. Good, but not great, diving.
The next day took us to Gili Lawat island. There were several very good dives here on reefs in good shape with decent life. Several Mola Mola were spotted, though the group I was in missed them. My son was very disappointed, and when we mentioned this to Katya, one of the hosts, she arranged to stay and do one last dive at the site in order to catch the Molas again. We did, and it was a great experience for him.
Following this dive, we moved on to the northern part of the park including GPS Point. More very good diving with lots of life and mating cuttlefish at one point. The following day, we moved on to Hard to Find Rock and had a great dive in medium current. Lots of schooling jacks and bumphead parrotfish. A number of sharks. By agreement, we returned to this site in the afternoon for a dive in stronger current. This time the current was stronger than anyone expected and most people abandoned the dive early. I did not, and enjoyed the dive, but the consensus was that it was too much. But there was lots of big fish action and lots to see.
The following day we were to have moved on to the southern end of the park, but the engines failed and we found ourselves in the same spot. (Arrangements were made to fly a critical part from Bali to Sumbawa where it was to be put on a speedboat to our location and arrive at 6:00. As you can imagine, the part didn't arrive until much later and the boat was not repaired until early morning.) We dove Hard To Find Rock and a couple of other sites, but the diving was mediocre as conditions were less than ideal because were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The next day, after the engines were repaired, we headed south. We stopped later than planned at the ranger station for permits and then did a very mediocre dive near there. Following this, we moved on to Manta Alley where we did two dives. Mantas were spotted only on the first. Visibility was extremely poor and there were freezing thermoclines. But we saw our first glimpses of the prolific invertebrate life of the southern park. The dives were only decent but they offered a hint of what was to come. The next morning we arrived at Horseshoe Bay at Rinca. The diving here was spectacular. These are rocky reefs covered with encrusting sponges and gorgeous soft corals and filled with nudibranchs, sea apples, anemones, frogfish, orangutang crabs, etc. Water was very cold and visibility which started out at 40 feet deteriorated to 15. Currents were strong. I would have loved another day at Horseshoe Bay but we were out of time, and moved back to the northern end of the park for two last dives the next morning.
We were to dive Batu Balong, an exposed sea mount with prolific life, but it was decided that currents were two strong. Instead we were dropped for drift dive with currents so strong that it was impossible to see anything. We should have moved on to another site but we had lost an anchor so we were stuck in the wrong place--again. I think this dive could actually have proved dangerous for the less experienced divers. The last dive of the trip was another drift dive at the same spot and several divers chose to sit this one out after the prior experience. This time the currents cooperated and it was a wonderful, relaxing drift dive. Nothing spectacular but a beautiful reef and a pleasant end to the trip.
Final thoughts: Justi was an amazing dive leader with great eyes for finding creatures. The two hosts, Lindsay and Katya were very good and did all they could to make this an enjoyable trip but they were new to the boat--and equally important, only moderately experienced with Komodo's conditions and sites. (Perhaps as a result, divers received a number of bad drops where they missed the best part of certain dives. However, they were a pleasure to spend time with and enthusiastically led all dives.) More important, this setup with authority spread amongst a captain, owners and hosts, just did not give Katya and Lindsay the authority to solve problems and make the trip a good experience. The captain was in charge of the boat. The owners were ultimately in charge of the trip making all real decisions. And the crew seemed to respond primarily to themselves.
There were lots of very interesting and unusual creatures to see. This is where Komodo shines. I found myself somewhat disappointed with the condition of the reefs and the amount of life. In these qualities, PNG outshines Komodo. But in density of bizarre creatures, Komodo definitely has the edge (based on my limited experience). So, I'm glad I took this trip. Would I do it again? Maybe, but not soon. There are too many other spots, like the Solomons and returning to PNG, that are higher on my list. Would I travel on Kararu again? Definitely not. The negative experience on the boat significantly diminished my enjoyment of what should have been a great trip.
I'll post pictures as soon as I have the chance to sort them and reduce some for the web. Sorry for the length of the post. If I'd had more time, I would have been briefer.
Dives were at 7:30, 10:30, 3:00 and 6:30. (I would have preferred an extra day/dusk dive and requested this but it never happened.) Divers geared up at their stations, then walked to the tenders where fins and cameras were waiting. At the beginning of the trip, the fourteen divers were typically divided into three boats, but as the week wore on, two groups. When only two groups were sent, the tenders were crowded. The tender crews were very good at picking divers up as soon as they surfaced. All dives were guided. Lindsay and Katya, husband and wife, were new "tour directors" or "hosts." Together with Gusti, they led all dives. Divers were not required to stay with guides. Dives were limited to 60 minutes generally.
After a 30 hour steam, we arrived at Satonda island for our first dives. The diving was over white sand and coral. The reefs were mediocre but we did see some interesting nudibranchs, a pygmy seahorse and several cuttlefish.
Overnight we steamed to Sangeang Island, a large volcano. The diving here was muck diving over black sand. We missed the best sites--apparently because slow steaming to the island made us late to catch these sites when the currents were right. Again, we saw some interesting nudibranchs, a couple of large sea kraits, some xenocrabs, etc. Good, but not great, diving.
The next day took us to Gili Lawat island. There were several very good dives here on reefs in good shape with decent life. Several Mola Mola were spotted, though the group I was in missed them. My son was very disappointed, and when we mentioned this to Katya, one of the hosts, she arranged to stay and do one last dive at the site in order to catch the Molas again. We did, and it was a great experience for him.
Following this dive, we moved on to the northern part of the park including GPS Point. More very good diving with lots of life and mating cuttlefish at one point. The following day, we moved on to Hard to Find Rock and had a great dive in medium current. Lots of schooling jacks and bumphead parrotfish. A number of sharks. By agreement, we returned to this site in the afternoon for a dive in stronger current. This time the current was stronger than anyone expected and most people abandoned the dive early. I did not, and enjoyed the dive, but the consensus was that it was too much. But there was lots of big fish action and lots to see.
The following day we were to have moved on to the southern end of the park, but the engines failed and we found ourselves in the same spot. (Arrangements were made to fly a critical part from Bali to Sumbawa where it was to be put on a speedboat to our location and arrive at 6:00. As you can imagine, the part didn't arrive until much later and the boat was not repaired until early morning.) We dove Hard To Find Rock and a couple of other sites, but the diving was mediocre as conditions were less than ideal because were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The next day, after the engines were repaired, we headed south. We stopped later than planned at the ranger station for permits and then did a very mediocre dive near there. Following this, we moved on to Manta Alley where we did two dives. Mantas were spotted only on the first. Visibility was extremely poor and there were freezing thermoclines. But we saw our first glimpses of the prolific invertebrate life of the southern park. The dives were only decent but they offered a hint of what was to come. The next morning we arrived at Horseshoe Bay at Rinca. The diving here was spectacular. These are rocky reefs covered with encrusting sponges and gorgeous soft corals and filled with nudibranchs, sea apples, anemones, frogfish, orangutang crabs, etc. Water was very cold and visibility which started out at 40 feet deteriorated to 15. Currents were strong. I would have loved another day at Horseshoe Bay but we were out of time, and moved back to the northern end of the park for two last dives the next morning.
We were to dive Batu Balong, an exposed sea mount with prolific life, but it was decided that currents were two strong. Instead we were dropped for drift dive with currents so strong that it was impossible to see anything. We should have moved on to another site but we had lost an anchor so we were stuck in the wrong place--again. I think this dive could actually have proved dangerous for the less experienced divers. The last dive of the trip was another drift dive at the same spot and several divers chose to sit this one out after the prior experience. This time the currents cooperated and it was a wonderful, relaxing drift dive. Nothing spectacular but a beautiful reef and a pleasant end to the trip.
Final thoughts: Justi was an amazing dive leader with great eyes for finding creatures. The two hosts, Lindsay and Katya were very good and did all they could to make this an enjoyable trip but they were new to the boat--and equally important, only moderately experienced with Komodo's conditions and sites. (Perhaps as a result, divers received a number of bad drops where they missed the best part of certain dives. However, they were a pleasure to spend time with and enthusiastically led all dives.) More important, this setup with authority spread amongst a captain, owners and hosts, just did not give Katya and Lindsay the authority to solve problems and make the trip a good experience. The captain was in charge of the boat. The owners were ultimately in charge of the trip making all real decisions. And the crew seemed to respond primarily to themselves.
There were lots of very interesting and unusual creatures to see. This is where Komodo shines. I found myself somewhat disappointed with the condition of the reefs and the amount of life. In these qualities, PNG outshines Komodo. But in density of bizarre creatures, Komodo definitely has the edge (based on my limited experience). So, I'm glad I took this trip. Would I do it again? Maybe, but not soon. There are too many other spots, like the Solomons and returning to PNG, that are higher on my list. Would I travel on Kararu again? Definitely not. The negative experience on the boat significantly diminished my enjoyment of what should have been a great trip.
I'll post pictures as soon as I have the chance to sort them and reduce some for the web. Sorry for the length of the post. If I'd had more time, I would have been briefer.
