Ian Strachan, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
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Daily Expedition
Reports
18 Sep 2015
Maumere, Flores, Indonesia, 9/18/2015, National Geographic Orion
Aboard the
National Geographic Orion
Borneo & Indonesia - OLD
After a day of dragons and diving, it was time for something different. An early morning pod of Fraser’s dolphins escorted us into the harbor at Maumere on the island of Flores. From here, it was time to board some colorful local buses and head off into the hills for a cultural visit to a traditional village. Our day was filled with smiling faces and excitement as we explored a fairly remote part of Indonesia.
As we entered the village, we were greeted by the school children in their finest uniforms. After a warm welcome including some local “spirits” we walked a short distance where we were treated to an amazing dance. A man was lifted onto a tall pole and rhythmically swayed back and forth. Music continued to entertain us as other dances were performed.
Weaving of ikats is one of the traditional practices of this part of Indonesia and we not only had the opportunity to see how they are made but many of us purchased some of high quality. Here, they still weave in the traditional manner using locally grown cotton and natural dyes, which is becoming more and more rare in our modern world. We also learned about the many different local crops that were being grown including cloves and betel nut. Some of us even tried betel nut and certainly enjoyed it.
All too soon, it was time to be escorted back to the buses by the musicians and our descent back to the ship. After a brief stop at the local market we boarded the National Geographic Orion and headed out on our way to Banda and many more exciting discoveries.
Mike learned early on that the best way to escape Ohio was to become a marine biologist. During college at Wittenberg University he attended a semester at Duke University's Marine Lab — that time only confirmed his love for all things oceanic and ma...
One steady constant in Ian’s life has been the ocean. Born by the rocky shores of mid-coast Maine, his family repatriated to far north Queensland in Australia early on in his life where he became a dual-citizen and sparked his passion for exploring n...
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Our last day of this expedition was to be one of our favourites, yet this was unknown to us as we munched on Muesli, enjoyed fresh mango or a hot breakfast on the open deck as National Geographic Orion elegantly slipped into position by Waigeo Island in Raja Ampat. Zodiacs were swiftly deployed and we zipped around limestone bluffs whispering with gentle zephyrs, ruffling the feathers of exotic birds – incredible hornbills, sea eagles and parrots whirred and glided overhead. We donned our skintight tiger suits and underwater adaptations and dropped into an unbelievable fairytale world of colours and forms that was at once mesmerizing, enchanting and fathomless. Feather stars did their best to impress upon us that one did not need to fly to use delicate wings to catch nutrients on underwater currents. Softer corals of vibrant colours such as gorgonians drew new fans who gazed in awe at her sprawling, artistic branching structures. A banded sea krait spiraled into view and paddle tailed to breathe at the surface – as inquisitive of us as we were of it. An octopus was spied shape-shifting into corally crevices, releasing its identity, then morphing into an algae covered rock before fading into the inky blue depths below. A barracuda torpedoed into range and kept its distance. A hawksbill turtle shoved its beak into a crack to nibble on a savoury sponge, tropical fish of such diversity kept us engaged as the current of wonder gently carried us along a limestone wall past numerous communities of oddly shaped and coloured creations of nature that stunned our imaginations. A carpet of corals gratefully held out open hands to the warm sun and created an intricate network of habitats for yet more beautiful Piscean aquariums. After a most delightful luncheon we returned snorkel gear, rested, shared experiences and photographs, lounged for a siesta on the sun deck then enjoyed scenic ship cruising through the myriad of mazelike watery channels that characterize the area and prepared for an afternoon Zodiac cruise among hidden islands around our secluded anchorage. Returning home to National Geographic Orion we refreshed ourselves for Captains Cocktails and our expedition leader Michelle thanked her team and the many people responsible for creating such a wonderful journey. She also introduced our Captain Lubo who echoed her feelings that we had been privy to a truly unique experience among one of the world’s most amazing archipelagos and such good company. A wonderful Captain’s Dinner was enjoyed by all as the stars rose and the hours slipped away – tomorrow we would return to our various ports, families, friends that awaited us and our tales – hopefully we will reunite somewhere soon out in the big blue ocean and share another spectacular adventure. For now it is goodbye!
For a birder and marine biologist, the Raja Ampat region of Indonesia is pretty close to paradise. Raja is famous for its marine diversity, with incredible numbers of fish and corals. Snorkeling and diving here is fabulous, with currents bringing in clear water and feeding clouds of fish. Not so many people know about the amazing bird life as well, highlighted by two spectacular birds-of-paradise. Today, we enjoyed both the undersea and the bird life, and I couldn’t be happier. Long before sunrise, many of us set off to the display sites of two different species of birds-of-paradise. Birds-of-paradise are famous for varied and incredible lek breading sights. The male red bird-of-paradise is a flamboyant bird that likes perching on an exposed branch and showing off in the rising sunlight to any nearby females. While the ladies were not around today, some of us were amazed by a male’s ornate plumes and two long tail feathers. The Wilson’s bird-of-paradise is a bit more neurotic. The male constructs a display dance floor, and makes sure to keep it clean. Removing most all leaves and vegetation, he likes an open arena to strut his stuff. At this lek many of us saw a young male who seemed to be learning the ropes, but looked good doing it. After lunch, the postcard perfect island of Arborek was our destination. Here, children from the small village greeted us with huge smiles. A jetty juts out into the water and is surrounded by clouds of fish. Underneath the pier, vibrant soft corals feed in the current as masses of fish circle. We snorkeled and dove all around the area, enjoying the drop off and the shallows. This village does not harvest the giant clams, and it really shows as in only two or three feet of water there are dozens of massive clams. With vivid colors, they really are impressive in the sunshine and shallows, especially with the diverse rainbow of fish swimming amongst them. Above and below, Raja Ampat is filled with gems.
This morning we were woken up very early by the sound of the dropping anchor at 5:00 a.m. and again not much later as the gentle voice of our expedition leader Michelle sounded over the personal address system to let us know we had arrived in Raja Ampat, the place many of us were most waiting to see… During the early morning hours, still dark outside, everyone had a chance to get a cup of tea or coffee and a few pastries served in the lounge before we headed out on a magical 2-hour Zodiac cruise amongst the amazing karst limestone landscape of Waigeo Island. It was still beautifully cool and pleasant but most of all so quiet, so everyone had a chance to hear the most gorgeous tropical bird sounds echoing through the tropical forest. We cruised silently through a small narrow channel, with limestone covered forests on both sides, as the tide was coming in and the current moved us gently through. The tropical sounds were mesmerizing and everyone enjoyed the quiet while taking in nature’s beauty. We were rewarded with some fantastic sightings of hornbills, a variety of beautiful colourful parrots, cockatoos, great billed heron, egrets and of course the scenery, with the sun rising slowly above the limestone islands, was just spectacular. Halfway through the Zodiac cruise, our lovely hotel team waited for us in the hotel Zodiac with hot chocolate and Baileys and some Muesli bars for the ones getting a little hungry. A nice surprise! After two hours of cruising it was time to slowly go back to the ship for a proper breakfast out on deck. On our way home to the National Geographic Orion we passed a few local people on their boats, and all waved to us with the biggest smiles. Lovely to see! The outdoor café was filled with exciting chatter as everyone shared their amazing experience of our very first morning here at Raja Ampat. At 10:00 a.m. our naturalist Adam Cropp invited us into the lounge, during the repositioning of the National Geographic Orion , for his presentation: “Exotica and Erotica of the Deep.” Adam shared with us some fun underwater love stories of some of the most interesting and fascinating marine critters and it certainly generated some laughs. Around midday lunch was served to fuel us for a very active afternoon out on the water. The divers went out, the glass bottom Zodiac took people out on tour and of course many of us joined the snorkel activity. And what a magical snorkeling place it was! We were anchored off the Island Kri, another limestone island covered with lush tropical forest and an amazing fringe reef surrounding it. It was the best place we had seen so far… incredible diversity of healthy coral, beautiful colourful large and small reef fish and the icing on the cake was the sighting of hawksbill turtles, black tip reef sharks and some very large fish like the Giant Wrass. The visibility was incredible and the temperature of the water was very pleasant. Most of us were in the water for nearly two hours non-stop, as there was so much to see and to enjoy. At 4:30 p.m. all the divers went out for an exciting night dive, as Raja Ampat is the place to do it. After a pretty amazing dive, everyone came back full of excitement and ready for a big nice, sumptuous BBQ out on deck. The rest of us were invited into the lounge for a special recap, as we had a guest onboard, Max Ammer ,the owner of Kri Eco Lodge and an active conservationist. Max has been very much involved in the conservation efforts trying to protect Raja Ampat from the threats it is facing, being one of the last pristine marine environments on the planet. Max shared with us his personal experiences, and some of the conservation projects he is currently involved in. To celebrate our first exciting day here in Raja Ampat we were invited into the outdoor café for a decadent BBQ dinner out on deck! It was a great way to finish off the day with more to look forward to tomorrow!