This morning at dawn we arrived at Pulau Lintang, a small remote unhabituated island in Indonesia. The scout boat departed the National Geographic Orion shortly after our arrival and reported back remarkable underwater conditions only a short distance away from a stunning sandy beach.
After breakfast we boarded the Zodiacs and transferred out to the snorkel platform for our morning snorkeling activities. After donning our snorkel gear we slipped below the waves to be greeted by a huge biodiversity of marine life and colorful corals. We swam with an assortment of different fish darting in amongst the coral heads and when we looked off into the deep blue from the edge of the reef we were astounded by the hundreds of small fish that were swimming in the water column feeding on tiny organisms too small for us to see.
The scuba divers reported back similar amazing underwater conditions at their dive location only a short distance away. What an incredible start to our Indonesian expedition!
All too quickly the hours passed by and it was time to head back to the ship for an scrumptious buffet lunch prepared by our executive chef Rannie and his hard working galley team. After lunch we were able to snorkel right off the scenic sandy beach and along a stunning wall of coral with countless anemone fish looking back up at us strange creatures floating above them.
Some of us decided to spend the afternoon trying another excellent expedition tool—the kayak! We gently paddled around the island over the shallow fringing reef and were able to see just as much as we saw on the morning snorkel, but this time looking through the clear turquoise water from our dry vantage point sitting atop our kayak.
All too soon the sun began to fade into the horizon and we returned to the ship for our Captain’s Welcome Cocktail Party. After a few delicious cocktails we were introduced to our gregarious Captain Lyubomir Garciyanov and all the fine officers of the National Geographic Orion. As we dined with our fellow guests that evening we all couldn’t help but agree that today was an exceptional first day on our Indonesian expedition and we can’t wait for what wonderful adventures lay in store for us tomorrow as we explore the Badas Islands.
