The day began with National Geographic Orion anchored between West Bali National Park, the tiny island of Menjangan, and the looming shadow of Mount Ijen on Java. A short Zodiac ride brought us to Menjangan, our first taste of some of the wild, natural landscapes still found in the most densely populated stretch of the Indonesian Archipelago. We spent the morning hiking through the dry deciduous forests and mangroves found on the island. Flowering flame trees danced with birds, and the grasslands were inhabited by families of Javan rusa (a small deer native to these islands). At the top of the hill, we visited a small temple with a sweeping view of the ocean and surrounding landmasses. While the temple construction was new, Menjangan has been an important pilgrimage site for centuries. Before leaving we were graced by a pair of changeable hawk-eagles circling low overhead.
In the afternoon we embarked on our first snorkel excursion of the trip. While the landscape on land was rather subdued during the dry season, the coral reef was anything but. A kaleidoscopic of corals, sponges, sea fans, and anemones awaited us below the warm, calm waters. Swimming along the edge of the reef revealed a seemingly endless array of wrasse, surgeonfish, damsels and butterflyfish. In the deeper waters we were flanked by slowly gliding hawksbill sea turtles and the afternoon passed in a flash.
