Return to Raja Ampat - 2012

Vibrant reefs to explore

Well this past November Oceanic Society returned to Raja Ampat for our second snorkeling expedition. This year we were joined by 16 avid snorkelers. Many had already visited a dynamic array of snorkeling destinations including Tonga, Micronesia, Palau, and Fiji. Our trip has now switched to a new vessel, the SeaSafari 8, much larger and outfitted (for our group) for limited diving. Our itinerary had us departing from Sorong and heading towards Misool for our first evening, after that we would head back up North and visit a variety of locations that had been highlights from last years trip.

Our vessel - SeaSafari 8

As we left Sorong we were excited and eager to finally get in the water. Even though all of us have been around the globe snorkeling, there is really nothing like Raja Ampat. This bastion of marine biodiversity does not disappoint. For shear numbers of species and visible variety of macrolife it is unparalleled. Each time you enter the water you can be assured that you will almost certainly see something you have never seen before, no matter your level of experiences. Add to this the physical beauty of the islands, the warm water, and the fact that you rarely share any of the sites with another person and you have set yourself up for a true escape into nature. One where you can spend as much time as you want exploring and observing the kaleidoscope of diversity that is on display. As you float through these vibrant coral reefs you see an ecological landscape that is as dynamic as the Serengeti. Animals are competing for resources and access to mates, some creatures are preforming services for others in exchange for something that benefits them, a mutualistic relationship. It is easy to forget as you float over all these strange animal lifeforms that they are indeed just that, a resilient and interlinked ecosystem of species, each with their own unique strategy for survival. To follow are just a few of the amazing sightings we had in 2012.

Peacock Mantis Shrimp

Ghost Pipefish

Blue-Girdled Angelfish

Our local guide Dalton photographing a Lionfish

Tasselled Wobbegong Shark

Glorious Flatworm

Map Puffer

Social Tunicates

Juvenile Regal Angelfish

These photos show just a small sample of the amazing critters we saw on our adventure. With one of the world's richest coral reef fish fauna, over 1300 species, and harboring over 75% of the world's coral species, every moment in the water was special. During out trip we also were able to have a few land based activities. The primary one being a return visit to the village of Sawinggrai on Gam Island. Here we had the opportunity to view the Red Bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea rubra) at a lek site. Just like the previous year, after about 20 minutes of waiting we were rewarded with great views of the males preforming mating displays. As we turned to leave we had another surprise, an arboreal mammal had been watching us as we admired the birds. A few branches away was the Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus maculatus), a truly strange looking creature, seemingly a bit of a cross between a possum and a lemur! On our way back from the bird hike we saw many different species of orchids which the villagers had placed along the trail. We also saw a few more bird species including parrots and fruit doves.

Red Bird-of-Paradise

Spotted Cuscus

Parrot species

What another incredible snorkeling expedition to Raja Ampat. Many of our group went on for 5 more days of snorkeling in Sulawesi and I will post some photos from that extension soon. Inspired by all that we saw this season we are already beginning to plan our 2013 return, these trips fill up quickly so please visit Oceanic Society's trip webpage for more information about how you can participate.

Coral Reefs of Ulithi Atoll - Yap, Micronesia

BulBul Island and the "Blue Hole"

Just back from another week spent in part snorkeling the vibrant coral reefs of Ulithi Atoll. Ulithi is located about 90 miles East of the island of Yap located in the Federated States of Micronesia. The crystal clear waters around Ulithi make it a snorkelers ( and divers ) paradise. Healthy coral reefs provide excellent habitat for a variety of creatures and unlike many other places we still encounter reef sharks here on a regular basis.



I have been coming to this area for about 8 years now with Oceanic Society groups and this is still one of my most favorite places to explore with ecotourists. The island that we stay on, Falalop, is populated by about 400 persons. In 2005 after securing permission from the island Chief Oceanic was given the go-ahead to start bringing in small groups of ecotourists. With only about 100 visitors per year Ulithi is a location few others get the chance to explore. Below are just a few pictures from our most recent trip.




Cleaner wrasse go to work on a tilefish, the Blue Blanquillo.




A more adventurous cleaner wrasse in the mouth of a moray eel.




Here an octopus gets friendly with a lurking grouper.




Healthy reefs never fail to disappoint.




Some Fourspot Butterflyfish in search of food.




A Guineafowl puffer apparently whistling away the day.




A Peacock Razorfish moments before he disappears into the sand. Click this link to see his quick escape.


Our groups days were spent snorkeling, but this was really a trip about sea turtles. These four participants are part of a growing number of ecotourists that are taking part in what is being referred to as "voluntourism" where individuals pay to participate in conservation projects. In this case we were in Ulithi specifically to work alongside the 16 local sea turtle monitors employed by the Ulithi Marine Turtle Project. So while our days were spent searching the reefs for cool critters our nights were devoted to tagging and measuring the green sea turtles that nest on the islands of Ulithi Atoll. In the next few days I will share more about that effort.

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Return to Palau 2012

Have just finished up an Oceanic Society trip to Palau with travel to both Yap and Ulithi Atoll. We had a great series of snorkels and were treated to a wealth of critters like this Longnose filefish in Palau. Never disappointed in the Rock Islands, our group was able to explore a variety of habitats from hidden lakes to blue holes. Oceanic continues to deliver a quality experience by getting to sites that are traditionally thought of only as dive locations. We spent a wonderful afternoon snorkeling Blue Corner seeing large schools of Big-eyed jacks and barracudas as well as many grey reef sharks.

Star Puffer

This Star puffer also stayed in place for us as we were swept along gently with the current. We also visited The Big Dropoff and hit it just perfect at a low tide. The multitudes of fish at this site were crowded into large groups as the low tide made the available vertical habitat temporarily vanish. This Steephead parrotfish was busy getting cleaned, and Whitetip reef sharks cruised the shallows.

Steephead Parrotfish w/ cleaner wrasse

Whitetip Reef Shark

As we went through German Channel we also managed to catch a glimpse of a large manta ray. If you click on this link you can see a video of some mantas we saw underwater during our last trip to Palau in 2011.

Manta ray

On another day we used the early morning cloud cover to locate some Mandarinfish in a secluded lake. After a bit of searching everyone in the group had seen this colorful critter.

Mandarinfish

The coral in this area was equally as impressive. Large groups of brain corals one more brilliant than the next.




A trip to the famous jellyfish lake provided the expected Dr. Seuss-like experience of being transported to another world.




We were also able to catch a glimpse of the local seabird inhabiting the lake, the Pied cormorant, warming himself up in the sun.





A giant clam in Ulong Channel also surprised as it had both sides of it's shell covered in table corals.





All in all another fantastic few days spent exploring the rock islands. Stay tuned for photos from our days in Yap and Ulithi Atoll.

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