Raja Ampat Regency, West Papua, Indonesia
Our first six nights would be spent on Raja Ampat’s outer limits sailing its seas on a boat with no name. You don’t need to travel too far north of Waisai, Raja Ampat’s launch pad town to get away from it all. It’s an area of the world where fishes live in abundance, pretty much free of human interference. No reef bombing, zero cyanide fishing. Just a few spearguns, and hooks with worms skewered onto them from time to time - c’est la vie say the creatures of the fin at Raja Ampat.
For better than three of our six days at sea we saw not one floating vessel. Our Captain, Muhammad, not up on ‘bow’ and ‘starboard’ gibberish would simply shout, “Whale” or “Dolphin” or “Manta” and point in the general direction of where the residents were frolicking - sharks were so plentiful they don’t warrant mention. Neither Elenka nor I had ever seen a place where fishes were so diverse and in such great numbers. Once, while doing a stare down with a black-tip shark, a school of perhaps 10,000 tiny blue fish deposited themselves between me and the Jaws.
By the time I’d shooed them away the shark was gone. Poor Elenka had no guide-book to tell her the names of all the new fishes. My way of dealing with this dilemma was to simply address them all as, “Friend”.
Along with a raucous round of Uno each evening after dinner, snorkelling was the go-to activity aboard the boat with no name. The only real annoyance in the waters of Raja Ampat are the stinging Medusas. We, of the English language, call Medusas, Jelly Fish; their bouncy name suggests you might let your tot play with them. But the Spanish - more than half of our fellow sailors were from Spain - have applied the more apt moniker: Medusa - the woman with nasty snakes sprouting from her head. If we’d known, Elenka and I would have brought Medusa repellent, but how can you be prepared for everything? On the good side mantas filter (filter’s a special word meaning ‘to consume’) Medusas. So, where there are lots of Medusas, you might just find a manta or three. Using one of my better Latino accents, Argentine, I think, I approached the non-English speaking Spaniards and told them that Medusas must be like a hot chilli pepper treat for the mantas.
Getting to Raja Ampat is tiring and expensive. For the creatures of the deep, may it forever stay that way.
Arancha
2020-02-10
Amazing!! Raja Ampat is on our bucket list for diving! Good to know about the friendly Medusas haha
Matej
2020-02-10
I was subconsciously looking for David Attenborough somewhere on your photos. Beautiful places!
Majka
2020-02-10
Wow wow wow! Amazing.
Jeanne Dumoulin Morris
2020-02-10
Another great post. Love your pics.
Cate
2020-02-10
Amazing place, again beautiful pictures, thank you Ellen. Keep on snorkeling!
Stephz
2020-02-10
Sign me up for that boat expedition.
David (Almonte)
2020-02-10
Stunning photos!
Val
2020-02-10
Thank you for sending this and giving me hope that there still are unspoiled areas like this in the world!
Irene
2020-02-11
Elanka! I bet National Geographic would love to have you on their payroll. Such amazing pictures! you are a pro for sure. Thanks guys for sharing, your blogs are alway up-lifting and pleasurable. I look forward to being a part of your adventures even if only from my secluded domicile. Keep 'em comin'!!
Susana ( Spain)
2020-05-27
It was one of the most wonderful trip in my life. A pleasure to share it with you two. A big hug from Spain