Getting it down pat – at Raja Ampat

[JohnM]

Jumping ahead, this was the route:



This was the typical daily program:



Pretty full-on. Four dives/snorkelling per day, with the last one being a night dive/snorkel. Each lasted an hour. I did all day snorkels except one and no night activity. @Daver6 did night snorkelling and can comment on that.

The archipelago has masses of small limestone islands and protruding rocks, generally with a fairly narrow shallow shelf before a steep wall plunging into the depths.

I took plenty of pics and video under water, but I’ll leave a selection of those till the end of the TR.

 

[JohnM]

I’m just working through day-by-day, so apologies for some repetition of similar things.



The crew was a well-oiled machine, efficiently getting people briefed, geared-up, onto the Zodiacs and back off, escorting dives and snorkelling, pointing out sights, and quickly stowing and checking dive gear. For the 17 pax we had 17 crew. And a great bunch of people to boot. Faultless. Just awesome.

 

[JohnM]

Next day there was lagoon tour in the Zodiacs amongst the limestone karst formations that make up the many islands of wide-ranging size in the Raja Ampat archipelago.

That was followed by the opportunity for some to kayak around a beautiful lagoon area from a small beach, while snorkellers could enter the water there and return to the beach, rather than launching from a Zodiac. PJM opted to single kayak and I snorkelled. Beaches are rarities among the steep-walled islands.

Beautiful calm dawn.

 

[JohnM]

@Daver6 and Mrs Daver6 went for a dip while PJM and I watched on.



Kayak time for PJM. Pics taken with my action camera in its waterproof case and marred by some water in front of the lens.

Launch time.



Pickup time.