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Damai 2 Liveaboard Scuba Diving - Sorong-Sorong (all Raja Ampat)
October 26 - November 6, 2018 Group Trip

Escorted by: Cindi LaRaia

Beautiful soft corals at Boo Jendela

All photos courtesy of Dive Damai

October 26 - November 6, 2018 - 11 nights

COST:
*Master Cabin $7260.00 per person
*Double/ twin share cabin $6710.00
*Single Cabin $8635.00

Extras for the all Inclusive rate:
Repeat guests additional $34.00 per person per nt. = $374.00
New guests additional $46.00 per person per nt. = $506.00

Scuba dive Raja Ampat

YOU will not want to miss out on this trip of a lifetime aboard the Damai 2 Liveaboard. Back to ALL Raja Ampat I go!!! It has been a few years since I have scuba dived ALL of Raja Ampat! I cannot wait to get back! These jewel-like islands are caressed by a convergence of swift nutrient-rich currents. Here, the pulse of marine life thrives from the sea floor to the surface where the kaleidoscope of corals can start in less than a meter of water. The experience of drifting along miles of exquisitely hued reef, brimming with activity, is breathtaking. There are sites that are so pristine and packed with growth, that a photographer is hard-pressed to find a spot to place a steadying finger. Exotic sea life and macro critters abound of course, and photo opportunities border on overwhelming.

Check out the very informative Birds-Head Sea Scape website. Created for and about the beauty and amazing diversity of the Raja Ampat region: http://birdsheadseascape.com/. Now you will understand the magic of this area for diving as well as top side splendor!

Experience the Anchovy Migration - we will be visiting this enchanting area on this trip!

September sees the annual migration of anchovies north from the Banda Sea to Misool in southern Raja Ampat. This year has been a bumper season with huge numbers schooling on the reefs all around Misool Eco Resort. Since the inception of MER’s no take zone, none of the anchovy fishing boats are around. Good news for scuba divers. The anchovies don’t come alone. Schooling Mobula rays of up to 50 individuals round up the anchovies into bait balls then storm in for the attack. Spanish mackerel, giant travelies, schools of jacks, tunas and sharks are all there for the feast.

Swimming out from the wall, divers instantly are surrounded by the pulsating mass of fishes, sometimes so thick that you lose sight of the reef just feet away. It’s a mesmerizing sight with so many fish moving in unison, alternatively flashing on and off as they catch the light each time they turn. The action goes on well into the new year as the mobula and hunting fish feast on their abundant prey.

Join us on this magical scuba diving trip to see such beauty underwater in Indonesia. Scuba diving in Indonesia is the epi-center of where life began and has the MOST species of marine life on the planet. Definitely a sight to experience for yourself with us aboard the Damai 2 Liveaboard in Raja Amapat.

Manta at Magic Mountain

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Arrival into Sorong
Guests will arrive in Sorong and have time to get comfortable on the boat. Damai will travel west into Raja Ampat for a check out dive.

Day 2 - Kri and Dampier Straits
At the eastern end of the famous Dampier Strait there are many signature dive sites. Cape Kri is a sloping reef on the eastern end on the island of Kri; Blue Magic and Sardine reef are seamounts covered in schooling fish and cruising sharks and rays; Mioskon is a great spot for the endemic Wobbegong shark and Pontohi pygmy seahorses.

Day 3 - Manta Sandy and Arborek
Manta Sandy is a signature site for experiencing the grace of Reef Mantas. They are frequent visitors to the cleaning stations dotted along this sandy channel. Feel free to explore the sand for small critters while you are waiting for an appearance.

Arborek Jetty is part of a sloping reef in front of the island. There are schools of fish, excellent wide angle photo opportunities under the jetty itself and good critter hunting to be done along the slopes.

In the late afternoon take a stroll around the village on the island and maybe join in one of their soccer matches or buy a locally made sunhat.

Day 4 - Gam
The variety of diving in Gam is exceptional. The signature sites include the exciting seamount Mayhem; the beautiful orange and yellow softcorals at Citrus Ridge; and Mangrove Ridge in the channel between Gam and Yangeffo with its pristine hard corals.

Mangroves at Gam

Day 5 - Kawe and Aljui Bay
The current rich rocks off the west and south coasts of Kawe is another opportunity to see Reef Mantas and schooling fish interspersed with excellent macro opportunities. For the afternoon a calmer experience is found in Aljui Bay concentrating on macro and cool critters. Some of the signature sites in the bay include the Channel Island, White Arrow and Teardrop Wall. These are great places to see pygmy seahorses, unusual nudis and ghost pipefish. Then spend some time on the mucky sand under Cendana Dock for an amazing night dive.

With permission you will be able to visit the pearl farm in the bay. Not only is this a very educational tour explaining the production of high quality pearls, you can also go shopping afterwards.

Day 6 - Penemu
The signature sites in Penemu are Barracuda Point; a seamount on the north point; Melissa’s Garden; a beautiful example of a hard coral plateau and Keruo Channel; drift along this colourful slope watching the seascape go by.

The highlight of Penemu is a lagoon tour in the tenderboats amongst these turquoise waters and limestone bays. For the energetic there is a short walk to the top of one the hills to be rewarded with an amazing view over the lagoon with Damai moored in the distance.

Day 7 - Blue Water Mangroves
Travel down to the most southern of the Four Kings to a special place where the blue water of the reef meet the roots of the mangroves trees. A photographer’s paradise with colorful soft corals growing on the roots, hard corals nestling up to the shallows and a sandy-rubble slope for critter hunting.

Day 8 - Wayilbatan
The Four Kings is a series of colourful underwater pinnacles which make an amazing dive with plenty of cool fish action. Moving later to a more sheltered spot we are in the vicinity of some great dive spots: drift along the channel at Neptune Fan Sea; explore wall at Wedding Cake or enjoy the fish action on the ridge at Barracuda Rock.

Day 9 - Boo and Fiabacet
This amazing string of small islands has a colorful array of great dives sites. The signature sites in the area include Boo Windows, Nudi Rock, Tank Rock and Whale Rock. The whole place is a delight for the eyes.

Day 10 - Farondi and Balbulol
No Contest and Love Potion No 9 at Balbulol is a series of colourful underwater ridges with huge seafans and schooling fish and the chance of seeing Mobula Rays. In the afternoon head west to Farondi and visit the underwater caves at Goa Farondi and the current rich Three Sisters teeming with life. There is another opportunity for a boat tour around the lagoon.

Day 11 - Batanta
Finish the trip with some great muck diving on the slope at Algae Patch. Hunt for some cool nudibranch, check out the ornate ghost pipefish hanging in the crinoids and marvel at the camouflage of the frogfish you just swam over.

Day 12 - Departure
Guests will be escorted to the airport in Sorong and assisted with check in procedures, no doubt full of talk about the wonders of the most popular dive destination in the world.

**All Damai itineraries are flexible and dependent on weather.**

"Two great sites in this area is Mioskon and Blue Magic, both got 5 stars in my log book! Extremely fishy busy water, heaps of fusiliers, jacks, barracuda, dog tooth tuna, friendly bat fish, and Agus finds us that teeny weeny Pontohi seahorse, smaller than a pygmy! Mioskon Island has thousands of fruit bats that came back to roost in the early am, a site to behold! We even saw a gray reef shark, what a lovely surprise, in hopes they are starting to recover from all the finning in years past. This was a Zen dive for me,,,,,,,,, ahhhhhhh!".

Let’s go back!

Escorted by

Cindi LaRaia

Read about Damai II

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