MANTA FIESTA
in
KOMODO!

Liveaboard trip 8/8 – 17/8 2008

Bali - Komodo
INDONESIA

Mermaid I

We had a special quest this trip: five of the guests had never seen a Manta Ray. So what could be a better place to sort them out, than Manta Alley in South Komodo? As it turned out, not only did they see their first ones, but PLENTY of these magnificent rays for three solid hours! I assume what they (the guests, that is...) will talk about back home, is the dive in the channel, with mantas just sitting effortlessly in the current, like stars in the sky, for 60 minutes (what the mantas chatted about that night I can only guess, but it might have something to do with clumsy, noisy things, clinging on to the rocks for dear life...).

Now, the trip wasn’t all about the big stuff – we had a nice selection of rare Nudibranchs, Frogfish, Pygmy Seahorses, Zebra Crabs and, to really treat the photographers onboard, a purple Lacy Scorpionfish!

With mating season for the Komodo Dragons almost over, it was no surprise to see quite a few of them out in the open again. At Komodo itself, we encountered no less than four of these massive reptiles (they can grow up to 3.5 meters of lenght!). But we also saw them at Rinja Island, running around on the beach.

In the rugged South Komodo, we got to see a Hammerhead Shark. Up close and quite personal! Almost made us miss the big school of Bumphead Parrotfish passing by... Oh, and the Tunas, Eagle Rays and Mobulas...

Takat Toko, north Komodo National Park, has delivered this season, with plenty of Sharks and Dolphins on most dives. And this trip was no different – six big Grey Reef Sharks patrolled this seamount together with a pack of 20 Whitetips. And, as we all hoped, the Dolphins greeted us yet another time!

Unfortunately, we had to start heading back to Bali, but maybe the Dolphins missed our company, ’cause they followed the boat for almost an hour, as we cruised into the sunset behind Sangeang Volcano.

PJ Widestrand

Video-Pro
Mermaid I

Liveaboard trips to Thailand, Burma, Bali - Komodo and Andaman Islands.