Monday 7^th January 2013

How fantastic to be back in the delicious warm water after time in Indonesian cities and travelling here to Raja Ampat. And what a spot! The underwater garden we are in is amazing with such a diverse range of species we haven’t seen before. A huge variety of soft corals wave with the current, tube worms pop their blue fans out of the brain coral, Linckia Laevigata starfish curl themselves around anything available and sea squirts cluster on mangrove roots to the sound of shrimps popping and Bump- headed parrot fish crunching the coral. A huge brown Moray eel pokes it ugly head and gaping teeth from under the plate coral, a striped Harlequin snake eel slithers through the clear water, Blue and gold fusiliers dart in schools, enormous Oriental sweetlips cruise the sandy floor passing Batfish, Butterflyfish, Bannerfish and regal Emperor Angelfish. Cleaner wrasse flits over a trumpet fish doing its job while I swim through darting schools of tiny silver fish, looking at unicorn fish, puffer fish and tiny Pink anemonefish amongst its host. Jeremy had some luck spear fishing a Barracuda, Sweetlip and Grouper with Jamie; so delicious not having had fish for a while!

Yanggelo (00:30.755S 130:27.194E)is a small island with a calm mangrove lined bay so peaceful to anchor in. We woke to the sound of parrots squawking, herons majestically lifting from shore, cockatoos screeching and a Sea Eagle soaring over the bay. Schools of tiny fish hop across the top of the water obviously being chased by something bigger. The girls have had a great time paddling in their kayaks to look at nudibranchs, building rock walls on the beach and snorkelling with the Totem crew. 

On Friday we left Sorong from Gam, a large limestone island with thick forest amazingly growing through its rocky exterior with Totem and Muscat. One village perched on the shore had gardens carved out behind its thatched houses but it didn’t look the most fertile soil! We anchored in a huge bay between Gam and the neighbouring island of Waigeo, amongst beautiful pinnacles of rock, towering sheerly out of the water. A lovely kayak through the small islands of rock revealed patches of coral perched on sides before a sheer drop into deep water. The highlight of a snorkel on one of these islets was the big anemonefish darting out at us from the protection of the waving tentacles of its anemone and some lovely, strappy, grey, soft coral waving in the current. A trip through the passage between the islands at high tide to reach this destination was thrilling. Jeremy was turning the wheel madly to keep us straight in the rushing current, Hatty and Phoebe up the mast spotting for shallow spots and bommies and Willow and I on the bow doing the same. Quite exhilarating and it cut many NM’s from our trip.

Wednesday 9^th January

We have done more amazing snorkelling in a passage between the two islands. Jamie tickled a turtle lolling above a coral head and I watched a huge white puffer fish scoot by with a cleaner wrasse feeding in its gills. Lionfish with their waving fins hovered under plate coral while a cowrie shell with its creature covering most of the shell with its soft black body scoured the sand for food.  A brightly coloured blue and yellow nudibranch slowly moved over the bottom while the delicate heads of various soft corals waved with the tide. Feather stars, star cushions and sea squirts cling to the hard corals while small brightly coloured fish school in its protection. Mangrove roots protrude into the lovely, warm, clear water with Archer fish schooling underneath to catch the bugs they dislodge with long tongues that spray jets of water. A majestic Sea Eagle soars overhead, perusing its feeding ground while our girls were keener on chatting to Mairen and Siobhan, who we will be leaving in a week.  A school of enormous Hump headed Parrotfish munched on the coral while we saw another turtle and sea snake slithering amongst the soft coral resembling a garden with so many colours, shapes and textures.

The girls have loved playing on the beach building fairy gardens, swinging in the hammock, building sand castles and playing bocce. Barbeques on the beach in the evening of fresh fish the boys had speared were topped off with toasted marshmallows much to the girls delight.  Collecting sticks and building the fire kept them amused for ages. The kayaks have been a great way to get around for them to the beach and snorkelling spots.