We have found this to be the best anchorage so far in our Indonesia wanderings. The anchorage is very protected….a white sand cay (sand bar) close by with very healthy and interesting coral reef between Sea Mist and the cay.  Cheryl and I enjoyed a long time snorkeling yesterday…you could stay in the water forever as the water is so warm due to it being shallow, no strong currents, and all the white sand.  There is a great variety of soft and hard corals, many of which we have not seen before….as well as other sea life totally new to us, including a large starfish orange/coral in colour with blueberry coloured bumps along the middle of each of the arms and a bunch of them on the top of the central body of the starfish.

We were the first/only boat here when we arrived yesterday at 9 am; an hour later our friends on Kilkea anchored….and then a few hours later, 3 more boats came in (all Aussie boats)…and one more is arriving now this morning at 8 am. For sundowners yesterday, the  crews of the five boats, 13 of us, gathered on the cay for drinks and nibbles from about 4:30 until just after 6 pm as the darkness was settling in. That timing was near low tide and accordingly there was a lot of sand exposed …so the cay is quite extensive (about 300 meters in length and about 130 meters in width)…compared to at high tide when the sand above water is only about 50 meters by 20 meters. 

Time for breakfast…..must conclude this brief update. I should mention that very poor to non-existent internet at this more remote location….so have to rely on sat phone for emails.