TELUKTRITON

TEXT AND IMAGES MARKUS ROTH © 2014

Apa kabar, orang asing! How areyou, stranger?” whispers Edison, abaggage handler at Kaimana Airport,

as he checks my luggage label. Europeans inKaimana are indeed ‘strange’, as tourism hereis still in its infancy and just a few divers comeonce or twice a year.

Triton Bay was first explored in 2006 by agroup from Conservation International andscientists from the State University of Papua(UNIPA). They expected even greater speciesdiversity and a larger number of endemicspecies than in Raja Ampat and this wasconfirmed: Dr Gerry Allen counted 330 differentspecies on a single dive.

Little KomodoThis place is a jewel for Bruno Hopff, cruisedirector and a co-owner of MSV Amira, whichvisits Triton Bay. “I felt privileged to be able tosee this bit of earth and to dive in thisbiodiversity hotspot”, he says of his first visit toTriton Bay in 2009. “The Little Komodo dive siteleft me speechless! The unbelievably healthycoral and the huge quantity of fish wereoverwhelming”.

However, the price to pay for the Bay’sunusually high biomass is low visibility ofaround 15 metres and some raging currents.When descending, a dense mass of rainbowrunners often has to be negotiated and it takesconcentration just to remember to breathe. Theeffort of battling against the current is forgottenwhen the area where the current splits on thereef is reached, and divers can rest for a whileand watch the spectacle of of fusiliers,barracudas and mackerel schools. If you leavethe area protected from the current and drift intothe 30 metres wide channel, you pass by wallsof white-coloured black corals, giant gorgoniansand orange-coloured soft corals. At the end ofthe channel a large group of bumpheadparrotfish hangs effortlessly in the current. In the

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You can findthis decoratorshrimp onnight dives atBo’s Rainbow

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The ultimate in a land of species diversityIn a top dive site like Batu Jeruk you’lloften find a tasty current but also amultitude of fish shoals and a fully intactsoft-coral landscape. My Australian divebuddy Tom Ingpen reckoned this was howyou’d imagine a very positive LSD trip tobe!. He’s already dived in some remotecorners of the world, but thinks Triton Bayhas everything in even more lavishproportions and says even night diveshere are particular fun. At night in placeslike Disney Land and Macro Rock, youcan find the Denise, bargibanti andpontohi species of pygmy seahorses aswell as rare creatures like solar-powerednudibranchs, decorator crabs andwaspfish. Some dives are verydemanding, but excursions, for instanceto Mauwara Bay, give an opportunity fora break.

Bruno Hopff, who’s lived in Indonesia formore than 11 years, believes MauwaraBay is very special. “This bay is somagical it was immediately clear that Ihad to return”, says the 41-year-old nativeof Zurich. In around two hours you crossan almost endless labyrinth of branches,and the karst cliffs overgrown with junglegiants and palms filled with tropicalbirdsong take your breath away. Youfinally arrive in paradise at a small beachby the exit to the bay. It is hard to think ofa more kitschy backdrop for a postcardfrom the South Seas!

Whale sharks on the hunt for ikan puriThe bay’s species diversity includes whalesharks which grow up to eight metres

long. Those in Triton Bay exhibit similarbehaviour to those in Cenderawasih Bay.The bagans of the fishermen, so-called‘bugies’ from South Sulawesi, appear tomagically draw the creatures. The bugiesfish at night for ikan puri, (sardines) andlater sell them in the Kaimana market. Tokeep the fish fresh for as long as possible,they remain in the nets. This wealth ofpotential food attracts the whale sharksand they suck the nets to get their meal.Watching this in close proximity is anincredible spectacle. Again and again,they swim from the depths towards the

when the afternoon sun shines into thechannel, the jungle-like karst cliffs above arevisible from a depth of 10 metres. Neitherthe paradise above water nor that belowgoes unobserved.

But this spectacle has been witnessed byvery few. Around four years ago safariboats were warned against heading intothis remote area of Bird’s Head Peninsula,as trouble with the locals erupted time andagain. “We were worried about our naturalresources and our basic fish supply”,explains the mayor of the fishing village ofSisir, Mohamed Jeia. Shortly after the firstheadlines described the potential of TritonBay, the fishing fleets came, caught the bigfish and vanished. According to Jeia, thelocals were unsure whether the first

liveaboards to arrive were also fishingfleets. “We feared for our existence anddidn’t know any other way to help ourselvesthan by making threats!”

Tourism ensures educationTriton Bay is now a protected area, andlocals have recognised that tourism candeliver an additional source of income wichmakes it possible to give their children agood education – 10 children from thevillage of just 70 families have made it to auniversity in the country.

Tommy Nangguewna, a staff member at thetourist board and a passionate diver,believes the continued existence of the mostvaluable asset, unspoilt nature and culturehas to be protected and preserved tto alsogrant the next generations an income fromtourism. The thousand years old wallpaintings are found in very few other partsof the Indonesian archipelago. These can bevisited on a dive-free afternoon trip on oneof Amira’s three dinghies. The same appliesto the caves containing human remains thatare several hundred years old; these stemfrom the time when the Papua peoplebelieved they could take on the power of adead opponent by consuming them afterbattle.

Tommy Nangguewna, a staff member atthe tourist board and a passionatediver, believes the continued existenceof the most valuable asset, unspoiltnature and culture has to be protectedand preserved to also grant the nextgenerations an income from tourism.

This page fromthe top: Wobbegongsharks are oftenfound hiding incaves A marbled ray atExcaliburA solar powerednudibranch atBo’s RainbowOpposite page:A whale sharkchecking out ourphotographerReinhardDirscherlA couple ofheadshield slugsChelidonuraamoena seenmating at ThreeRocks

“For as long as I can think, therehave been whale sharks in ourwaters, but the people of Papua havegreat respect for these creatures...”.Mohamed Jeia.

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GETTING THERE:International airline of choice > Jakarta >Ambon > Kaimana. Entry / Exit Requirements All foreign travelersrequire a valid passport for at least six monthsfollowing date of arrival. Tourist passportholders may apply for a 30-day visitor visa onarrival in Jakarta, Bali, and others. Check therates before traveling.Departure tax: Check the rates beforetraveling. Must be paid in Rupiah, cash only.Jakarta tax varies from other internationalairports; domestic departure tax also varies.National language Bahasa Indonesia.Though English is understood and commonlyspoken in tourist areas, international businessor the travel industry, most Indonesian peopleare often not fluent.Currency: Indonesian rupiah. Traveller'scheques in euros or US dollars and creditcards are accepted in many places.

Memorable Messages:• Triton Bay is “the ultimate in a land known for itsextraordinary species diversity”. British photographer AlanPowderham• “It will probably take me six months to digest these 11 daysof overstimulation. It was an overwhelmingly good trip. Theexperiences I’ve enjoyed above and below water will remainforever in my heart”. American Lee Hartford.• After exploring Triton Bay Dr Mark Erdmann, senior marinebiologist at Conservation International, commented: “If RajaAmpat is paradise, this Bay is the temple of paradise.”

> LINKS MSV Amira: www.amira-indonesia.comwww.indonesiatravelingguide.com www.tritonbaydivers.com

surface to reach the nets. On a good daythere’s also dolphins, and an Indo-Pacificsailfish helping itself to the easy spoils.

There are now codes of conduct to protect thewhale sharks. Diving with a scuba set isforbidden, as is touching or tormenting thesharks. It is difficult not to touch the creatures,as they’re curious about divers and circlethem over and over again.

On the final evening of every trip on Amirathe guests join the crew at the bow and theirband provides entertainment in the form ofsome Indonesian oldies.Bruno Hopff just grinsat the satisfied faces of the divers: “Dr MarkErdmann was right when he said that TritonBay is without doubt the temple of paradise.”

From the top:SMY Amirawaiting for thedivers to surfacein Selat IrisThis colourfulcave was alivewith masses ofjuvenilesweepersDuring surfaceintervals you canvisit ancient cavegraves