TheForgottenIslandsPart2,November2016TripReportandphotosbyDavidGeorge.OnNovember24theMVSevenSeasembarkedonthesecondlegofthe2016ForgottenIslandsadventure,fromSaumlakiinSouth-EastMalukuprovince,toSoronginWestPapua.This16-nightvoyage,coveringaround700nauticalmiles,wouldtakeusthroughtheBandaSeaandtheremotevolcanicislandsoftheInnerArchipelago,totheSpiceIslandsofBandaandintotheSeramSeaandRajaAmpat.Mythirdtimeontheboat(withfourthandfifthalreadybooked!),thistripbroughttogetheroldandnewfriendsfromacrosstheworld,fromAustralia,USA,UKandEurope.ThiswasalonganticipatedopportunitytoexperiencesomeofthemostremoteandisolatedareasoftheIndonesianArchipelago,andthereisreallyonlyonewaytodoit-onboardthemagnificentSevenSeas.Thiswouldbealongandremotejourney,joiningthedotsoftinyisolatedislandsandreefs.NotuntilwereachRajaAmpatinthefinaldayswouldweseeanotherdiveboat.Weoccasionallysharethewaterswithlocalvillagersintheirwoodenfishingboats,andspotislandferriesinthedistance,butthisisremoteterritory,anditoftenfeelslikewearetheonlypeopleonearth.Itissuchaprivilegetobehere,comfortableinthesafehandsofCaptainsWayhuandPai.ThefirstglimpsesoftheboatanchoredinSaumlakiharbourbringsalumptothethroattothosethathavetravelledonherbefore.Sheissuchagracefulvessel,butitisalsotheanticipationofbeingreunitedwithourextendedfamilyforthenext16days–theincredibleSevenSeascrew.Welcomedrinkandhugsandhandshakescompleted,everyoneonboardwaseagertounpacktheirdivegearandgetreadytobubbleawaytheworriesoftheworldwithaneasycheck-outdivethatafternoon.AfteradinnerunderthestarsitwastimeforagentleovernightcruiseeasttoDaweraIsland.InthemorningweareallupearlyandeagertogetinthewaterbutBigJohnhasthemostimportantjobofthedaytodobeforewecanbegin;itstimeforhisearlymorningWelcomeDrinkinthelocalvillageashesecurespermissionforustodiveintheirwaters.Thisritualwillberepeatedmanytimesonourtrip,animportantconnectionwiththelocalpeopleofthisarea,butBigJohncanhandlethepalmwinebetterthanmost…

Thesunisshining,theseacalm,breakfastorderstaken,andweplungeintotheclearwarmwatersoftheBandaSea.Ihavedivedinmanypartsoftheworld,butIhaveneverseensuchbluewater;itreallyis“BandaBlue”.It’sabeautifulwalldivewithenormousfansandsoftcorals,withcloudsofcolourfulanthiasdancingalongthereeftop.Schoolingchevronbarracudaenticeusintothebluetojointheirswirling,andtherewereevenreportsofahammerheadinthedeep.Whatawaytostarttheday.Wedecidetodivethissiteagainandagainoverthenextcoupleofdaysasthereissomuchtosee,andeachtimeit’sadifferentdive.AsaphotographerIoftenstrugglewiththeperennialdecisionof“wideormacro”,buttherewasnoquestionhere.Ilovemymacro-photography,andthereareplentyofcrittersaround,butthewaterissoblueandalive,andthelightsogoodthatitisdifficulttoturnyou’refocusawayfromthereeflandscapeandtothemacrocommunities.SoIchoosewide-angle,andendupstayingwiththisforalmosttheentiretrip,butfeelthateverysingledivecouldberedonewithadifferentperspective.

ThateveningIdosomethingunusual(forme),adivewithoutacamera;butthiswasnoordinarydive,weweretheretoseetheflashlightfish,andwithlightsoffwegentlydriftedpastoverhangsasthesparklesandtrailsofthesesecretivefishmesmerizedus,finallysurfacingthroughthebioluminescencetoacalmstarrymoonlessnightabove.ThefollowingdayweseepygmyseahorsesattherecentlynamedMarianne’sGarden(afterbeingdivedforthefirsttimethepreviousweekonMarianne’sbirthday).Oneaspectofatriplikethisisthattherearesomanydivesitestodiscover,anditisquitepossiblethatsomeofthemhaveneverbeendivedbefore.

ThenextfewdaysarefilledwithexceptionaldivingaroundthelimestoneislandsofthesouthernBandaSea,islandhoppingbynightacrosscalmseas,afterdinnerunderthestars.Barracudaarepresentoneverydive,fromhugeschoolstolonelypatrols,ahighlightdivesitebeingToDaiForatthetinyDaiIsland.Someofusvisitthevillage,wherethefriendlylocalsarehappyforustowanderthestreets.ThevisitgivesusasenseoftheremotenessanduniqueculturalidentityoftheForgottenIslands,withimportedChristianthemescoupledwithtraditionalsymbolismandbeliefs.Whilewearebeingcultured,OwenheadsoffshorewithhisfishingbuddiesBigJohnandImamandreturnswithacoupleofgood-sizedwahoo;sashimiforpre-dinnersnacksthatevening,yum!ThenextdayweareatPalau’sSemataandKelapa,wherewehaveschoolsofsnapper,big-eyejacks,goldenbatfish,and“riversoffish”intheshallowsasschoolsofjuvenilefusiliersandsardinesmakehighwaysalongthereef.Ihavetonameoneofthesites“snowglobe”duetothecloudsoffishacrossthereeftop.

MasterChefTotok’scookingisahighlightofthistrip,withexceptionalmulti-courselunchesanddinnersandthiseveninghebringsusatastyversionoffusionfood,with“rib-eyesatays”onthemenuaswegentlyfloatonamirror-likeocean,beforeanovernightcruisesocalmthatitdefiesthesenses–itfeelslikewearebarelymoving.AfteradayatPalauTerbangSelatan,wherewedivethewell-namedSonia’sFavourite(twiceJ)wecruisetothevolcanicinnerarchipelago,wherethescenerychangesfromclustersoflimestoneislandstodramaticisolatedvolcanicpeaks.Wokeninthemorningbyastrongsulphurousodourwefindourselvesattheveryfootofanactive,gentlysmokingvolcano,Teun.OverthenextcoupleofdaysIheadfortheskieswithmydronetocapturethespectacularscenery.

AnotherincrediblycalmnightoftravellingandwearriveatKerangNildesperandum.Youwon’tfinditonmanymaps,thisreefbarelybreakstheocean’ssurface,butisanincrediblelocationinthemiddleofthedeepBandaSea,withtheoceandroppingtomanythousandsofmetresallaround.

OnwardstoSeruawherewedosomeexploring,discoveringsiteswithhugeschoolsofjacksandthebiggestgiantclamthatanyonehaseverseen.Thisissomeofthedeepestdivingthatwedo,withdivesheadingtowards30m,withtherewardofspottingtheoccasionalhammerheadinthedeep.Butthisplaceisalsoaboutcolourfulsoftcoralonthewallsandoverhangs,andstunninghardcoralgardensonthereeftop.Thisistrulypristine.Anotherdayandanothervolcano,butthisoneisdifferent,averyactiveandominousManukIsland,withsulphuroussmokeswirlingaroundthepeakandscorchedvegetationontheslopes.Anuninhabitedisland,thisisthelandofseabirdsandseasnakes.Divingontheunderwaterslopesofthevolcanothelandscapeisverydifferent,withenourmousbarrelspongesandorangesoftcoral.Thewordofthedaythoughisnotvolcano,itisseasnake!Thesnakesarenotjusttheusualblackandwhitebands,butalsoabeautifulgreenspecies,whichgoabouttheirbusinesscompletelyoblivioustousdivers.Weleavethevolcanobehindafter3dives,andanotherglassy(andwine-glassy;-)sunsetcruisetowardstheSpiceIslandsofBanda.TheAustralian’samongusfeltverymuchathomewithsomeofourfavouriteMargaretRiverwinesonthelatestwinelist.

ThedivingfeelsdifferentintheBandaIslands,deepswimthroughs,slightlycoolerwater(someofusevenworewetsuits!)andsomestrongcurrents,butsuchstunningdiving.CloudsofpyramidbutterflyfishatthesubmergedpinnaclesofBatuKapal(Karl’sfavourite)andmoredecorateddartfishatHattaIslandthanIhaveseeninalifetime.MyhighlightinBandawasadusk-divewiththeMandarinfish.Those“lessbrave”thanIobservedfromthebaroftheHotelinBandaNeira,justmetresfrom

whereIplungedtothedepths(3metres…)tospendtimewiththemostbeautifulfishintheocean.

Thenextdaywewoketorainandwind,butitdidn’tstopus,revisitingtheswimthroughatTurbangBurangforanatmosphericdive.ThiswasalsoaveryspecialdayforKarl,hisbirthday!WecelebrateditafterthefirstdivewiththetraditionalIndonesian“flourandeggs”(pluskecupmanishairwash!),andafabulousbirthdaycakeintheevening.Dive2wasonthelavaflowatthebaseofGunungApi;anamazinglandscapeofridgesandvalleys,completelycoveredwithstunninghardcoralandtheoccasionalspongeandbommie.ItwasalltoomuchfortheSevenSeasHydrobaticteam,who(aftercompletingtheirsafetystop…)felttheneedtopracticetheir(un)synchronizedsomersaultsinthesafetyofthebluewhilewedriftedawayfromthereefforaboatpick-up.Theweatherclearedintheafternoonandwemadeamust-dolandtourofBandaNeira,wherewehadagreatwalkaroundthisfascinatingandhistoricaltown.ThefriendlinessofthepeoplebeliedthedarkandbloodyhistoryofthisfamousSpiceIsland,wherecolonialpowersbattledforcontrolofthevaluablespice,nutmeg.LeavingBandaintheevening,thenextdaywearrivedattheMarineProtectedAreaofKoon,wherethreelittlewordssummeditup–TooManyFish.Wedivedthissite3timesinsuccessionitwassogood.GoliathGrouperjoinedtheschoolsofsnapperandbig-eyejacksonaslopingreefwithadeepdropoffbelow30metres.Anotherbirthdaywascelebrated,thistimethewonderfulSonia,theonewhohasbroughtmanyofustogethertobecomelifelongfriends.

Birthdaycelebrationscontinuedintotheevening,withbubblesofadifferentkind,asweraisedthejibsailstoaidasmoothovernightcruisetothefamousMisool.

ThelasttwodayswespendatMisool,RajaAmpat,amongstthefamouscolourfulsoftcoralsandmushroomrocks,butonewordsummedupourvisitthere–MANTA!KarangBayanganwascalmonthesurfacebutsoactiveunderneath,andtheoceanicmantaswerevisitingthecleaningstations.Wehadsomeunforgettablediveswiththem,undoubtedlythemostextraordinaryunderwaterexperiencethatmostofushavehad.Themantaswerecalmandinquisitive.Someofuswereprivilegedtospendmuchofonediveinthecompanyofthemostbeautifulcreature–anenormouswhiteOceanicmantathatdancedwithusasitwasgentlyattendedtobytheswarmsofcleanerfish.ForsomeofusitwasourfirsttasteoftheRajaAmpatarea,andleftuswantingmore,whichiswhywehavealreadybookedourtriptoreturnin2018!

TheSevenSeascrewiswithoutquestionthebestliveaboardcrewinallofIndonesia,ifnottheworld.Theirexperienceandknowledgeisunparalleled,theircareisgenuineandtheircamaraderieisstrongandinfectious.Ican’twaittospendanothertripwithmySevenSeasfamily.