Day #20 New Guinea Adventure

Pulau Gam and Pulau Jerief, Raja Ampat Islands

I’m close to heaven in the warm waters and afternoon sun

Map of the region showing our heading - Google map link

Our destination today takes us from Mapia Atoll, southwest across the top of the “birdhead” to an island called Pulau Gam in the Raja Ampat, or “Four Kings” archipelago. The archipelago encompasses more than 3.6 million hectares of land and sea off the north-western tip of Indonesia’s West Papua Province.Located in the Coral Triangle, the heart of the world’s coral reef biodiversity, the seas around Raja Ampat possibly hold the richest variety of marine species in the world.

Orion arrives at a small village called Yenwabnor around 08:00 in the morning and the expedition team take off to check on the local conditions and find a good landing spot for the zodiacs.

By about 08:30 we have all gathered at the Delphinus Café ready to board the zodiacs for the short trip to the village. It’s another beautiful morning with bright sunshine and clear skies.Approaching the Village

The village is nestled at the base of a large hill, on the shores of a small bay. In the early morning light it looks idyllic and as we head to our landing we pass a welcoming sign out in the bay.Welcome to Kampung Yenwaupnor

As the zodiacs approach the shore we pass a couple of huts at the end of a long jetty. We find out later these are the visitors huts and that Justin stayed here during his scouting trip.Visitor Hut

After we wet land from the zodiacs young girls welcom us and presented us with flowers. We are ushered through a decorated arch to an open area where we take our seats and wait for the welcome ceremony to begin.Waiting for the welcome

A few minutes after we are all settled we hear the sound of flutes and drums. This is quite different from other welcomes as we haven’t seen any flute players before.Flute Player

As the music gets louder there is a long procession past where we are seated, lead by a number of the flute players and drummers.Young drummer

In the body of the procession are a young couple and we find that part of the welcome is a wedding ceremony. I'm not sure if it's the real thing or not!The wedding couple

Accompanying them are their friends and relatives who have come to be a part of the ceremony.Young girl taking part in the ceremony

After the wedding has been performed it’s time for the feast and the women of the village have a fire pit hot and ready for the meat and vegetables to be added to it. Once they have been added palm leaves are placed over it and water poured on to create the steam to help in the cooking.Adding to the feast

While that’s cooking we head off to look around the village. Mike is taking a group up the mountain so we head off with him. Unfortunately I’m wearing a pair of crocs, hmmm not the best things for climbing mountains and I come a cropper about 5 minutes into the hike. Once again I’ve got my large 50-500mm lens of the camera so I’m in a bit of a bad shape as I land pretty hard on some rocky ground. The crocs are toast and I’ve got a few scrapes but I laugh it off and tell them I’ll wait for them to come back.Local boy with crocs wondering what’s wrong with me!

I spend the time getting over the fall and working on my tan. After that I head down to the village itself and spend a little time walking some of the laneways between the houses. Along a main avenue I spot this local man with a his unique headdress.One of the locals

Meanwhile Kelly has successfully climbed the mountain and is on the way back. Moomoo has also been on the climb and Kelly got this shot of her looking back over the village.Moomoo

The village is really neat and laid out in a clearly defined grid, there are chickens and roosters running about and the kids are cautious but definitely interested in you.Young islander

As you walk through the village it’s not hard to spot the Orion anchored just off shore.Local water transport vs. the Orion

There are kids playing and fishing from the wharf and life seems pretty good in the village.Woman fishing from the wharf

At the end of town is a small shop selling pretty much anything. I take a look inside and there’s a young man tending shop, playing his guitar and singing between customers.Shopkeeper

I catch up with Kelly and Moomoo and we head back to the landing spot. We have  few bites of the pork from the fire pit and then it’s onto the last zodiac and back to the ship. In a couple of hours, after lunch, Captain Frank is going to reposition Orion near Jerief island where we are going to spend the afternoon swimming and snorkelling.

After lunch the anchors are lifted and we move a few kilometres away from Yenwaupnor toward Pulau Jerief.Pulau Jerief

I’ll never forget how beautiful and unspoilt it is around New Guinea and Jerief island is no exception. From the ship we can clearly see the long white beach and the thick jungle. Running along parallel to the beach is the reef. Rather than swimming to it from the shore the zodiacs will drop us off at the far right on the ocean side of the reef and we will swim back toward the centre of it.

We may be last back in the zodiacs but when it comes to snorkelling we try and beat the crowd so we find ourselves one of the first groups to make it to the reef. Kelly and I go in from the zodiac and without a doubt this has to be one of the most colourful, densely populated reefs we have seen.

One of the first inhabitants we see is a sea turtle but he’s gone before I get a decent picture of him.Sea Turtle

We are lucky to be with Mick and we watch him as he does his thing and dives to the bottom, anchors himself and waits for the perfect shot. I don’t know how he holds his breath for so long.Mick shooting on the reef

Kelly and head off up the reef and it’s amazing. I’ve got the Canon D10 underwater camera and I try to emulate Micks, dive, hold, shoot strategy and I manage to get a few shots. I wish Mick was here to tell me what fishes they are.Green fish

Coral LeafCoral FanSea anemone

As we swim further up the reef we can really feel the tug of the tide pulling us back. Just at that moment a huge Angel fish swims by and I turn to get a picture of him. As I turn the current picks me up and without having to swim I’m floating along right next to him. So for the next five minutes it’s just the two of us being pulled along by the current and I manage to get a couple of good picturesAngel Fish

I turn back and head back and as I approach the centre of the reef the current gets much stronger and its sweeping the water, the fish everything back and forward. It’s like being in some giant washing machine in the middle of the cycle. It’s as though two currents are converging at the one spot. It’s very cool.Converging currents sweeping back and forth

Unfortunately for some of the passenger the current is a bit strong and they are having trouble swimming against it while they get into position to climb aboard the zodiac. I get into a position near the small ladder, attached to the side, and help them get their goggles and flippers off so they can climb aboard. A couple of the guys from the kitchen staff have come to lend a hand too.Donni to the rescue

After about 15 minutes everyone is aboard and accounted for and we are dropped off at the beach for a cool drink and a bit of shore time. There’s a wonderful spot where the water is shallow and warm and we just sit and spend the afternoon in a little corner of paradise.Kelly kicking back in the shallows

Before we are ready to leave, it’s time to go and the expedition staff almost have to drag us off the island and back into the zodiacs. Oh well, tomorrow is another day and hopefully another island.Crystal clear waters of Jerief island

Around about 17:00 Orion weighs anchor and we set a course for the McClure Gulf. Justin’s giving a presentation on the wonderful world of the Betel Nut, but I’ve been there and tried it before, bloody awful. So Kelly and I sit up on the deck watching the sunset as we sail away.

Sunset

Day #19 New Guinea Adventure

Mapia Atoll - Middle of Nowhere

Our first view of the Mapia Atoll, looks to me like it's inhabited!

Map of the region showing our heading - Google map link

Overnight we have travelled almost due north heading toward Mapia Atoll.  Urbanasi, where we snorkelled yesterday sits at 1˚16’S by 134˚40’E and Mapia Atoll is located at 0˚51’N by 134˚18E, only 22 minutes difference heading West. To those of you taking notice, yes Mapia Atoll is north of the Equator, the first time during this voyage that we have crossed the Equator and all that it implies.

So this little atoll, just north of the Equator, is pretty damn remote and as this is billed as a “Voyage of Discovery” this is going to be the first experience of the island for all of us, I’m not sure that Justin, Orion’s Expedition Program Manager, had even been here before.

In our daily briefing guide, delivered to our stateroom each evening, it says, “We will spend the day in clear waters, snorkelling and swimming or simply relaxing. There is a lighthouse on the atoll, which may or may not be manned during our visit….Mapia Atoll will be ours for the day!” and further on it goes on to say, “Today we will be operating in expedition mode. We will send a scout boat ashore to inspect the local conditions.”

Basically they are letting us know they have no idea what to expect! But hey that’s the fun of it.

Anyway, we are up early, around 06:30 because our fun!!! starts at 07:00. All of us who have never had the pleasure of sailing over the Equator and that includes Kelly and myself have been ordered to pay homage to King Neptune.

So we drag our sorry “slimy Pollywog” (that’s what we how have never crossed the Equator are called) butts up to deck 6 at a very early hour. In attendance are a lot of “Shellbacks” those luck buggers who have been through this before.

Fortunately for us there is medicine to ease the pain in the form of Orange juice and Champagne. Especially handy for these two early risers.
Moomoo and Kelly trying to wake up

Before long there’s a bit of a hubbub and who should appear on deck, in fearsome regalia, berating us and letting us all know who’s boss in these regions, none other thank King Neptune.
King Neptune in all his "fearsome" glory

King Neptune (aka Mike) is calling us all to attention and letting us know that we must undergo a ritual to be accepted as a “Shellback”. His assistant places a chair and a large silver jug in front of the Jacuzzi and the first poor unfortunate “Pollywog” is called to sit.

The ritual, it seems, is to be publicly humiliated while having a jug of cold water poured over ones head and then told to go sit in the Jacuzzi.
Yours truly, being transformed by King Neptune from Pollywog to Shellback

Joanne had turned up this morning with some crazy Aussie tribute necklace with a flag, chocolate, apples, pear, Koala Bear and inhaler!! Here she is looking a bit soggy for it all.
Joanne in the tub with all her Aussie charms getting wet

As there were quite a few of us destined for Neptune’s baptism, the crew thought it would be fun to see if they could break the record for the largest number of people in the Jacuzzi at one time. Mick positioned himself on the Zodiac storage deck so he could look down upon the mayhem and count numbers.

Mick looking down on the mayhem

Needless to say we did manage to break the record but for the life of me I can’t remember how many of us there were in there but let me tell you four is just comfortable!

Once Neptune had exhausted his supply of Pollywogs we turned the tables on him and managed to get in a couple of good dousing and lots of laughing. After a quick shower and fresh clothes it was off to breakfast followed by our preparations for arrival at Mapia Atoll.

Around 09:00 we arrived at the Atoll. Once again another beautiful out of the way location. The atoll is surrounded by a reef and the water is a very deep blue, as you move closer to the island the lagoon is clearly visible as a much lighter teal colour. Clearly visible from the boat is a structure and we can see people on the shore, so much for a deserted island. The expedition crew launch the zodiacs and head out to investigate the island and the reef.
Panoramic view of the atoll and reef

After about half an hour we are told that the island is indeed habited and is in fact a military installation. The good news is that we have the go ahead to land on the island and in fact there is a great deal of interest in us from the inhabitants who rarely see strangers let alone a ship of our type.

This morning there are two options available, the first is a landing on the atoll in the morning and a reef snorkel in the afternoon or vice versa. Kelly and I decide to start with a snorkel and finish with the atoll.

While most of the passengers head to the island six of us head out with Mick to the reef. He’s got two zodiacs tethered together and he let’s us know there’s quite a strong current and to be careful not to drift too far.
Approaching the tethered zodiacs at the reef

Without further ado, it’s into the water. Kelly gets her revenge for my close-up snorkel shot by doing the same to me.
Is this a good look?

The current and the shallow depth of water over the reef really pushes you around and there are quite a lot of particles in the water churned up by the waves coming in over the reef. I manage to get a couple of shots of fish that I can’t identify (Mick where are you?)
Reef Fish

After an hour or so we get called back to the zodiacs by Mick, apparently there’s a problem on the atoll and they need all the zodiacs asap. We climb back onboard and head back to the Orion.

Once back on board, the zodiacs head for the atoll and the few of us who were snorkelling gather on the Delphinus deck to see what’s going on. In the distance we can see a long line of passengers, knee deep in the lagoon, stretching from almost the end of the jetty to the deep water where the zodiac are waiting.
Atoll evacuation

As I mentioned earlier, Orion hadn’t visited the atoll before and no one knew that the receding tide would have such an effect on the zodiac’s ability to get in close to the island shore. This meant that as the tide receded the passengers would have to negotiate a trek through the lagoon to the deeper water where the zodiacs could approach. Unfortunately the coral and rocks of the lagoon made it a bit more difficult than it looks and what with carrying camera gear etc it was a bit tricky to negotiate.

Also one of the requirements on Orion is that we wear life vests, now these life vests are self inflating if they come into contact with water.  I hear a couple of those walking out to the zodiacs accidentally slipped into the water and found out the jackets really do work!
Coming back to Orion

Eventually all of the passengers were back onboard safe and sound. The only bad thing about the tide going out was that there wouldn’t be a second trip to the atoll so we had to be content with our reef snorkel.

If you want more information on the atoll visit Justin’s blog on the Mapia Atoll, where he’s got pictures and stories of the visit.

By 14:00 hours we were underway again and sailing for McClure Gulf. It’s a bit of a quiet afternoon but there is a bit of action as the crew undergo a General Emergency Drill and they are running all over the ship.

There’s a great presentation by Mick entitled “What fish is that?” and I wish I’d paid a lot more attention or had the presence of mind to video the damn thing. Maybe then I’d be able to identify these fish pictures.

It’s a beautiful sunset this evening and the waters are very calm. I head up to deck 6 and spend a bit of time shooting the sunset with my fisheye lens.
Sunset from the bow of Orion

Later that evening it’s time for a “South Pacific Island Buffet” on the Delphinus lounge with a fantastic bbq of seafood followed by a bit of wild dancing into the wee hours of the morning.

Arriving back in the stateroom, waiting for us on the bed, are our certificates that prove we are no longer Pollywogs!

Crossing the Line

Day #18 New Guinea Adventure

Urbanasi, West Papua - Coral Triangle

Urbanasi, the ultimate deserted island

Map of the region showing our heading -  Google map link

When you come across Urbinasi Island, in the Papadio Island group, you know straight away that its one of those classic tiny islands with white sand beaches surrounded by coral. A classic island made famous by Alexander Dumas in Robinson Crusoe.

The area we are in is called the Coral Triangle so named because it refers to a roughly triangular area of the tropical marine waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste that contain at least 500 species of reef building corals in each ecoregion. The Coral Triangle comprises the highest coral diversity in the world: 76% (605) of the world’s coral species (798) and we get to snorkel in the reefs today!

The Orion is scheduled to arrive at Urbanasi around 11:00. This is going to be a wet landing as there are no docking facilities of any kind on the island, in fact I think it’s going to be pretty much just us there. From the schedule we are going to have approximately 5 ½ hours on the island and in the water.

Before we arrive Andrew Marshall gives us a presentation entitled “Austronesian Navigation” about the history and migration of people through the Pacific region. It’s fascinating how the cultures and people spread throughout the region.

Pretty much bang on time the Orion pulls within zodiac reach of Urbanasi Island, and what a view it is. The water is a deep blue, the sky is blue, the sand is white and the island looks just what you picture a deserted tropical island to be.

We gear up with all our snorkelling paraphernalia, and head to the Leda Lounge to start boarding. The trip to the island only takes a couple of minutes and it’s not long until we are snorkelling the reef.

It’s incredibly clear and there are fish and coral everywhere. Unfortunately my knowledge of fish isn’t the best, almost nil, so I'm going to try and get Mick Fogg, the leader of the Orion expedition team, to help me with the classification. I do know this strange, somewhat terrifying, underworld creature though, 'wifus-snorkelus'.
Kelly snorkelling (I hope she forgives me for posting this)

What follows are various fish and corals seen on our snorkelling dive.
Angel Fish

Regal AngelfishMarauder Fish

After a couple of hours in the water, we headed back to shore for a drink and a bit of sun. Neill, Moomoo’s husband and I had quickly become friends on the trip and he’d brought along a new camera that he wasn’t quite sure how to use. It was a Lumix DMC-FZ100, it’s a great little camera with an amazing zoom lens on it, plus it shoots RAW files. I’d been helping him understand the controls and how best to use it so he said I could take it on a walk around the island and try it out. The images that follow have been shot on that camera.
Kelly resting after snorkelling

The island look deceptively small from the direction we approached, once you start to walk around it you realise it’s a bit larger than you think. We met some people who’d circumnavigated it in the opposite direction and said it’s about 45 minutes to walk around.
Start of our walk

One of the most striking aspects of the island, as you walk around it, is the amount and size of the driftwood that’s been washed up on the shore, from huge trees to small branches. At some points you have to negotiate quite a way out into the sea to get around the piles of logs and branches.
Island driftwood

You can hear the sounds of the bird life and there is plenty of activity; high in the trees you can catch glimpses of them.
Island bird

Not far from a completing a full circle of the island we came across a local fishing boat moored just off the island, we watched it for a while but there seem to be little or no activity going on.
Local fishing boat

Just before we finished our walk and returned to our starting point we came across some deserted buildings and what looked like an old water tower. There wasn’t any sign on inhabitation and it looks like they had been abandoned quite a while ago.
Deserted Buildings

Around 16:30 we hopped one of the last zodiacs back to Orion and headed up to deck 6 to wash out the sand and enjoy a beer in the jacuzzi.

About 17:00 hours the captain weighed anchor and we departed once again on a new heading and new adventures. I think where ever we go Urbanasi will be one place that I’ll always remember.