SAMPLE ITINERARY RAJA AMPAT 9 DAYS/8 NIGHTS
Day 1: Check-in on board MV Mermaid II. As guest arrivals take place all through the day depending on flights you are welcome to board when you arrive and spend some time looking around Sorong, gearing up etc. Following the boat and safety briefing - its overnight to the Misool area.
It is almost impossible to put together a daily itinerary due to the magnificent diving everywhere we go. No trip is the same with so many different sites to visit and explore. If there is somewhere in particular you really have your heart set on please discuss with the Cruise Director who will do their utmost to get you there – conditions, ship and your safety allowing!
Day 2-4: Misool area – with literally 100‟s of dives around this magnificent area we will be in diver‟s paradise for a few days. Soft corals, gorgonians – some of the prettiest corals in the world – and the kingdom of the pygmy seahorse ! Pinnacles with masses of fish. Blue water mangroves (crocs depending!) Islands we will thoroughly enjoy the Misool area including Sagof Islands, Wagma and Farondi islands; Wailbatan and Warakaret Island, Kalig, Pele Islands.
Day 5-7: Fiabacet and Farondi Islands and after the 3rd dive of the day spend some time going around the lagoons in the dinghy for amazing sights and wildlife. Then we may head north to Waigeo Island. Perhaps we will spend the day around Batanta Island, a black sand environment – great muck diving ! The Mantas call us to Dampier Strait where they hang out at their cleaning stations. But this place is also fabulous for macro diving with critters such as Pegasus, Pontohi Pgymy Seahorse, pipefish etc. And two dives at a small island called Arborek, with a lovely village and a jetty great for diving ! The jetty pillars are covered in soft corals – a photographer‟s delight and also good for macro such as signal gobies, nudibrancs and more Pohtohi‟s etc. Dive around the island of Kawe a great place for schooling fish, and beautiful reefs covered in black coral bushes. And dive Alyui Bay (or a full day around Alyui Bay). In Alyui Bay there is a pearl farm. We can tour the pearl farm and learn how they harvest the pearls, and the whole process of pearl farming. You can even buy pearls. Diving in Alyui bay is good for macro and wide angle. Walls covered in soft corals and sea fans with lots of nudies and pygmys. Also a great night dive in the jetty; Raja Epaulette Shark (walking sharks), wobbegongs, crocodilefish, toadfish and frogfish. Dive around the island of Yanggefo - beautiful mangrove areas, stunning reefs covered in orange and purple soft corals, and submerged reef with lots of schooling fish, and pygmies.The Strait of Dampier are also well known for the amount of schooling fish. There are several pinnacles with zillions of fish. Also the tips (capes) of several islands with again lots of schooling fish; schools of barracudas, school of bigeye jacks, snappers, zillions of fusiliers and surgeonfish, etc…. And lots of wobbegongs...
Day 8: 2 dives in the Strait of Dampier. More of the same. Fish, fish, fish, glorious corals and all! Then back to Sorong we must go. The crew will take care of rinsing and packing your equipment during this 4-5 hour run.
Day 9: After breakfast we transfer you ashore to continue your vacation…or its time to head home to start planning your next Mermaid Liveaboards cruise !
TOTAL DIVES FOR RAJA AMPAT - UP TO 28
