Meet the mantas of Raja Ampat on an 11-night Special Manta Cruise with Dr Andrea Marshall
- - Raja Ampat 11N Cruise: Embark SORONG, 20 March 2013 - Disembark SORONG, 31 March 2013
On this trip, not only do you visit some of the most stunning dive sites in the world - with some of the greatest diversity in terms of coral and fish life - but you'll also be diving in a great location for manta rays and we have tailored this trip to prioritize opportunities to dive and snorkel with these incredible pelagic creatures. We're delighted that Dr Andrea Marshall (Queen of Mantas) will be offering regular talks for guests on the cruise, sharing her insights and vast experiences of studying and diving with mantas. We are pleased to announce that proceeds from this trip will also be supporting Andrea's work at The Marine Megafauna Foundation.
Andrea Marshall biography
Educated in the USA and Australia, Andrea now lives permanently in Africa spearheading the conservation efforts of manta rays in Mozambique. Andrea's PhD research (conducted through the University of Queensland), on the population ecology of manta rays, was the first ever doctoral thesis to be completed on these enigmatic animals and her recent discovery of a new giant species of manta ray in 2008 was one of the largest new species to have been described by any scientist in the last 50 years. She is known as the Queen of Mantas for her outstanding contribution towards a greater understanding of (and protection for) these gentle giants.
In the news: UN conservation convention unanimously approves Ecuador's proposal to protect the largest living ray. "Giant manta rays are a true international species. They ignore political boundaries and will happily swim into deep oceanic waters," said Dr. Marshall. "Manta rays, in general, are long-lived, and only have one offspring every one to five years. Unregulated fisheries can quickly wipe out entire populations". To date, manta rays are only formally protected in New Zealand, Ecuador, the USA (Florida, Hawaii, Flower Garden Banks), Mexico, Guam, Maldives, Yap, the Philippines and Indonesia (Raja Ampat).
Did you know? "The different species of manta rays have very different distributions, however ... the two Manta species are sympatric in a few locations around the globe including Mozambique, Hawaii, and Indonesia but at most of these locations, geographical separation, fine-scale habitat use, or seasonal movement patterns typically keep them from coming in contact with one another."
- - Find out more about Dr Marshall, her work at the foundation and mantas themselves, at http://marinemegafauna.org/mantarays
- - Keep up to date with this trip at our Facebook event page
Dive Raja Ampat with Andrea Marshall
20 ~ 31 March 2013
CRUISE OVERVIEW
Set sail from Sorong at the western edge of Papua, for a 12-day/11-night cruise, ending back in Sorong. Raja Ampat offers the most striking biodiversity on the planet. Famous dive sites such as Misool, Dampier Strait, Manta Sandy and Boo are all on the agenda. This area is known for its vibrant underwater colours but also its majestic landscapes, making it a perfect destination for keen photographers. The only problem with diving here is that you'll be so spoiled by the near-perfect conditions that you may never want to leave.
As many divers know, Indonesia is located in the very centre of the Coral Triangle and the variety of species seen underwater is truly astonishing. In certain bays and around small islands, you can find more species than in the entire Caribbean. In Raja Ampat, Gerald Allen (world-famous ichthyologist) counted the incredible number of 284 different species of fish during a single dive. In the same area, 465 different species of corals were found. As a result, scientists nowadays believe that this destination is the world's current no. 1 spot in terms of biodiversity.
In terms of water temperature and recommendations for wetsuits, for most dive sites in Raja Ampat you can expect 25-30C+ (80-86F+) so a 3mm wetsuit or even a skinsuit is usually fine.
SAMPLE CRUISE ITINERARY "RAJA AMPAT (Manta Trip)"
12 Day/11 Night Sorong-Sorong Cruise
Day 1 Embarkation in Sorong
Day 2, 3, 4 Boo/Fiabecet Area - Misool
Karang Bayangan or Shadow Reef off the island of Warakaraket, also known as Magic Mountain, is a sea mount close to the Boo Fiabecet area. Manta rays have been seen here cruising around the pinnacle and cleaning around the bommies on the top. Schools of barracuda, friendly batfish and wobbegong sharks are also seen here. This will be our first stop to look for the majestic mantas.
The other dive sites in this area are around Boo rock and Boo Point east. Boo rock is best known for the ''windows'' or rounded openings on the southern end of the largest rock that completely pierce the reef from the surface down to about five meters. Although the two rocks appear separate from the surface, they are connected underwater by a magnifi-cent reef draped in soft corals and brimming with fish. Look for the 'friendly' bumphead parrotfish munching their way around the shallows. Boo Ridge is a magnificent under-water ridge covered in huge gorgonian sea fans.
South-east Misool is famous for the profusion of colourful soft corals and sea fans beauti-fully draped all over the reefs. Fiabecet area has a selection of dives where the soft corals are outstanding. Nudi Rock, Whale Rock, Batu Kecil, Fiabecet Corner and Kalig Ridge are a line of rocks, some which are connected underwater, which create dives full of col-our with schools of fusiliers, surgeons, barracuda and batfish. There is a high chance of seeing wobbegong, white tip and black tip reef sharks in this area.
Before leaving the Misool area there is a chance to exchange one dive to visit the To-molol Cave. This huge cavern provides a unique experience where we swim through its cavernous insides with crystal encrusted walls and giant stalactites. A once in a lifetime experience in the wilds of Raja Ampat!
