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Raja Ampat seemed to offer the best diving on the planet, so I've been
eager to visit for some time. At last, I selected an itinerary aboard the Damai
II, sponsored by Blue Water Dive Travel, which covered a swath from the central
islands to the northern ones and then to the southern islands. Along the way, I
learned that the best diving on the planet does not mean every coral, fish, and
critter rolled into one, day in and day out.
On my third day out, I did have that near-perfect diving. After we anchored
near Sauwandarek Village jetty in Pulau Mansuar, I descended past several two- to
three-foot barracuda, then kicked along a stunning healthy coral garden, meeting
up with a large green sea turtle. She didn't mind my intrusion, but an inconsiderate
photographer stuck his camera in her face . . . . goodbye turtle. I kicked up
to the old pier where hundreds of sergeant majors darted about. In deeper water,
a massive school of yellow-tailed fusiliers intermingled with a great school of
jacks to become an enormous wall of fish so thick I couldn't tell if a diver was
behind them. I hung out for eight minutes watching the show. Would it all be like
this?
When I arrived at the hot and humid Sarong airport at 6:30 a.m., I was met
by Mika Hollnbuchner, an Austrian, formerly an IT professional and now the cruise
director of the Damai II. After a quick drive to the harbor and a short haul on
the dive skiff, I climbed aboard the striking, ironwood craft with shiny teak
decks. Built in 2011, she's a 40-meter diesel-powered craft, showing just a bit of
wear, that accommodates 12 divers in 7 cabins with a crew of 20.
My spacious air-conditioned cabin had a double bed pushed up against the
bulkhead, giving me plenty of room. The ceiling had been taped in a few spots
to prevent water from dripping on the bed,
which it did, but overall the room was comfortable,
and the large bathroom shower had
plenty of hot water and a bench to sit on....
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