Dive Review of Seven Seas in
Indonesia/Raja Ampat

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Seven Seas, Apr, 2011, by David E Reubush, VA, US ( Top Contributor 68 reports with 35 Helpful votes). Report 6213 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This was my second trip to Raja Ampat. I really enjoyed my first trip in 2010, but this trip took things to another level. I have been a fan of Burt Jones and Maurine Shimlock since I bought their book "Secret Sea" more than ten years ago. I finally met them a couple of years ago when they were delivering copies of their book "Diving Indonesia’s Raja Ampat" to the live-aboard that I had just gotten aboard in Bali’s Benoa harbor. At that point, after meeting them, I decided that I would endeavor to join a trip hosted by them as soon as I could. As things turned out I got an email from them earlier this year announcing that there had been a couple of cancellations for an April trip to Raja Ampat on the Seven Seas. What could be better than diving Raja Ampat with the folks who wrote the book? So, I signed up. The trip was everything I expected and more. We visited sites with huge schools of chevron barracuda, sweet lips, batfish etc. It was like the “old days” before factory ships and reef dynamiting. The dive site "Manta Sandy" had 6 or 8 mantas who performed for us for about 90 minutes total on 2 dives. The mantas got so close that we often had to bend over to avoid being hit when they flew over. On some trips I have been warned that you have to stay perfectly still as movement will scare the mantas away. That was definitely not the case in this instance. Our moving around had absolutely no effect on the mantas. They actually appeared to like being tickled by the bubbles. There were also muck sites with amazing creatures, including walking sharks. I would recommend Raja Ampat to anyone, although beginners should be aware that there can be ripping currents. I would particularly recommend traveling with Burt and Maurine. They really know Raja Ampat and Indonesia and know the best sites to visit. The Seven Seas was a great boat. It was comfortable, the crew was great, and the food was good. The only way it could be improved would be with the addition of a camera room for photographers, but I don't know where it would fit. As it was, dealing with my camera was not a major problem.
Websites	Seven Seas
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Australia, Belize, Bimini, Bonaire, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Curacao, Dominica, Dumaguete, Galapagos, Indonesia, Puerto Galera, Red Sea, Roatan, Turks & Caicos, Virgin Islands
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	calm
Water Temp	84-85°F / 29-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	1
Water Visibility	30-70 Ft/ 9-21 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	None
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	The Seven Seas is a relatively small boat so it does not have a dedicated camera room. The cameras (there were a lot of photographers on this trip) lived on a large hatch cover out on deck. However, they strung a large tarp up above the cameras to protect them from the sun and most weather. Work on the cameras could be done in the dining area/lounge between meals. There were also outlets in the lounge for battery recharging. A large rinse tank was dedicated for camera rinse only.

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Seven Seas in Indonesia/Raja Ampat

Seven Seas, Apr, 2011,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Seven Seas in
Indonesia/Raja Ampat