Raja Ampat Apr 30 - May. 12, 2008
Our Best Trips, Sorong - Sorong
All divers enjoy unlimited dive time. You will have the freedom to enjoy
your trip to the fullest as we never impose arbitrary time or dive limitations.
On our trips you will get more diving than any other trip to the same areas,
extra dive guides and experienced group leaders who will also help you
organize your travel plans. As a guest photographer you will have the prime
photo opportunities.
Participation is limited to 12 guests. By limiting the number of divers, more
diving is possible (4-7 dives per day).
The itinerary for each trip is designed around the direction of the current,
current strength, phase of moon and time of day to put photographers on
the best dive sites at the best time to get good photos. We do not run a
fixed itinerary every week, however each trip will visit all the good sites.
All our trips are special liveaboard charters organized so that you can dive as
much and as long as you like and target your diving at the best sites for photography
and for observing marine life.
We had two excellent trips in Raja Ampat last fall. We hit the diving nearly perfect.
Loads of fish, especially big schools of barracuda, massive block-out-the-sun schools
of silversides being chased by gigantic schools of jacks and mobula rays. The usual
hundreds of sweetlips, big schools of snappers, fusiliers, banner fish etc. Plus
Coleman shrimp, blue-ring octopus, nudibranchs, shrimp gobies, mantis shrimp,
wobbegong sharks, giant clams... etc. etc.
I keep hearing from divers who didn't have good trips in Raja Ampat so want to
emphasize that it is critical to dive there with someone who knows the dive sites and
makes the effort to schedule the dives around the current directions and strength,
phase of moon and time of day. As far as I know, these trips are the only ones
organized that way. On the same dive site it will make the difference between a
mind-blowing, action, fish-filled colorful dive or a boring nothing-but-rocks and reef
fish dive.
We have chartered the ship SMY Ondina for our last 8 dive/photo trips and work
together each trip to improve over the previous one. Our 2007 and 2008 trips are on SMY Ondina again!
We love this ship, 2008 will be the 5th year in a row that we have chartered her
because our guests tell us that they prefer SMY Ondina to any other liveaboard they have been on.
The winners of the 2004, 2005, 2006 SMY Ondina Photo contest have been guests
on one of our charters. We know the dive sites and where the best photographic opportunities
are.
Deb has a Raja Ampat gallery (just a sample really) and details of the trips here:
Wholesale air flights, assistance with travel plans available for divers from the USA.
Complete packages available including add-on diving in Bali: Tulamben, Seraya,
Lembeh and Ambon etc. with private uw photo guides.
Contact Deb or Tony in Texas at 817.626.0636 or
via email tours@cityseahorse.com
