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Swimming with a Manta
Photo curtesy of Nina Fessler It has to be one of the greatest thrills. I dived down maybe 5 metres at most just ahead of the manta. I then swam along no more than two feet from its back. It was huge and yet so graceful. The wing span must have been 3 metres. The two big flaps, so characteristic of Mantas stuck out of its head. I swam right above it close enough to touch its black back as long as I could. It was breath-taking. It moved with such minimum effort. I will never forget it as long as I live.
We were on a four day cruise from Lombok to Flores. I had better define the word 'cruise' as there was no Captain's table or party frocks. Furthermore Jane knows she has permission to shoot me if I ever suggest we go on a cruise. This trip with Wanau Adventures is best described as a 'backpacker cruise': Utterly basic, utterly brilliant. Jane and I were the elder statesmen and only parents. We paid extra for a cabin. The big advantage this gave you was they you had your things easily accessible. Others had to keep their backpackers in a dark
Just majestic
Photo curtesy of Nina Fessler hold below deck which got wet when it rained. We didn't sleep in the cabins. The deck was much cooler and not infested with cockroaches. We motored one night and the noise in the cabin above the engine was deafening.
There were thirteen other tourists on the trip. We all got along well which is just as well given the close proximity we were living with the six local crew. Beside ourselves there were 6 Germans, 2 French, 2 Italians, and 1 each from Netherlands, Spain and China. The boat had a basic deck in front of the steering housing where we lived during the day. The crew served excellent meals (the standard Indonesian favourites) which we ate cross legged on the floor. There was an open top deck covered in mattresses for sleeping and sheltered by a canvas roof. The first night and a half Jane and I slept well on mattresses on the front deck. The rain started on the second night and we migrated to the top deck after that. You need to calculate the best position for your mattress on the top deck as the canvas roof had plenty of leaks. There were
The boat
The top deck was for sleeping. The cabins where we never slept were below. two loos and no showers so you just stayed salty for the duration.
The area where Manta rays were common was a point with a strong current. When one was spotted we just jumped straight in. There weren't just Mantas. In the same area I saw three sting rays and did not dive down to those. At one point a baby Manta followed the large one we had been diving with.
This was not the only highlight. The first day we stopped North of Sumbawa to visit a waterfall on the island of Pulau Moyo and snorkel off Satonda island with its inland crater lake. I started to fall off the side of the waterfall and was caught by Ruben, a Spanish fireman before any harm was done. There was then a long passage of 16 hours to Pulau Laba close to Komodo island. At Laba we probably had the best reef snorkelling I have ever done. The coral was 2 to 6 metres down. There was loads of variety and numerous clown fish (think 'Nemo') amongst the anemones. I saw my first ever razor fish which hang down vertically. If you chase them
they move their thin bodies into a horizontal position to escape. There was an interesting pink nosed fish we saw guarding sand patches. Were their eggs there? When you got close, unlike other fish it did not scamper. Instead it swam straight for your mask before backing off. At one point it nipped me and another fellow snorkeller, a brave feat considering how much bigger we were.
In the afternoon we anchored off 'pink beach' coloured by the coral. When we arrived there was a strong current and we had to swim hard to get in shore. There were lovely views from the hill top. Swimming back with others we found a turtle and were able to dive right next to it as it skimmed the sea floor.
We stayed that evening next to a forest of mangroves, the home to a colony of flying foxes, or more correctly fruit bats.
The last day was all about Komodo dragons. These massive monitor lizards live on three small islands and a small area on the North coast of Flores. We visited Komodo and Rinca which are both in the Komodo National Park.
For whatever reason the guides on Rinca seemed more switched on and more knowledgeable. It also seemed a better environment for viewing dragons. Apparently a BBC crew in 2007 choose Rinca for filming over Komodo for that reason. We trekked on each island for an hour or two and yet the best views of the dragons were around the park camps. Although they do not feed them nowadays they are still attracted by the smell of food. On Komodo I did get my first ever close encounter with a praying mantis, green as the leaves on which it perched.
Komodo dragons are unique creatures. The females lay 15 to 30 eggs in late summer which hatch around April. Like turtles the egg temperature determines embryo sex. I was amazed to read on Wikipedia that unfertilised eggs have also hatch in zoos. These are always male. Whatever, the consequence is that Komodo dragon society is male dominated. Of the 4000 or so dragons on the islands only around 300 or so are breeding females. A very small population from which to sustain a species. There must be a lot of frustrated males. The young ones when hatched head
for the trees and stay there for up to three years. This stops them being eaten by pigs and even their own parents. We must have seen around ten dragons in all. Some slumbered in the shade in the heat of the day. The specimens on Komodo had had their fill of a deer one had caught the previous day. A female, aggressive we were told, prowled the park area. We saw one young one clinging to a tree trunk on Rinca. Apparently like some snakes Komodo dragons only have to eat once or twice a month.
The arrival in Labuanbajo, Flores was somewhat disorganised. The crew were happy for people to sleep on the boat for the fourth night in harbour. Some elected for fresh water showers in local guesthouses. We scouted Flores options and then joined the others at a local bar restaurant. When we came to return to the boat we discovered it had gone out to sea because of the rain shower that had come through and the volume of large ferries and container ships around. We ended up waiting until 11pm for it to redock. We had all been up up since
Young lads looking for business
I think they had borrowed Dad's boat. Did he know? sun rise so we were frayed around the edges and ready to sleep.
The crew would have certainly had RYA yachting instructors jumping ship. The captain had no instruments. They happily anchored off a beach in two feet of water based on experience. They did have lights which they used at night. When driving at night the captain just had his visual observations and experience to go on. The crew were more than happy to raft a 20 metre boat on to other boats by the jetty with only the bow attached. There were no shore lines or 'springs'. Getting off the boat to the shore was an obstacle course often involving multiple decks on different boats.
So if you are happy like we were to live in this environment we heartily recommend the experience. Wanau seemed as professional as any (the life jackets were easy to hand and there were at least two lift rafts). We met some interesting people and that dive with the Mantas was simply unforgettable.
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taracloud
Tara Cloud
Mantas, dragons and bats!
It's been so fun following your adventures in Southeast Asia, especially the unusual ways you travel, such as on this boat. You've had wonderful, unique experiences in your off-the-road travels, such as here, visiting Rinca and Komodo Island as opposed to most tourists visiting only the latter. I also love that you allocated many months for this adventure, trekking and going in depth to spots. Well-done! I look forward to your further adventures.