Komodo National Park 7th-18th May 2016
Sunset in Komodo
Putting up the sails
Indo Aggressor 7th-18th May 2016 Captain’s Log
CREW
Captain: Kasim
Cruise Director: Rob
Head Steward: Rizal
Dive Guides: Rob, Niko, Lexi
Chef: Gustay
GUESTS:
Neil, Virgie, John, Mewa, Jan, Jim, Bin, Walter, Frank, Wei Jiang, Cathy, Carl, Cui Yi, Bryan, Anja
DIVE SITES:
Sunday: Phinnissi Wreck, The Alley 1, The Alley 2, Phinnissi Wreck
Monday: Pelican Head, Cannibal Rock, Yellow Wall, Torpedo Alley
Tuesday: Secret Garden, W Reef, Pusir Putih, Pusir Putih
Wednesday: Crystal Rock, Lighthouse Reef, Sebayor, Sebayor
Thursday: Hot Rocks, Techno, Bontoh Village, Bontoh Reef
Friday: West Point, K2, Rollercoaster, Circus
Saturday: Castle Rock, Crystal Rock, GLD Passage, Spanish Steps
Sunday: Batu Balong, Makasaar, Siaba Kecil, West Side
Monday: Tatawa Kecil, Tatawa Besaar, Honeymoon Rock, Wainilu
Tuesday: Batu Balong, Makasaar
WATER TEMP; 24-28 AIR TEMP: 30
Saturday 7th May 2016
Today is arrival day on board the Indo aggressor and with great excitement we welcomed 15 guests on board. Our guests come from USA, Australia, Germany, UK and China. Due to late arrivals we did not have time to do a check dive but enjoyed cruising from Labuan Bajo to the far south of Komodo Island to a bay known as Lahsera. We arrived with the setting sun and enjoyed a wonderful dinner together. After dinner a short video was shown of a previous trip followed by the first half of a documentary on the Komodo Dragons.
Sunday 8th May 2016
We began our day with a check dive at the phinnissi wreck an interesting reef slope with soft corals. Highlights included a variety of nudibranchs, hawksbill turtles and schools of spade fish.
During our second breakfast we moved further south to Langkoi where we were hoping to find some mantas. Luck was with us and we had two incredible dives with more mantas than we could count. Other highlights included napoleon wrasse, hawksbill turtles, black tip reef sharks and bumphead parrotfish.
After our third dive we moved back to Lahsera and did our night dive on the phinnissi wreck. Highlights included crocodile fish, bobtail squid, strawberry nudibranchs and bigfin reef squid.
Monday 9th May
In the early hours we moved east to the south of Rinja Island to an area known as Horseshoe Bay. We began our day diving Pelican Head a great drift on a superb wall. Highlights included marble rays, many different nudibranchs, zebra crabs and hawksbill turtles.
Our second dive was at Cannibal Rock a fabulous seamount with incredible coral diversity. Highlights included marble rays, zebra crabs, white tip reef sharks, painted frogfish, nudibranchs and hawksbill turtles.
Our third dive was at Yellow wall highlights included giant frogfish, nudibranchs broadclub cuttlefish and bumphead parrotfish.
We then visited the island and got our first sightings of Komodo Dragons who had just made a fresh kill.
Our night dive was at Torpedo Alley. Highlights included oscillated frogfish, bigfin reef squid, bobtail squid and an array of nudibranchs.
Tuesday 10th May 2016
We began moving immediately after the night dive and made the crossing to Padar Island in about 3 hours. We began our day diving Secret Garden a nice slope and wall combination. Highlights included beautiful coral bushes, leaf scorpion fish, giant frogfish, mobula rays, nudibranchs and mantis shrimps.
We then dived W Reef three beautiful seamounts with amazing diversity. Highlights included many giant frogfish, white tip reef sharks, nudibranchs, giant trevally and pygmy seahorses.
Our third dive was at Pusi Putih a relaxed dive on a gentle slope. Highlights included giant frogfish, pipefish, orangutan crabs, twin spotted lionfish and nudibranchs.
We then visited padar island and the pink beach where we had a fantastic time and got close to Timor Deers.
Our night dive was back at Pusir Putih highlights included giant frogfish, dwarf cuttlefish, broadclub cuttlefish, octopus and bigfin reef squid.
Wednesday 11th May 2016
Overnight we travelled to the far north of the park to an island known as Gili Lawa Laut. We began our day diving Crystal Rock a fabulous pinnacle dive. Highlights included Gray reef Sharks, white tip reef sharks, napoleon wrasse, schooling jacks and giant trevally.
Our second dive was at Lighthouse Reef a great reef slope. Highlights included leaf scorpion fish, nudibranchs, hawksbill turtles and marble rays.
Our third dive was at Sebayor Island a great reef slope where highlights included ornate ghostpipe fish, leaf scorpionfish, nudibranchs and cuttlefish.
Our night dive also at Sebayor Island had highlights of Spanish Dancers, bobtail squid, carrier crabs, decorator crabs and hunting octopus.
Thursday 12th May 2016
We travelled most of the night arriving at Sangeang Volcano just in time to dive. Our first dive was at Hot Rocks a truly unique site with black sand and sulphur bubbles bubbling up through the ground. Highlights included amazing corals, a wide selection of nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses, orangutan crabs and mantis shrimps.
Our second dive was at Techno another incredible site with amazing corals and volcanic black sand. Highlights included juvenile painted frogfish, juvenile emperor angle fish, barramundi and spotted sweetlips as well as many nudibranchs.
Our third dive at Bontoh Village included highlights of many broadclub cuttlefish, leaf scorpion fish, nudibranchs and painted frogfish.
In the late afternoon we visited the village of Bontoh nestled under the shadow of Sangeang Volcano. We inspected al arge handcrafted Phinnissi boat being built as well as an opportunity to see how the local villagers live. We also got up close and personal with their live stock of domesticated water buffalo, chickens and goats.
Our night dive was at Bontoh Reef highlights included Spanish dancers, painted frogfish, boxer crabs, octopus and nudibranchs.
Friday 13th May 2016
Overnight we moved south east to the island of Banta. We began our day diving at west Point amazing corals with six mantas spending most of the dive with us.
We then dived K2 a more macro orientated site. Highlights included leaf scorpion fish, juvenile emperor angel fish, juvenile spotted sweetlips and an array of nudibranchs.
Our third dive was at Rollercoaster an incredible wall dive. Highlights included schooling jacks and snappers, banded sea snakes, mating bigfin reef squid and nudibranchs.
Our night dive was at Circus highlights included stargazers, coral cat sharks, harlequin snake eels, cockatoo waspfish and nudibranchs.
Saturday 14th May 2016
Overnight we travelled back into the Komodo National park and began our day diving Crystal and Castle Rock both wonderful pinnacle dives. Highlights included spotted eagle rays, gray reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, giant trevally, schooling snappers and sweetlips.
We then moved to GLD and dived GLD Passage for our third dive. A great little drift dive with highlights being schooling Barracuda, giant sweetlips, hawksbill turtles, giant trevally, leaf scorpion fish and hairy squat lobsters.
For those with the energy a hike to the top of GLD was an offer and those with the energy were rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Komodo National Park.
Our night dive was at Spanish Steps highlights included Spanish Dancers, baby octopus, nudibranchs and flatworms.
Sunday 15th May 2016
In the morning we headed south into Current City. We began our day diving BatuBalong an incredible pinnacle dive that words will never fully describe. Highlights included mating octopus, white tip reef sharks, giant trevally, schooling fusiliers, large hawksbill turtles, nudibranchs, napoleon wrasse and dogtooth tuna.
Our second dive was at Makasaar where we hoped to find some mantas. We had an incredible dive with sightings of well over 30 mantas as well as spotted eagle rays, 6 cuttlefish and green turtles.
Our third dive was at Siaba another wonderful dive with astounding corals. Highlights included schooling anthias, surgeon fish and snappers as well as barracuda and hawksbill turtles.
We moved back to GLD for our night dive at West Side highlights included Spanish dancers, painted lobsters, nudibranchs and flatworms.
Monday 16th May 2016
In the morning we headed back to Current City and dived at Tatawa Kecil. A wonderful pinnacle with a healthy reef. Highlights included bamboo shark, octopus, scorpion fish and napoleon wrasse.
Our second dive was at Tatawa Besaar a great drift dive full of life and colur. Highlights included leaf scorpion fish, spade fish, oriental sweetlips, cuttlefish and nudibranchs.
We then moved to the north of Rinja Island to a site known as Honeymoon Rock. A great dive site with highlights being an array of nudibranchs, bumphead parrot fish, crocodile fish and hawksbill turtles.
Our night dive was at Wainilu a great muck diving site. Highlights included strawberry nudibranchs, spiny devilfish, bobtail squid, zebra crabs and coleman shrimps.
Tuesday 17th May 2016
We began our final day of diving at Batu Balong an incredible pinnacle full of life. Highlights included giant trevally, nudibranchs, schooling fusiliers, white tip reef sharks, napoleon wrasse and gray reef sharks.
Our final dive at makasaar was as is often the case over flowing with mantas, green turtles and spotted eagle rays.
We then headed to the north of Rinja island for our official dragon trek. We saw many Komodo dragons, Timor Deer, Monkeys and wild pigs. We then returned to the boat and took a slow cruise back to the port of Labuan Bajo. On the way we enjoyed a farewell cocktail party followed by our fin al dinner together.
THE END