I have chartered the Indonesian Boutique live-aboard dive vessel Damai, for an 11 night adventure to Cendarawasi Bay, Monokwari, and Mapia Atoll. The dates are Aug 10-21, 2012 The boat takes 8 passengers plus group leader. Each cabin will have king size bed or two double beds, private bath tub, shower and toilet. Each diver will have their own camera rinse tank. The boat has 4 dive masters and three dive tenders. There will be a dive guide for every 2-3 divers. The boat offers unlimited diving and includes nitrox fills of 32 and 36 percent. For those that get sore after travel and diving, the boat features a spa with a trained masseuse. Everything is included including spa treatments, harbor fees, & alcohol. The price is $465 per night.
These areas are considered part of West Papua Indonesia. The whole area around Cenderwarawshi Bay is under dived. The two reasons to go are the wrecks and the atolls on the north. The wrecks around Manokwari are the best in Indonesia and are teaming with life and full of soft coral. Mapia and other remote atolls are places where big schools of fish can be found.
This will be world class diving that offers the wide angle photographer the chance to create dramatic portraits of shipwrecks, as well as macro photographers because of all the marine life growing on the wrecks and biodiversity of the reefs.
MANOKWARI has amazing WWII wreck diving and includes a P-40 Tomahawk fighter, Cross Wreck, and the Japanese freighter Shinwa Maru. Living on the wrecks is an entire marine ecosystem that while impressive during the day is off the charts during night dives. Divers will not get bored looking at vibrant soft coral plus the incredible variety of species of life. Dive profiles extend down to the 30 meter range.
Mapia and other Atolls
The atolls will provide a lot of excitement and action as we dive sites with large schools of barracuda, jacks, rainbow runners, tuna, bumphead parrot fish, Napoleon Wrasse, big Groupers, Grey sharks, and endless streams of fusiliers. The atolls are not dived often because they are remote and few if any boats go there. Macro life includes hundreds of species of fish, nudibranchs, crabs, and shrimps. This area is the next place to explode on the diving scene.
The cost of the trip is $5,125 per person (DBL)
The dates are Aug 10-21, 2012
To see more go to www.douglasjhoffman.com or www.dive-damai.com
Email questions to Douglas at dhimages@maui.net
