Travel

A diver explores an incredibly beautiful reef scene at Bacan Island in the mystical waters of the region of Halmahera
 

There are diving trips, and then there are diving adventures. In the latter category, curiosity, boldness, and the chance of discovery across a challenging 600 nautical miles takes you a bit left of the center.

Our adventure began aboard the Indo Master, a traditional Indonesian phinisi, carved from teak and ironwood and powered by the rhythm of the currents. This wasn’t just your run-of-the-mill liveaboard trip; it was one that would take us beyond the usual routes, to wilder frontiers. Our journey would take us from the Lembeh Strait to Halmahera and all that lay in-between, culminating in the dreamy limestone islands of Misool in Raja Ampat.
 

Our 12-night “Lembeh, Halmahera & Raja Ampat” itinerary started in Bitung, North Sulawesi and ended in Sorong, Southwest Papua. It’s also possible to do the trip in reverse, embarking at Sorong and disembarking at Bitung
 

Less than a centimeter long, a tiny juvenile painted frogfish rests on Lembeh’s black sands. Although vibrant orange, as it grows, its color may change depending on its environment and where it chooses to make its home
 

As many of the world’s coral reefs suffer the impacts of our warming climate, the reefs in and around the island of Halmahera show resilience, remaining healthy and full of colossal color
 

In Misool, Raja Ampat, countless species of tiny fishes gather densely in and around healthy coral sponges

Strait Faces

Beginning in the mecca for weird things, the Lembeh Strait, our first dives of the trip were to search for critters. Every dive was a treasure hunt and a test of patience, demanding we move slowly and with sharp eyes. The currents that flow through the Lembeh Strait bring nutrient-dense water to its black sandy slopes. These conditions support an abundance of microscopic food, and combined with the fine sediment and mineral-rich volcanic ash, create a breeding ground for peculiar benthic creatures found nowhere else in such numbers.

Here, beauty is found in the strangest of things and in bizarre behaviors. Coconut octopuses discerningly inspect new homes, dragging shells (gifted to them by divers) across the sea floor. Tiny painted frogfish, hidden in plain sight, comically rest on the sand. Pretty seahorses pose for their portraits.
 

The white-faced waspfish is a small, cryptic marine fish known for its excellent camouflage and venomous spines. It gets its name from its pale facial markings, which contrast with its typically mottled brown body
 

Common on the black sands of the Lembeh Strait, the thorny seahorse is always a delight to photograph. These seahorses are often best captured with a snoot or by backlighting
 

A harlequin crab stands guard of his coral home in the Lembeh Strait. These crabs stay close by their anemone for shelter and protection, feeding on food particles that drift by
 

In the nearby forest, there are also some special finds. A short trip off the vessel and you are immersed in the wild nature of the Tangkoko Nature Reserve. This is home to unique wildlife, including the world’s smallest primate, the tarsier; numerous species of endemic birds; along with macaques and cuscus, which can be observed roaming free in the forest.
 

The Tangkoko Nature Reserve is home to the world’s smallest primate: the tarsier. Incredibly, these diminutive animals can leap up to 40 times their body length to catch insects or escape predators. And like an owl, they can rotate their head nearly 180 degrees in both directions because their eyes cannot move
 

One of the many endemic kingfishers found in the Tangkoko Nature Reserve—pack your long lens to make the most of these photo opportunities

Maluku Jewels

As we left the Lembeh Strait, the black sands shifted to a vast expanse of cobalt blue. Venturing to the southeast towards the island of Pulau Tifore en route to Halmahera. The promise of giant schools of barracuda beckoned.

The area in and around the large island of Halmahera in Indonesia’s North Maluku province is the lesser-known heart of the Coral Triangle. Here, lush volcanic peaks framed by coconut palms extend downwards to submerged coral gardens. The area holds a mysterious atmosphere like nowhere else. It’s a place you can easily mistake the sound of a flock of hornbills for that of a helicopter, and you’d almost swear the water was gin—it really is that clear.
 

Nearby the island of Pisang, between Halmahera and Misool, strong currents fuel vibrant coral gardens that stretch across a large sandy and rocky plateau
 

If you’ve only got a vague idea of where it is. It is actually enviously located around halfway between the Lembeh Strait and Raja Ampat—so you can only imagine there would be some outstanding diving and photographic opportunities here. Isolated and full of life, the diving around Halmahera gifted us both beautiful reefs and thundering, unpredictable currents—meaning careful planning and selection of dive sites is necessary.

At the nearby diving areas around Bacan Island and Goraici Island, an endless tapestry of colossal corals blossomed. Barracudas, like liquid silver, glittered against a backdrop of blue, and we had the feeling that we were diving where few others had dived before. But dropping in the perfect position to see these elusive fish was not an exact science, and multiple attempts were made before hundreds of shiny silvery bodies appeared, all spiraling in a perfect choreographed vortex.

The only way we can describe the reefs here is “fantasy-like.” At a dive site aptly named “Akiko’s Never Never Land,” we were transported to a world of unreal ethereal beauty. At a time when the world’s coral reefs are suffering at the hands of human-induced climate change, it was truly comforting to see that magical places far from reality do still exist.
 

A large school of barracudas gathers at the rocky steep sloped area south of the island of Bacan
 

The reefs in and around the island of Bacan are fantasy-like, mimicking an unrealistic world of ethereal beauty. The name of this dive site, “Akiko’s Never Never Land,” was certainly rather fitting
 

Homage to the Four Kings

As we crossed to Misool in southern Raja Ampat, a labyrinth of limestone islands rose from turquoise lagoons, gifting us some of our planet’s most biodiverse and precious reef diving. Protected by the Misool Marine Reserve, a safe haven of over 300,000 acres, the area is one of the most pristine reef systems remaining on our planet. It is actually one of very few places where marine biodiversity is not declining but improving. At dive sites like the famous “Four Kings,” we found what resembled an underwater mountain range: four submarine pinnacles or summit peaks connected by a long ridge, all draped in blankets of soft coral color.

Outside of Misool’s incredibly biodiverse coral reefs, a rare and precious ecosystem: the Misool “Jelly Fish Lake” provided beautiful photographic opportunities. Getting to the lake with large camera equipment in hand was a bit of a trek, admittedly, but certainly worth the effort. Fortunately, the infrastructure to access the lake is constantly being improved, making the site more accessible. Connected to the ocean through underground fissures and tunnels in the limestone, the lake has created an isolated environment without predators for thousands of stingless golden jellyfish to evolve.

Up for an adventure? We’ll let the photos do the talking.
 

A diver explores another of the many stunning reefs scenes to be found in the Misool Marine Reserve
 

Misool’s “Four Kings” explodes with life and color. At this popular dive site, four underwater pinnacles adorned with stunning soft corals and crinoids play host to masses of schooling fish
 

Connected to the ocean through underground fissures and tunnels in the limestone, this marine lake in Misool is home to thousands of golden jellyfish that have lost their stings due to the lack of predators
 

About the Authors: Based in Melbourne, Australia, Anita Verde and Peter Marshall have a passion for the planet’s wild places, and through their images and narratives hope to inspire better appreciation and protection of the natural world. When not underwater, you’ll find them on a mountain somewhere. To see more of their work, please visit their website, www.summitstoseasphotography.com.