SandyS

We did Derawan a few years ago and it was great. Now we want to return, and I hear
some things about Maratua Paradise resort that appear attractive. I wonder if someone
with experience can comment:
(a) Is the resident thresher shark around during summer ?
(b) How good is the macro in the sites close to this resort ? I am expecting couple of
big-life dives in the mornings, and, I hope, good reefs for evenings and night.

Any other info from recent experiences with this resort will be appreciated!

Thanks !
Ajay.

Hi Ajay,

I leave for Maratua in about two weeks from now to shoot promotionals for the company that is doing the U S marketing for them. So, I had them ask Maratua your questions. Here's what they told me.

"Based on passed record, the tresher sharks are sighted all year round but the time and depth may varied. Good thing is the dive site for the tresher sharks is just right in front of the dive resort (max 2-3 minute) so you don’t have to travel far."

and

"The macro dive around the resort is abundant, our house reef dive of the jetty is unlimited so you may explore to find many juvenile creatures and fishes which are attracted by the lights from resort. The house reef dive site is mainly sandy bottom and hard coral reef, you may find mandarin fish, harlequin shrimp, seahorse, nudi branch, sea moth, octopus, cuttle fish, gobys, eels, school of jacks, school of rabbit fish, file fish, scorpion fishes, stones fishes, rays , turtle and many more.

There is an article on the diving in Maratua published by EZ Dive magazine last July. It will give you a better picture of the overview of the diving experience in Maratua, where there is a very good combination of pelagic and macro diving."

Hope this helps. I will do a follow up as soon as I get back.

sandy

Hi Brian,

With the amount of money that you are planning to spend, even if you end up deciding to go on the lower end, you are still going to be shooting underwater, which appears to be a medium in which you are not experienced. Given the amount of money you are planning to invest, perhaps it would be worth spending a bit more by hiring a photo pro from Grand Cayman to go with you on the charter. The pro will be able to suggest settings and set-ups so that you maximize your shot potential.

There are several high quality pros on Grand Cayman. A question here on Wetpixel should create a list of pros quite quickly. Also, your boat charter operator may be able to suggest someone, as well.

Sandy