Hi all, I just put three new trip reports online for anyone thats interested.

Sorong to Maumere, Indonesia (may 2007)
Komodo (june 2007)
Bahamas Tiger Sharks and Dolphins (july 2007)

Cor

Great reports and photos.

Sarong to Flores, does look and sound like a very far travel distance itinerary.

I am diving with Kararu next year. I am on their 12 day Sarong to Ambon itinerary. Looking at the map, it looks to be about 1/2 the distance you traveled which sounds good to me.

Your reports were very descriptive. How does Sarong-Flores compare to Komodo ? Did your prefer one over another ?

I preferred the Komodo trip because it was almost no traveling.

Cor

Yes, a casual glance at the map will reveal that the distance from Sorong to Flores is substantial. Certainly not something one should be surprised about. However having said that, you have to take into account the speed of the boat and the weather as well. The allure of that itinerary is the chance to get to Gunung Api and the Spice Islands and see some sites not many others get to. The risk is that the Banda Sea is deep and the distances are substantial for boats that average 6-8 knots. If the weather kicks up, it can be all but impossible to make it to some of the places. I was unfortunate enough to be in that situation back in September but you have to roll with it (in my case, quite literally) -- and I was just scheduled to go from Flores to Ambon, nevermind Sorong! I went back in May on SMY Ondina from Ambon to Sorong and thought it was a very nice itinerary. You get the thrill of some of the best Raja Ampat sites and the chance for some good diving around Ambon as well. Here are the pictures from that trip:

http://mikeoelrich.net/Indo0507

Mike

Wow, great pictures.

I'm really excited about my Ambon to Sarong trip. It looks like I'll get a great combination of macro and wide angle diving.

All my dives so far have been in the Caribbean or Hawaii, so I don't think I can lose.

Ron
Sorong and the Raja Ampat area is very nice for wide angle and the blue water mangroves off Misool should not be missed. You'll probably swing round Misool to P. Koon and dive around P. Seram. I'm doing a bit of exploratory diving off Seram next month so I'll let you know how that goes.
The Ambon area alone has some very nice dives which are pretty and also muck oriented as it's famous for the area called twilight zone. It was probably the best muck dive I've ever had in the 90s but has since declined a lot. Still an awesome site though. Just watch out for ...errr... floating brown "salps" from the fishing boats moored there.
Also realize pelagics are somewhat lacking in many areas but compared to the carribean, it'll look like x'mas to you.
Komodo is a bit different. There are very nice reef and coral sites and the pelagics there have made a comeback due to the park security. You don't have the mangroves and the mix of cold water is more pronounced coming from the Indian Ocean, but that's what brings the pelagics too. The current dives are infamous in Komodo and have taken lives. I'm not sure if it's true anymore but the Kararu use to "forget" 2 excellent sites, Batu Bolong and Tatawa Kechil. It wasn't even on their dive sites map. Komodo diving can be hairy due to the sometimes mask ripping currents.
And finally, it's Sorong not Sarong. Sarong is the region's traditional garb.
Also check your email. About to send you the res charts.

Glad to hear you guys think highly of the diving. That means I will be wowed.

Sarry, I mean sorry about the miss spelling.

Drew, I haven't received the resolution charts yet.

Hi Cor,
i didn't read the reports but i just looked at the gallery of Raja Ampat and Komodo and a 'wow' is an absolute understatement IMHO... I'm speechless... Yours and Julies photos prove again that everything still hasn't been done... fantastic work!!

cheers, Udo

Beautiful stuff, Cor!

Oh, and it was really nice meeting you and Julie on ShearWater! I just wish you hadn't kept leaving great shots you managed to get on your laptop screen...every time I walked by, I thought to myself, "Crap! That's WAY better than what I got on that dive!"

All the good shots are Julie's She did really well that trip.

Cor

That's partly because she left the rest of us in the dust (or rather, in her wake) tearing after those dolphins! Man, could she swim! Every time I looked, she was way up there free-diving and face to face with a dolphin!

And you're just being gracious/humble, Cor - you got some GREAT shots on that trip, too!

Here's a shot I got of the two of you...photographing one of your little friends...she's the one not about to fall over.
Click to view attachment