Karimunjawa – a Tropical Island Getaway near Central Java

By: Reza Daffi

Looking for a tropical retreat, but no time to fly to Bali or even further? The Karimunjawa Islands lie in the northern waters of Central Java Province, 120 km north of province capital Semarang. The nearest Javanese town, however, is Jepara, from which people usually depart for the islands. It takes a 6-hour ferry trip covering 83 kilometers, but it’s definitely worth it. Renowned for its picturesque beaches and rich biodiversity, it was established as a national marine park by the Indonesian government in 1999 and turned into a marine protected area two years later.

The name Karimunjawa can refer to either the cluster of islands or its biggest island, where tourists usually stay in hotels or in the cheaper option, locals’ houses. The second biggest island, separated by only a thin line of water with Karimunjawa on its south, is Kemujan. Together they are surrounded by as many as 25 smaller islets, not all open for recreational visits. The two mentioned before, along with Parang, Nyamuk, and Genting, are the only inhabited islands.

Derawan Islands: Divers’ Paradise at the Tip of East Kalimantan

By: Ario Triwibowo

Photographs by Ario Triwibowo and Agustinus Sri Setiawan

The Derawan Islands remained undiscovered until early 2011, when tourists from Indonesia and around the world started noticing the Derawan Islands.

Derawan Islands is administratively a part of the Berau regency, East Kalimantan. Geographically speaking, the Derawan Islands consist of 31 islands, large and small, inhabited and uninhabited. The whole area itself covers around 1.27 hectares. Marine biologists say that the Derawan Islands are number 2 on the list of biodiversity abundance, just one spot behind Raja Ampat on West Papua.

Even though there are many islands in this area, there are 4 that stand out the most, which are Derawan Island itself, Maratua Island, Kakaban Island, and Sangalaki Island. All of these islands are well known for their white sandy beaches, crystal clear water and astonishing underwater beauty.

BlrghhhbrrBubble#Bubble…Manta Ray Ahoy!

By: Emma Kwee

For those of you who read my last post, Nusa Penida: Mola Mola & then some...it will not come as a surprise that I was shaking in my booties for our next adventure. Nusa Penida, a coarse and rough island south of Bali, was again the port of call. Divers from all over the world flock around this island looking for mostly two things: the aforementioned and encountered Mola Mola, and the giant Manta Ray.

A Fish Spa for Manta Rays

The Manta Ray, just like the Mola, come here to get themselves cleaned up. To do that, Manta Rays visit a fish spa, in divers' jargon called cleaning station, where small fish such as wrasse, remora, and angelfish swim in the manta's gills and over its skin to feed, in the process cleaning it of parasites and dead tissue.

Nusa Penida: Mola Mola & then some…

By: Emma Kwee

From July until October the cold waters around Nusa Penida attract some mysterious visitors…the gigantic prehistoric mola mola, or sunfish (confusingly also sometimes called moonfish)! This wonderful creature resembles a giant vertical pancake, with fins on top and bottom. It reaches heights up to 4 meters and can weigh up to 1000 kilograms. Still not impressed? Take a look at this:

Nusa Penida is one of the few spots worldwide where you can see these impressive giants. They make the yearly swim here to get rid of unwanted parasites, with the help of local reef fish, who ‘eat’ their skin clean. What I would call a real win-win situation.

To get some face time with the mola mola you do need to stick it out in 19 degree water, and some currents and sometimes even undercurrents (evil currents that pull you downwards!). Crystal Bay, where many Mola mola visit the cleaning stations for their skin treatment, is hence only suitable for divers with some experience.

Tulamben – Exploring the USAT Liberty & its Inhabitants

By: Emma Kwee

One of the most popular dive site on Bali is near Tulamben, where the wreck of US cargo ship USAT Liberty, torpedoed to the bottom of the ocean by a Japanese submarine in 1942, now forms an underwater playground for marine life and keen observers thereof.

The USAT Liberty was torpedoed by the Japanese off Lombok and beached at Tulamben in Bali, while it was carrying railway parts and rubber for the war effort.

The ship was actually not blown to smithereens, but rescued and towed towards Bali by Dutch destroyer HNLMS Van Ghent. The damage done to the ship was so great that the attempt to reach Singaraja failed, the crew was evacuated and the ship was beached in Tulamben. In 1963 the last eruption of the volcano Mount Agung caused the intact wreck to slide into the sea where she lies today on a black sand shelf that slopes from about 6-30m.

Muck Diving in Puri Jati

Muck diving is all about detecting marine life on the seabed. It’s a favorite pastime of (macro) photographers and requires a good set of eyes, a lot of patience and good buoyancy. Since I didn’t really master the latter yet, am not known for my patience, and tend to overlook things above and under water, I was a bit worried that I might end up kicking up muck with my flippers, spoiling the view for everyone.

Nevertheless, we went muck diving in Puri Jati, a small hamlet located between Lovina and Tulamben, on the north coast of Bali. As muck diving is done in calm, shallow water, the gently descending sandy slope in this spot is perfect for the job.

Into the Blue: Diving Menjangan Island in Bali

By: Emma Kwee

Today was the day, my very first open water dive! The locale for this historic event was Menjangan island, part of Bali Barat National Park in the Northwest of Bali. Menjangan means ‘deer’ in Indonesian. The name was given by the local population observing wild deer herds swimming to the island every spring, covering a distance of almost 2 kilometers.

The small island is located a 30-40 minute boat ride from the mainland. Most accommodation can be found in Pemuteran and almost every resort has a dive tour operator. Typically you pay around 50-60 USD for two dives, including gear, transport and lunch.