Trip of Firsts

My divemaster, Ron, is twisting his hips and waving his arms as if he’s attending his first dance. That’s when I see it: a giant manta ray soaring effortlessly overhead. It’s the size of a car but as quiet and graceful as a ballerina. All around us, the sea seems to go silent for a moment as we watch in awe the beautiful dance of the manta ray — a first for me.

One manta quickly turns into two, then four. We watch as they enter and exit the cleaning station as if gliding down a coral runway; at the end they tease us by turning away with a giant sweeping motion so we can barely see them, and then they’re back at Shadow Reef. We find out on the boat that cruise director Debbie Arriaga had photographed eight different mantas during our dive. Their markings are as unique as a fingerprint, making them easily identifiable by photo. It’s only day three of my 12-day journey through Raja Ampat on Arenui — can it possibly get better than this?

Raja Ampat, situated in the heart of the Coral Triangle, offers equal parts underwater diversity and electrifying beauty. This archipelago encompasses more than 1,500 islands, the largest of which are Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo, known famously as “the four kings,” or Raja Ampat in Indonesian. Arenui’s typical Raja itinerary takes divers on an 11-night, 12-day journey through both southern and northern regions of the archipelago.

For a Westerner traveling in March, the conditions are ideal. The calm, warm Pacific Ocean makes it easy to dive four times a day, and Arenui’s tenders make the routine effortless. You often hear the phrase “eat, dive, sleep, repeat” when describing liveaboards. On Arenui, that’s still true — my fellow diver Kathleen Poole proclaimed the 141-foot ship “the Downton Abbey of dive boats.” The detail-oriented staff of 22 makes sure you have what you need before you realize you need it. Warm towels after a dive and your breakfast order memorized and waiting for you on the table are just a few of the subtle touches.

MISOOL DIVE GUIDE
Our first day is spent adjusting to the time zone and exploring the beautifully structured Phinisi vessel, handcrafted and made up of more than 70 percent recycled wood, complete with a sun deck and sky lounge restaurant for meals under the stars. Jet lag seems easier to overcome floating in the middle of the Pacific. Part of the beauty of this region and itinerary is its sheer remoteness. Indonesia is made up of more than 17,000 islands — Raja accounts for only a fraction of them.

After making the eight-hour crossing from Sorong to Misool, we gather over dinner to talk about our excitement and personal Raja bucket lists. Most guests have experience diving in the Pacific, but for all of us it will be our first dives in Raja Ampat.

Day two and I’m ready but still unsure what to expect. The first site we visit in Misool is Romeo; we would visit Yuliet later that day. This day begins my love affair with the region; there are fish surrounding us from the moment we descend down the wall. The dive is easy enough and full of life, but I keep wondering when we are going to get to Raja’s famous shallows. We’re halfway through the dive and start to ascend slightly and work our way around a large coral rock that breaches the surface; as we round the rock, the colors get brighter and the fish more abundant. Once we’re here, I never want to leave.

Anemonefish scurry in and out of their swaying homes, a nudibranch hides next to a blue sea star, and the colors of the soft coral are almost too beautiful to take in. We ascend with a collective “Wow!” and screeches of excitement erupt from the three other women in my dive group. We spend five days immersed in the soft-coral gardens and anemone-rich wonderland, every dive as magical as that first day at Romeo. It is in Misool where I have my first manta encounter, at Shadow Reef. Besides the mantas, Shadow Reef is booming with coral — soft and hard — and is home to giant bumphead parrotfish, wobbegong sharks and the ever-curious batfish.

I see my first frogfish and pygmy seahorse at iconic Boo Windows, known for its picturesque swim-through photographed by many. It is also in Misool where I see my first nudibranch and photograph a clownfish underwater for the first time. The reefs are healthy and truly pristine; I could stay for weeks. But it’s time to head north.

NORTH TO DAMPIER AND BEYOND
As we near Dampier Strait, sightings from our dive boat become more frequent. There’s a slight landscape change as we notice a small village in the distance. We aren’t the only humans out here after all. We’re nearing the area where mantas are commonly spotted, at a site famously dubbed Manta Sandy. At Arborek Jetty, a school of scad greets us — thousands of the silver fish are waiting to put on a show underneath the jetty, easily one of the most talked about dives of the trip. Diving with the school is unlike any interaction I’ve ever had; when we move, it moves with us. I truly feel like a big fish in their school — another first for me. A picture-perfect dive for many reasons, including the occasional splash on the surface warning us that one of the local village kids has just jumped off the dock in hopes of an underwater photo op.

From Dampier Strait we sail west to Penemu. We’ve been diving for almost 10 days, and it’s here at Melissa’s Garden I see the most dramatic change underwater — hard corals become the norm at this magical site, with a name all too fitting. The current is a bit stronger than usual, but my dive group does our best to drift over coral heads without missing the landscape below. We pause to rest our fins for a moment behind a large coral-encrusted rock, and the fish file in line as we all rest from the current together. Just as we start to drift again, I see a sharp movement to my left, and there lies a banded sea krait among the hard corals. I’m kicking like crazy — must get that photo! Then we’re off again, drifting along until it’s time to deploy our SMB and signal the tenders.

Even on our last dive day, I was still experiencing so much for the first time. Down at 50 feet trying to photograph an electric-blue anemone, I hear a high-pitched noise and think someone’s gear is malfunctioning. I listen closely, my rescue training kicking in. It’s not me, so I signal my buddy and she gives me the OK. I hear the echo louder and notice it’s caught the attention of my entire dive group. Looking every which way, it dawns on me that it can only be a pod of dolphins. This was not part of the dive briefing. I’m crossing my fingers and my fins, waiting as the sound slowly fades. We ascend with no dolphins below, but the pod gives us a tease as they jump and flip at the surface.

During that last tender ride back to Arenui, I think about my Raja Ampat bucket list, most items now crossed off. I never added dolphin interaction — now there’s all the reason I need to return.

WHEN TO GO Arenui cruises Indonesia year-round with various itineraries; it sails Raja Ampat November to April.

DIVE CONDITIONS Water temps fluctuate between a comfortable 80 to 87 degrees F. The diving conditions are ideal for most divers with a fairly gentle current that can be stronger at times and at some sites. Visibility is generally high, but it is affected by both current and sunlight. Expect viz anywhere from 30 to 100 feet or more.

OPERATOR More than 50 local craftsmen handcrafted the 141- foot wooden Phinisi-style sailing vessel. The upper deck features two master suites and two deluxe cabins; four deluxe cabins are on the lower deck. All eight cabins are air-conditioned and feature private en-suite bathrooms with hot water showers. With a maximum capacity of 16 guests, dive groups are made up of no more than four guests per dive guide, for a more intimate diving experience.

PRICE TAG An 11-night itinerary on Arenui, including four dives a day and all meals, runs about $6,000 per person. There are options to charter the entire boat, but that comes with a separate price tag.

Learn more about diving aboard the Arenui, as well as their other sailing itineraries here.