I used to be informed by many individuals earlier than becoming a member of Wilderness Journey’s Snorkeling Raja Ampat journey that it could “destroy” snorkeling for me as a result of the realm is famend for harboring one of the pristine reef ecosystems on the planet. The journey undoubtedly set a excessive bar for future snorkeling excursions, however it was past value it! As somebody who studied Marine Biology with a concentrate on coral, I used to be in heaven! Listed here are only a few of my favourite reminiscences from the journey.
The sheer variety of coral species and the huge fields of wholesome coral colonies was thoughts blowing. Raja Ampat lies within the direct heart of the Coral Triangle, and has the best variety of coral species of wherever else on the planet, with over 650 species of onerous coral. For reference, the Nice Barrier Reef has about 400 and the Caribbean has round 60.
Our group encountered many distinctive species that I hadn’t seen earlier than, just like the terribly colourful nudibranchs (also referred to as sea slugs or Spanish dancers), archerfish, which dwell within the mangroves and hunt bugs on the leaves by spitting water at them, and tunicates, additionally referred to as sea squirts, which of all of the invertebrates, are literally the organism most intently associated to people.
Being off the grid was additionally one of many highlights for me. It’s so uncommon to be away from any type of web connection for nearly 12 days, and it’s wonderful how that may make yet another current of their environment.
Crusing previous gorgeous limestone islands, kayaking in distant lagoons, and having fun with the sunsets and stars at night time was such a mesmerizing and rejuvenating expertise.
