The BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!

Literally from the reefs to the ridges - I can’t imagine a better day, period!

I awoke to the stunning scenery of the Wayag islands, while being gently lulled from my dreams into the day.



...and on this morning, it was not just any old breakfast! But a Birthday breakfast! Complete with delicious Klappertart home (or boat)-made by Meity! Surrounded by singing and great company… what better way to start the day. Of course, I had NO idea that this was just the tip of the iceberg, and it would turn out to be even more incredible!!!



After a tour of the new MPA post and a meeting with an inspiring group of local conservationists, we set out on a tour of the Wayag islands by speedboat. It is said that you have not been to Raja Ampat until you visit this magical area. This is the image first brought to mind when one thinks of Raja Ampat: the stunning karst landscape surrounding by turquoise-blue waters, with hidden pockets of white sand beach and orchids dripping from the cliffs. Although it was raining, we braved it, and hiked/climbed to the top of the tallest karst to see if we would catch the breath-taking view… well, even though it was overcast, and the visibility wasn’t great, it was still beautiful, and felt like a grand accomplishment just to do the trip!







Oh but wait… the day isn’t over yet… we didn’t get back onboard and crawl into our bunks, oh no! Next on the agenda was a dive… but since none of us knew the area with regards to diving, we decided to just drop in and see what we could see… well! That’s what made it all that much more unbelievable… we were surrounded by amazing coral (some of which, I had certainly never seen before), sponges, and some beautiful great anenomes! We met a Wobegong shark, and several huge lobsters, a great many colourful giant clams, and much much more! This dive was topped the very next day when in a single dive we were met not only with fabulous coral and fish diversity, but also surrounded by the largest schools of big fish I've ever experienced on any dive, saw some key critters (including a pygmy seahorse), and met some megafauna (a hawksbill sea turtle, and two decent-sized black-tip reef sharks (a small inspiration, given the devastating degree of predation on sharks world-wide))!



Now, it couldn’t get better than that, right? Wrong! In the evening we went to the farthest reaches of Raja Ampat, to the islands of Sayang and Pii. Although we had to battle some pretty high seas (and thus bouts of seasickness) to get there, it was worth it to go to these special islands which are known nesting sites for green and hawksbill sea turtles. Not only were we inspired to see countless turtle tracks heading up into the nesting areas, but we met two female turtles who were actually in the process of laying their eggs! I have never seen them actually releasing eggs, and feel so lucky to have been privy to such a beautiful and sacred act.

The day was made that much better because it was infused with interesting discussions amongst fabulous company... new friends and old.

The day after wasn't such a let-down either... it comprised of, as I mentioned, a fabulous dive, and also some very special visits to some very special villages, and a traditional welcoming ceremony and dance by the children of Sawingrai.






Obviously the pictures are missing from this post, but we just got back from the field, and went straight into meetings... but don't worry... they're coming!... AND... thanks to Ginny, now it's complete!

Thanks to everyone for the beautiful birthday wishes... I feel so LUCKY!