Finally, COVID restrictions lifted.

Whoop, whoop!

So, we decided to try and get some underwater footage in sunny Maldives.

Choosing our preferred liveaboard operator Emperor Divers and returning to Emperor Serenity liveaboard was an easy decision for us, as they have always been professional and friendly.

We aimed for the month of May, hoping that the dive sights would be less busy and that the seasonal Summer Monsoon weather would still be some way off.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature, probably pushed a little by Global Warming, had other plans and the season changed earlier than we had hoped, resulting in less than perfect conditions, with some rough seas, heavy rain storms and wind.

The diving was challenging in these conditions, with strong currents, unfavourable sea conditions and poor visibility.

But, this is nature... and one cannot predict, or complain.

Despite these challenging conditions, Emperor Divers managed to make a plan and we did some amazing diving and got a number of good filming opportunities, including (above) a night dive with Reef Manta Rays barrel roll feeding and the Blackfoot Anemonefish, which is only found in the Maldives.

Not forgetting the Nurse Sharks and Grey Reef Sharks shown at the beginning of this post.

…. and, as always, there were plenty of fish and stunning reef environments.

We also had fabulous company on board, including some very dear dive buddies.

Thanks to everyone and Emperor Serenity for yet another great dive adventure.

Cheers for now Maldives….. we will be back.

All images below, are uncropped frame grabs from our 6K & 4K film stock footage.

(Please note: Active words are linked to more information and trip adviser/other reviews.)

**Updated December 2020 - We can regrettably no longer endorse this Liveaboard**

Oh..... Raja Ampat...... with the Barker Friends & Co, on our Favourite Liveaboard, the Seven Seas and all the fabulous staff........we waited for Two years for this magical trip and boy, was it fantastic! How very fortunate have we been to be able to join the Barker Friends and Co. group once again! Yahooo! AND, we also added a few days, on land, at the stunning Papua Explores Resort

Flying with our favourite airline, Singapore Air from Cape Town to Manado and then the final domestic leg with the very competent Garuda Indonesia from Manado to Sorong, we could not wait to be reunited with our Barker friends and all the Seven Seas friendly staff.

Arriving in Manado, too late to catch a connecting flight to Sorong, we stayed overnight at Novotel Manado Golf Resort and convention centre and then flew off early the next morning to Sorong where the friendly Seven Seas staff picked us up and transferred us to the liveaboard boat. We spent 12 nights on the Magical Seven Seas. Do read a few independent reviews from our co divers Sonia Google, Sandy Kelly and a wonderful poem by Rob Barker.

We truly love being on the Seven Seas Liveaboard and can highly recommend it to anyone wishing to dive in Indonesia. The chef's, food was fantastic, thanks Totok Sugiharto for going out of your way to ensure that we always had a vegetarian alternative meal.

The Diving was unbelievable, as usual and with the added knowledgeable assistance of Karl, Irwan and Jefry we once again were shown so many wonderful Marine life treasures. It was lovely seeing Karl Klingeler, Captain Mr. Wahyudin Ismail and Mr. Abdul Rifai H. Djudje, and all the friendly, highly competent cruise and office staff, Candra and Guteri again.

From the time we were picked up at the airport to the time we were safely handed over to our transfer to Papua Explores Resort, we were so well looked after, it felt as though every step was taken to ensure a smooth, happy, magical time.

Thank You to you ALL! We did find that the Dive sites are much busier than they were two years ago and we congratulate Karl and his team for always booking dive sites whenever possible, choosing and sometimes changing sites to ensure we had great dives.

We hope that Raja Ampat will be closely controlled, so that it does not turn out to be another Red Sea, with far too many boats and divers in the water. This precious environment needs to be protected at all costs. We thank the Seven Seas for another mind blowing trip and have booked our next one already. Roll on the Forgotten Islands. We can not wait to share time with you all again!

Our hard working camera gear supported us all the way. Prepping, charging, filming, rinsing, data retrieval and then all over again, 4 to 5 dives a day. Our RED Dragon and Blackmagic Production camera’s, Keldan underwater lights and Dive and See monitors never skipped a beat. Not to mention their respective Nauticam underwater housings that protected the camera’s under hard working conditions, strong currents and at depths of down to 40m.

…………..We then transferred over to Papua Explores Resort for 9 nights in a tastefully decorated water bungalow, where we so enjoyed 7 days of fantastic diving and met the truly dedicated team of Raja Ampat SEA Centre, lead by co-founders Tunc Yavuzdogan, Selen Yavuzdogan, Lynn Lawrance, Arnaud Brival, Tresye Marlessy and by the well trained Coral Gardeners Tomy Kumanireng and Yermi Mambrasar. They have been incredibly successful in Coral Rehabilitation, including rehab on unstable coral rubble. We were blown away by their success and have been so privileged to film their work. We wish them everything of the very best. Related Blog Post.

A HUGE THANKS to Arnuad and his team for such a magical dive experience!!

It was so encouraging to see how Papua Explores have embraced the local community and are continually working with them in so many wonderful ways to uplift, protect and conserve. Their use of Eco Safe shampoos, sunscreen etc. is encouraging to note and we hope that many other resorts and liveaboards in all marine areas will follow suite soon. Papua Explores also hosts two members of staff from MMF, so that they can continue to do their ongoing scientific research. Just another reason to support Papua Explores. Congratulations, we were so impressed that we will share your good vibe and encourage everyone to support you, in all your great efforts. We can not wait to return!

Too soon and it was time to head back home again.

Raja Ampat you hold a special place in our hearts and we do hope that your future will be protected at all costs.

Tips for Raja Ampat:

Do not forget your Insect repellent
Use ONLY Eco safe detergents and sunblock.
Pick up any litter you may come across and get it disposed of correctly. Lets start making a difference...every single one of us!
Booking Garuda Indonesia Flights online, even from South Africa was super easy and we received all flight changes via email promptly.
Indonesian people are so warm and friendly, learn some words in their language and make a connection.
Your Raja Ampat Marine park fee gives you a years access, so if you are moving around Raja you can use the same paper work and disk and there is no need to buy a new one at each resort/Liveaboard etc.

Until next time……..

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