I was asked to lead a couple Oceanic Society trips to Raja Ampat in West Papua, Indonesia this fall. As an incentive to do 2 trips, they said I could bring Elisha on the first trip and not only would the trip be free for her, but they'd pay for all her airfare.
10/14/25
We drove to Denver over Cottonwood Pass, which had a bit of snow on it. We stayed with Nate Dub in Denver and went out to a new Mexican Restaurant in his neighborhood, which was offering free margaritas and appetizers!
10/15
Early flight to LAX then onto Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific, which was a nice airline.
10/16
We arrived at night into Hong Kong, but on our approach as the sun was setting, we flew over a crazy amount of oceanic windmills. After getting through the airport and going through immigration and customs, we took a double decker bus from Lantau Island (where the airport is) to Hong Kong Island. After alighting , we walked to the Victoria Peak Tram and took the steep tram up to "the peak" where we had a really nice view of the sparkling city below, full of towering high rises. We took the tram back down and then walked to the pier where we caught the Star Ferry to Kowloon. We found a place to get some delicious chinese noodle soup. We then walked a short distance to a large apartment complex "Mirador Mansion" where our guesthouse was on the 12th floor. We arrived there about midnight.
10/17
I got up very early, crossed back over to Hong Kong Island on the Star Ferry. From there I began a steep and sweaty hike up the Old Peak Road to the top. From there I hiked a 3 or so kilometer loop trail around the peak (you aren't allowed to go to the tippy top as it's radio communication and such). The trail had great views in areas where there was a break in the rainforest. I climbed up a small peak, High West, before descending back down the way I climbed up. I finished the loop, going past a small waterfall, before arriving back to where the tram station is. On my descent I went via a way that took me down to midlands. At midlands, there is an escalator system which consists of 20+ escalators that run downhill from 6am-10:30am (for commuters going to work) and uphill from 10:30am to midnight. I was coming down at a time that I got to use the elevators to go downhill. It's supposedly the longest outdoor escalator complex in the world!
I met Elisha at the Star Ferry where we got a ice milk tea from a robotic barista and then crossed back over to Kowloon to get a shower and some dim sum for lunch before taking the bus to the airport.
Cathay Pacific flight to Jakarta. We got picked up at the airport and taken to the FM7 hotel where we had a late dinner on the rooftop bar.
10/18
Amazing buffet breakfast in the morning before taking a Grab taxi to Chinatown. We walked around the market a bit, bought some fruit, and then walked to Kota Tua (the old Dutch Town). We then took a taxi to the Grand Jakarta mall, which is a big fancy mall (with AC!). We shared various dishes (Korean, Japanese, Indonesian, Sumatran) from the monstrous food court. After some ice cream, we visited a cool animated art exhibit. We took a taxi back to FM7 and had dinner.
10/19 Spa Day!
We had an early breakfast at the huge breakfast buffet, and then I worked on my lectures. After that I went for a run on the treadmill (still really hot even in the indoor AC). I hit the pool for some laps and jumped into the icy cold plunge to cool off before lunch. The pool area makes one feel very wealthy as you get a personal attendant in the locker room giving you towels, sandals, and mopping the floor up after you. Toiletries and shavers are supplied for you as well as a swimsuit. After lunch we had traditional massages and then pedicures. We took a nap and then had dinner at the restaurant before our midnight flight to Sorong.
10/20
We arrived early in the morning to Sorong and boarded the Dancing Wind, our liveaboard phinisi ship. There are 13 guests + Elisha, Dalton, and myself and 16 crew. Dalton was sick and went straight to bed, which made things stressful for me as I know less about the boat and the itinerary than he does. We had an afternoon snorkel (with lots of giant fruit bats flying overhead during it), and I gave my intro talk.
10/21
A beautiful sunrise to start the day. On the a.m. snorkel we saw 2 turtles and a moray eel. On the afternoon snorkel we saw a bumphead parrotfish and nudibranch. In the evening, we went to a small island for sunset on the beach and then watched the fruit bats depart for the night.
10/22
We did an early a.m. walk up to see the red bird of paradise do its mating dance at a lek. Afterwards we visited the village. We did a morning snorkel and saw seahorses and a wobbegong shark. The afternoon snorkel was along a beautiful wall with nice corals, tunicates (sea squirts), and sponges. We saw several nudibranchs and a crocodile fish. I gave a talk at night.
10/23
On the morning snorkel, we had a pretty good current, which made it seem like we were actually flying as we zoomed over the reef. The afternoon snorkel was very clear with beautiful corals. On the snorkels we saw lots of big fish including napoleon wrasses, snappers, groupers, porcupine fish, sweet lips, and more. Lots of hawksbill turtles and crocodile fish. Gave a talk at night.
10/24
The morning snorkel had tons of green and hawksbill turtles as well as a black-tipped reef shark, cuttlefish, some squid, and a couple of nudibranchs. There were also lots of big fish (Napoleon wrasse, sweetlips, porcupine fish, trevally). On the afternoon snorkel we saw lots of blue-spotted stingrays, a few cuttlefish, and Elisha saw a spotted eagle ray. Gave an evening talk.
10/25
We took an early morning birding boat ride among the mangroves. We saw an eclectus parrot, cockatiel, and some fish eagles. The morning snorkel was along a beautiful reef alongside mangroves. We saw pajama cardinalfish, a sea snake, and a large school of jacks. Then we saw a *huge* school of big-eyed scad that we could swim through, with them swirling around you. The afternoon snorkel was amazing! We saw some super tiny shrimp in a coral and tons of Christmas tree worms. We also saw juvenile barramundi and sweet lips, an "oreo" nudibranch, archer fish, and a hunting sea snake. Elisha saw a mobula ray. We had the most incredible experience with a cuttlefish where it let Elisha and I just chill with it as it shimmered and changed color so magically. We watched it feeding on something inside the coral, almost like a hummingbird sticking it's tentacles into the coral. We had a nice sunset from the ship deck. I gave my Greenland travelogue.
10/26
We took an early morning boat ride to one of the famous viewpoints (Piaynemo) overlooking some karst "mushroom" islands. It's super beautiful with the islands dotting the turquoise water. We did 2 snorkels with nothing super notable other than Elisha saw a couple of black-tipped reef sharks. In the evening we set sail for Misool, which took 8 hours of sailing overnight. We stepped into the bridge (ship navigation deck) and watched them navigate.
Misool is in the south of Raja Ampat, and I've never been there. Normally we go to the north of Raja Ampat (Aljui bay area). It's a spectacular area and considered the crown jewel of Raja. The reason we're changing up our itinerary and not going there is that there is a major mining conflict going on up there. It's rather tragic. Some huge mining companies from Jakarta plan to mine on these small islands, which will destroy the reefs and the fisheries, but they're offering to pay the locals an amount of money to allow the mining. Different environmental groups are trying to block it (such as Greenpeace). Because the locals are upset by this and want the one-time check from the mining companies, they are saying that tourists cannot go there to dive and snorkel until the conservation groups allow the mines to happen. Unfortunately it's very short-sighted as the locals will get a one-time payment of about $1000, which is really nice, but once the mines come in, they will lose their livelihood, which is tourism and fishing. The mine pollution and runoff caused by the deforestation will kill the reefs, which will in turn kill tourism and fishing (they've seen this in other places in Raja). Meanwhile, the fat cats in Jakarta will get rich off the mines and the locals won't even have the opportunity to work in the mines. It will be Javans and filipinos. Partly because of this and other complex reasons, Papua would like to become independent from Indonesia.
10/27
In the morning we took a boat ride past cool karst islands and pearl farms to reach the entrance of a large cave. We snorkeled through the cave to reach 2 other openings. It was definitely sweet to snorkel through a cave. In the cave, Lyn, a guest from Australia who has a PhD in in music sange some hymns. She has a great cathedral voice, which worked great in the cave amongst the towering ceilings and stalactites.
On the afternoon snorkel we saw a black-tipped reef shark, a couple nudibranchs, a moray eel, and a cute baby stingray. Also tons of clams! In the evening we boated to a beach for sunset and beers. I gave a talk in the evening after dinner.
10/28
A *beautiful* morning snorkel along a wall. Lots of sea fans and sea squirts and sponges. So much color! We also saw some nudibranchs and a cool lionfish. I had rained hard overnight and continued into the morning. Some of us, including me, had leaks dripping onto our beds. The afternoon snorkel was also great. We saw lots of nudibranchs, 2 free swimming moray eels, a large school of bumphead parrotfish, a juvenile lionfish!, crocodile fish, lobsters, and a great coral and sponges. Gave a talk on Antarctica in the evening.
10/29
*Amazing* morning snorkel! We got to watch an oceanic manta ray for a long time up close as it got cleaned at a cleaning station. Right in the same area we saw a couple of turtles and also a school of 7 or 8 young grey reef sharks. Towards the end of the snorkel we hung out for a long time with a very friendly octopus who let us great really close and did a lot of changing colors. We got to watch it as it went hunting along the reef. It was truly amazing! On the afternoon snorkel we saw another octopus, though this one was more shy. We also saw a large school of bumphead parrotfish, some sea turtles, and lots of nudibranchs.
We watched a beautiful sunset from the boat deck with spinner dolphins jumping to a backdrop of a pink and orange sky--like a painting! We had a fancy dinner on the boat deck with red snapper, lobster, soft drinks, beef and chicken satay, and ice cream! Then, and this was a huge surprise, Nunu (the head dining attendant), led a dance and karaoke night. He could really sing! And he got really into it. Elisha and I sang "Sweet Caroline"
10/30
We started the morning with a spinner dolphin snorkel alongside these fishing bangkas (barges). That was fun! Dolphins are always so entertaining, and to be in the water alongside them is a treat.
We then took a boat ride along Karst islands and teal lagoons to see some ancient wall paintings. After that we did a short, but treacherous scramble up over a karst ridge to a secluded and hidden lagoon. NOrmally there are millions of golden jellyfish, which have lost their ability to sting due to evolving in a predator free area. Thus you can snorkel right through them even though the lake is densely filled with them. However, when we arrived we could tell something was wrong because the water looked empty. When we got in all we could see were a few moon jellies. We eventually found *one* golden jelly. Perhaps the last of its kind in the lake. There are supposedly only 3 jellyfish lakes like this in the world--Palau, Raja, and Borneo are where they are located. We had heard recently that all the jellies in Palau had died. Now here too. It's pretty devastating! Perhaps it is due to climate change (these isolated lakes warm up quicker than the ocean) or some other human cause (sunscreen, introduced microbe??). All the same it left me with a heavy heart.
When we got back we set sail for Sorong, which would take about 10 hours. After lunch I gave a talk on my Kenya research. Then I gave a talk on reef conservation after dinner. A scary talk, which fits in perfectly with Halloween.
10/31 Happy Halloween!
We took the tender boats early in the morning back to land. Most of the group went to the airport to fly to Jakarta. We went to the Aston Resort as I'll be staying in Sorong until I meet the next group coming in. We enjoyed the fancy and big breakfast buffet at the hotle. We did some computer business in the morning since we were back in good internet. Our room was then ready, so we moved into it. I went for a run in the gym and then took a walk outside to a grocery store. We then took a grab taxi to a pagoda on the hill to watch the sunset over the harbor. We had dinner at the hotel.
11/1
We enjoyed the breakfast and then we went to a mall. I got a haircut (not near as good as the one in Nepal!). I rode some go-karts, and then we went to a ramen restaurant and got some chai tea. When we got back I went for a run on the treadmill and swam some laps in the pool. We then headed out to get a fresh green coconut on the street. After that we had dinner and drinks at the rooftop skylounge of our hotel.
11/2
We picked up the new group at the airport and said goodbye to Elisha. We did an afternoon checkout snorkel where we saw a blue-spotted stingray, nudibranch, and long-jawed mackerel, which are cool because they swim around in schools with their mouths wide open. We had a nice sunset with fruit bats flying by. Gave a talk.
11/3
On the morning snorkel we saw a scorpion fish, remoras, a hawksbill turtle, and the tail of an epaulette walking shark. Also the parrotfish here are just so numerous and diverse and amazing. Our afternoon snorkel was on a deep wall. We saw a hawksbill turtle, mantis shrimp, and Napoleon Wrasse. Nice sunset. Gave a talk.
11/4
Early morning hike on Waigeo Island to see the red birds of paradise. We then toured the village. On the morning snorkel we saw both a yellow and brown seahorse, a swimming wobbegong shark, and a juvenile barramundi. On the afternoon snorkel we saw a crocodile fish and a nudibranch. In the evening there was a nice sunset with a beautiful and nearly full moon. Gave a talk.
11/5
The morning snorkel was a cool drift snorkel with lots of bigger fish and nice corals. We saw 5 or 6 turtles, Napoleon wrasse, blue-spotted stingray, and a moray eel. On the afternoon snorkel we saw several crocodile fish, Napoleon wrasse, lots of oriental sweetlips, and some other huge sweetlips. At night it was an amazing sunset with the full moon rising off the bow of the ship. I had a "date" with 80 year old Suzie. We sat together at our own private table and she shared with me some of her very expensive scotch. I gave a talk
11/6
We visited a village in the morning. On the visit we hung out with some of the kids at school and did the hokie pokie with them. A friendly eclectus parrot was hanging around the village, and it even perched on our hands.
We had a really nice morning snorkel. There were SO many turtles (13-14 green and hawksbill). We also saw a few sharks, giant Napoleon wrasse, and a scorpion fish. On the afternoon snorkel we saw 2 cuttlefish, a couple moray eels, and an archer fish. I also finally saw a mobula ray (devil ray).
We had a nice sunset, and then did a night snorkel. During the night snorkel we saw the tail of an epaulette shark and a big crab. But probably the best was watching the full moon (very orange) rise as we snorkeled.
11/7
We did a morning mangrove and bird boat tour. We saw some parrots, herons, and lorikeets. For the morning snorkel, we snorkeled on the reef right by the mangroves. We saw pajama cardinalfish, a moray eel, and a signal blenny. The highlights were 2 chill cuttlefish and a shallow sea snake. The afternoon snorkel was also by the mangroves. We saw some archerfish. The best were 2 more cuttlefish in the shallows. I was able to watch them go about their business as they rapidly changed colors. In the evening I gave a talk on McM which they all loved.
11/8
We did a morning hike up to the stunning piaynemo viewpoint and a boat ride in the lagoons. Coming in overnight was a good bit of wind and some waves from the hurricane hitting the Philippines. There was nothing particularly noteworthy on the morning snorkel, just one distant bumphead parrotfish and some god hard corals. The boat was rocking and swaying at lunch and break. The afternoon snorkel was a beautiful and cool wall snorkel. Great colors!
We sailed overnight to get to Misool. It was rough seas for the area, and I felt a bit queasy, so I went to bed right after dinner.
11/9
The morning snorkel was through the cool cave. Dalton was sick, so I led it. The afternoon snorkel was through some coral that wasn't great, and the visibility wasn't very good. But we did see a turtle, a black-tipped reef shark, and a spot-fin lionfish.
We went to the beach for happy hour, and then I gave a talk after dinner. This group is very fun, drinks quite a lot, and really enjoys my humor, which makes it fun. They're completely different from the last group.
11/10
We woke up to a bit of rain. We snorkeled the Neptune site, which is a beautiful wall site. It was absolutely stunning!! SO many fish and such beautiful corals and sponges. So much color! At one point Nic (from Australia) said "the visibility is sh*t. I can't see the fish because so many other fish are blocking my view". But yea, it was just stunning. Everyone was super excited. We saw a juvenile angelfish!, 2 nudibranchs, moray eel, scorpion fish, lionfish, napoleon wrasse, some large jacks that were hunting, and just so many fish. The afternoon snorkel was in the same place, but the current was strong, and it was a quick snorkel. We then moved to a different area to finish our snorkel.
After dinner I gave a talk on the plight of coral reefs. During the talk, one of the guests (Karen), passed out! I guess the sad news about reef decline was too much for her to take...
11/11
We had a really beautiful morning snorkel. So many fish! We also saw a huge school of juvenile grey reef sharks. I counted 12, but Dalton said he counted 41 in the area. We saw a couple of lionfish, and I hung out with a sea snake for a while. On the afternoon snorkel we saw a turtle, several nudibranchs, and a huge "thundering herd" of bumphead parrotfish.
We had a fancy dinner on the deck with trevally, giant prawns, tom yum soup, lobster, and ice cream. This group was much more into the karaoke and dance party, so it was a lot of fun! I sang "I will survive" for my song.
11/12 A marvelous end to the trip!
In the morning we swam with dolphins. It was such a great experience. There were more of them, they came closer, and they really seemed quite curious compared to the last time. I got some really great looks at them.
After breakfast, we headed to try a different jellyfish lake that someone had recently found after the disaster of finding a dead lake last time. This time it was a success!!! We were able to snorkel in the lake with jellies everywhere and with no worry that they'd sting us since they have evolved over time, with no predators in the lake, to be stingless. It was such a cool experience just brushing up against and hitting them--in your face as you swam--the multitude of jellies. They're very soft feeling. It was truly magical.
After the lake, we did a hike (new to me) up to the top of a karst island that had beautiful views of the jagged karst islands and emerald lagoons below. It was a steeper hike than piaynemo and featured rickety stairs (some missing), but the group made it up. Very stunning views! After the hike, we took a boat ride to the cave paintings before heading back to the boat where I organized a group jump off of the back of the boat (Craig and I had also jumped off the very high bow).
Once back on the boat, we set sail back to Sorong. I enjoyed a beer while ride up on the bow with the wind on my face. Later I moved to the bridge where I helped the crew steer the boat for a bit. After dinner I gave a travelogue on both Gothic and Mpala.
11/13
We had an early departure from the boat and then the flight to Jakarta. I got a hotel at the airport, had some food, watched some tv, got a message, and then caught a midnight flight to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific
11/14
I arrived early to Hong Kong. I went through immigration and then caught a double-decker bus (I sat on the top, front row) to another bus station. There I waited about an hour for the first bus to take me up to the village of Ngong Ping situated at an elevation of about 1300 feet. The drive was very scenic going over the pass and then by some beaches before going up to the village.
The village is surrounded by peaks, has a monastery (Po Lin), and a giant buddha known as Tian Tan that is 112 feet tall. I first walked through the village. Then I took a hike up to a viewpoint where I could see the village, giant buddha, monastery, and even the ocean far below. I walked around the monastery, and then, when they opened the steep steps up to the big buddha, I was the first up the steps and the first to reach the buddha. There were really nice views from the buddha which included the mountains and the ocean below. After visiting the buddha, I walked back down to the village and then took the scenic gondola back towards the airport area. It was a beautiful ride going up and over the mountains and over a turquoise bay.
I was the only one in the gondola as I had time it all perfectly! When I got down to the bottom, there was an incredibly (seriously incredible) long line. It was smart to take the bus up to the village and arrive at the big buddha before the gondola opened and the hoards of people arrived. Then when the gondola started running, I rode down while the people below were just starting to go up.
I took a bus back to the airport and then took the really long (14 hours or so) Cathay Pacific flight to Chicago. After arriving in Chicago I had a little trouble with my American ticket to Denver. I got it sorted out with 4 minutes to spare to make the 40 minute before the flight check in cutoff. Flight to Denver then a United flight to Gunnison. A couple of friends were on that flight on their way back from Mexico, including one who had been bitten by a rattlesnake! In Gunnison Elisha picked me up, and we drove to Gothic as there still isn't too much snow yet.
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