Derawan LOB 2007 with SEA SAFARI III - Reloaded
Date: 26 May - 2 June 2007
Duration: 8 days
Highlights:
About Sea Safari Cruises III (www.seasafaricruises.com):
Sea Safari III is a luxury LOB boat with a capacity of 26 guests. (But for this trip we will try to keep a fewer number of divers for a better diving experience)
CABINS: 13 Air conditioned cabins with private bathroom, basin, toilet, hot and cold shower. Toiletries pack in each cabins.
RESTAURANT: Air conditioned, TV, VCD, one chiller showcase for soft drinks and fruits. A guest kitchen freezer.
SPEED BOATS: 2 units of aluminium and fiber boats, complete with the out-boat engines and 1 unit of rubber boat.
SPACIOUS DECK.
EMERGENCY: Inflatable Life rafts, life vests, reading buoys. Smoke detector in each rooms. Fire extinguishers, fire hoses, fire hydrant.
Included:
Full boards accommodation & meals
Tea, coffee, bottled water, tea time snacks.
Dive masters, tanks and weights.
Harbor and anchor fees.
Excluded:
Domestic airfare and airport tax
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
Personal Travel Insurance
Gratuities to Dive masters and crews.
Personal items & needs
Berau islands, situated in the eastside of Borneo, are so famous among diver community all around the world. One of the islands is called Derawan, the most intended diving destination for divers. It is located less than 30 minutes of the eastern coast of Borneo near the city of Tanjung Redep (around 2.5 hours away). It has several unique landscapes/seascapes, in the form of walls, reefs and caves with different kinds of inhabitants. In just one reef, you may find more than 50 species of hard and soft corals. More than that this island is also well known as an island of turtle kingdom since so many turtles swimming around during the day and coming to the land to lay eggs during the night. What is so amazing is that sometimes they do this in front of the resort area. You may start enthralled in the first dive around the jetty, where you can find many fabulous critters around the jetty, such as luminous colored squids, crocodile fish, seahorses, and many others.
Another island is called Sangalaki, known all over the world as the center of Manta ray, a giant and gorgeous ray that has wing span up to 3 meters wide. There are so many Mantas ready to swim encircling you even while you are snorkeling below the surface. These critters are not aggressive, so don't be afraid to see them around. You will gasp seeing how elegant they swim with their giant wings. The underwater scenery is simply beautiful making all dives become unforgettable breathtaking experience.
The island of Kakaban, a 9 shape island, is an isolated marine lake (lagoon) and unique in its own. Thousands (or millions?) of years ago the island was naturally uplifted and then isolate the marine ecosystem from surrounding marine area (according to one of researchers in Snellius Expedition I on 1929-1930), making all biota in this marine lake become very unique. The only other marine lake in the world is Palau, but people said that the bio diversity in Kakaban is incomparable to those in Palau. The lake of Kakaban has very unique and endemic critters, such as non-stinging jellyfishes (Cassiopeia ornate, an upside down swimming jellyfish; Mastigias papua, a brownish blue jellyfish; Aurelia aurita, a plate shape jellyfish; and Tripedalia cystophora, a finger size jellyfish) and non-stinging anemone (Actinaria). There are more unique critters in this lake such as sea cucumbers (Holothuria cavans and Synaptula spinifera), crustaceans (Orcovita saltatrix), tunicate (Styela complexa) and fishes (Apogon lateralis, Exyrias puntang, Antherinomorus endrachtensis, and Zenarchopterus dispar). Certainly there are many other unidentified species. While Prof. J. Kingdon, from Oxford University, called this island as 'The temple to Life on earth', Dr T Tomascik, a Canadian researcher, said that this place is a biological paradise with Cassiopeia Ornate as a trademark. Beside those endemic critters, Kakaban has many underwater caverns in the outer side of the island.
Not far from Kakaban we can find the island of Maratua. The waters around this island have so many pelagic, such as schooling barracuda, trevally (jack-fish), dog tooth tunas and mackerels, hammerhead sharks and mantas, making it an excellent place for divers who love pelagic. The island is home to apes, bats, and various birds, an ideal place for sight seeing while doing surface interval.
There are many more small islands around the Derawan islands, for example Samama and Panjang. Each of the islands offers the unique scenery of bio-diversity for divers to interact with. You will also see the Blue Light Cave, where you can start the dive at 2 m depth cave and end at the opening at various depths in the wall. Last but not least, for macro enthusiast, you will be delighted by heavens of macro in all majestic dive sites of Berau islands. Find and enjoy the remarkable beauty both the islands and the underwater while joining our trip.
Sea Safari III is a luxury LOB boat with a capacity of 26 guests. (But for this trip we will try to keep a fewer number of divers for a better diving experience)
CABINS: 13 Air conditioned cabins with private bathroom, basin, toilet, hot and cold shower. Toiletries pack in each cabins.
RESTAURANT: Air conditioned, TV, VCD, one chiller showcase for soft drinks and fruits. A guest kitchen freezer.
SPEED BOATS: 2 units of aluminium and fiber boats, complete with the out-boat engines and 1 unit of rubber boat.
SPACIOUS DECK.
EMERGENCY: Inflatable Life rafts, life vests, reading buoys. Smoke detector in each rooms. Fire extinguishers, fire hoses, fire hydrant.
Included:
Full boards accommodation & meals
Tea, coffee, bottled water, tea time snacks.
Dive masters, tanks and weights.
Harbor and anchor fees.
Excluded:
Domestic airfare and airport tax
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
Personal Travel Insurance
Gratuities to Dive masters and crews.
Personal items & needs
Berau islands, situated in the eastside of Borneo, are so famous among diver community all around the world. One of the islands is called Derawan, the most intended diving destination for divers. It is located less than 30 minutes of the eastern coast of Borneo near the city of Tanjung Redep (around 2.5 hours away). It has several unique landscapes/seascapes, in the form of walls, reefs and caves with different kinds of inhabitants. In just one reef, you may find more than 50 species of hard and soft corals. More than that this island is also well known as an island of turtle kingdom since so many turtles swimming around during the day and coming to the land to lay eggs during the night. What is so amazing is that sometimes they do this in front of the resort area. You may start enthralled in the first dive around the jetty, where you can find many fabulous critters around the jetty, such as luminous colored squids, crocodile fish, seahorses, and many others.
Another island is called Sangalaki, known all over the world as the center of Manta ray, a giant and gorgeous ray that has wing span up to 3 meters wide. There are so many Mantas ready to swim encircling you even while you are snorkeling below the surface. These critters are not aggressive, so don't be afraid to see them around. You will gasp seeing how elegant they swim with their giant wings. The underwater scenery is simply beautiful making all dives become unforgettable breathtaking experience.
The island of Kakaban, a 9 shape island, is an isolated marine lake (lagoon) and unique in its own. Thousands (or millions?) of years ago the island was naturally uplifted and then isolate the marine ecosystem from surrounding marine area (according to one of researchers in Snellius Expedition I on 1929-1930), making all biota in this marine lake become very unique. The only other marine lake in the world is Palau, but people said that the bio diversity in Kakaban is incomparable to those in Palau. The lake of Kakaban has very unique and endemic critters, such as non-stinging jellyfishes (Cassiopeia ornate, an upside down swimming jellyfish; Mastigias papua, a brownish blue jellyfish; Aurelia aurita, a plate shape jellyfish; and Tripedalia cystophora, a finger size jellyfish) and non-stinging anemone (Actinaria). There are more unique critters in this lake such as sea cucumbers (Holothuria cavans and Synaptula spinifera), crustaceans (Orcovita saltatrix), tunicate (Styela complexa) and fishes (Apogon lateralis, Exyrias puntang, Antherinomorus endrachtensis, and Zenarchopterus dispar). Certainly there are many other unidentified species. While Prof. J. Kingdon, from Oxford University, called this island as 'The temple to Life on earth', Dr T Tomascik, a Canadian researcher, said that this place is a biological paradise with Cassiopeia Ornate as a trademark. Beside those endemic critters, Kakaban has many underwater caverns in the outer side of the island.
Not far from Kakaban we can find the island of Maratua. The waters around this island have so many pelagic, such as schooling barracuda, trevally (jack-fish), dog tooth tunas and mackerels, hammerhead sharks and mantas, making it an excellent place for divers who love pelagic. The island is home to apes, bats, and various birds, an ideal place for sight seeing while doing surface interval.
There are many more small islands around the Derawan islands, for example Samama and Panjang. Each of the islands offers the unique scenery of bio-diversity for divers to interact with. You will also see the Blue Light Cave, where you can start the dive at 2 m depth cave and end at the opening at various depths in the wall. Last but not least, for macro enthusiast, you will be delighted by heavens of macro in all majestic dive sites of Berau islands. Find and enjoy the remarkable beauty both the islands and the underwater while joining our trip.
Requirements:
Minimum Advanced Open Water or 50 dives
Itinerary:
Day 1:
Flight from Balikpapan - Tanjung Redep (Berau)
Balikpapan – Berau. Arrive in Berau airport by Kalstar, upon arrival, speedboat transfer from Berau river to Derawan, aboard Sea Safari, cabin allocation & Live on Board Orientation as we start diving in Derawan Island.
Day 2:
Derawan Island, Breakfast, offer as many dives as possible. 1st dive at Shark Cave followed by a few nearest dive sites such as Sea Garden, Ship Wreck, Turtle Inn, Rabbit Fish City, Blue Trigger, Snapper Point, Old Pear, as well as Pelatak Run. Lunch and Dinner will be served in between the dives. After night dive, we shall continue to another diving island, Sangalaki Island.
DAY 3:
Sangalaki Island – Arrive in the morning, After breakfast, 1st dive at Turtle Town follow by 2nd dive at Manta Avenue, lunch and 3rd dive at Manta Run, option to choose dusk or night dive at “The Light House” or “Turtle Town”
DAY 4:
Sangalaki - Breakfast, 1st dive at Manta Run follow by 2nd at Manta Cleaning Station, lunch and 3rd dive at site options Sandy Ridge or Manta Parade, divers have an option of dusk/night dives at any of the site which have been dive except Manta Run and Manta Avenue.
DAY 5:
Kakaban Island - At dawn, boat depart for Kakaban Island, 1st dive at Barracuda Point (drift dives with approximate current of 1-2 knot) during surface interval, a short walk of 15 minutes into the Island of Kakaban, we’ll spend an hour snorkeling on the unusual Jelly-fish lake, after an hour snorkeling at the lake, we’ll return back on board for lunch, follow by dive-site option Blue Light Cave or Barracuda Point or Kahedaeng on the northern side of Kakaban Island, after the dive, boat sail back to Semama for anchorage, night dive at Semama.
Day 6:
Marartua Island - At dawn, boat depart for Maratua Atoll, on the north-eastern part of Maratua Island, we will dive at The Channel or some call it Big Fish Country coordination with the tide is needed to dive at this site, best time to dive is when the tide is coming up as current pushes into the channel. After the dive, boat depart to Kakaban Island, option of Barracuda point or Kahedaeng for the 2nd & 3rd dive, upon surface, we’ll head back to Sangalaki Island, depending on the tide, we will go on shore of Sangalaki island which one could observe Green Turtles coming on shore to lay their eggs, the visit will be guided by Park Ranger on the Island, after, night dive at Sangalaki Island
Day 7:
Sangalaki - Breakfast, Divers will have the option to choose the sites at Sangalaki for the last 2 dives of the trip, after the last dive, lunch and Sea Safari will head back to Berau, a upon arrival, dinner and overnight on board
Day 8:
Berau – Balikpapan , Morning, Breakfast and transfer to Berau Airport for Domestic flight to Balikpapan.
End of trip.
Note
We strictly impose a 24 hours no dive before flight. So the number of dives on Day 07 will depend on your departure flight time on Day 08. Itinerary is subject to change at last minute notice under our discretion. Maximum number of dives per day is 4(including night dive), except Day 01 and Day 07, however, the maximum number of dives per day is also subjected to weather and sea conditions.
Flight from Balikpapan - Tanjung Redep (Berau)
Balikpapan – Berau. Arrive in Berau airport by Kalstar, upon arrival, speedboat transfer from Berau river to Derawan, aboard Sea Safari, cabin allocation & Live on Board Orientation as we start diving in Derawan Island.
Day 2:
Derawan Island, Breakfast, offer as many dives as possible. 1st dive at Shark Cave followed by a few nearest dive sites such as Sea Garden, Ship Wreck, Turtle Inn, Rabbit Fish City, Blue Trigger, Snapper Point, Old Pear, as well as Pelatak Run. Lunch and Dinner will be served in between the dives. After night dive, we shall continue to another diving island, Sangalaki Island.
DAY 3:
Sangalaki Island – Arrive in the morning, After breakfast, 1st dive at Turtle Town follow by 2nd dive at Manta Avenue, lunch and 3rd dive at Manta Run, option to choose dusk or night dive at “The Light House” or “Turtle Town”
DAY 4:
Sangalaki - Breakfast, 1st dive at Manta Run follow by 2nd at Manta Cleaning Station, lunch and 3rd dive at site options Sandy Ridge or Manta Parade, divers have an option of dusk/night dives at any of the site which have been dive except Manta Run and Manta Avenue.
DAY 5:
Kakaban Island - At dawn, boat depart for Kakaban Island, 1st dive at Barracuda Point (drift dives with approximate current of 1-2 knot) during surface interval, a short walk of 15 minutes into the Island of Kakaban, we’ll spend an hour snorkeling on the unusual Jelly-fish lake, after an hour snorkeling at the lake, we’ll return back on board for lunch, follow by dive-site option Blue Light Cave or Barracuda Point or Kahedaeng on the northern side of Kakaban Island, after the dive, boat sail back to Semama for anchorage, night dive at Semama.
Day 6:
Marartua Island - At dawn, boat depart for Maratua Atoll, on the north-eastern part of Maratua Island, we will dive at The Channel or some call it Big Fish Country coordination with the tide is needed to dive at this site, best time to dive is when the tide is coming up as current pushes into the channel. After the dive, boat depart to Kakaban Island, option of Barracuda point or Kahedaeng for the 2nd & 3rd dive, upon surface, we’ll head back to Sangalaki Island, depending on the tide, we will go on shore of Sangalaki island which one could observe Green Turtles coming on shore to lay their eggs, the visit will be guided by Park Ranger on the Island, after, night dive at Sangalaki Island
Day 7:
Sangalaki - Breakfast, Divers will have the option to choose the sites at Sangalaki for the last 2 dives of the trip, after the last dive, lunch and Sea Safari will head back to Berau, a upon arrival, dinner and overnight on board
Day 8:
Berau – Balikpapan , Morning, Breakfast and transfer to Berau Airport for Domestic flight to Balikpapan.
End of trip.
Note
We strictly impose a 24 hours no dive before flight. So the number of dives on Day 07 will depend on your departure flight time on Day 08. Itinerary is subject to change at last minute notice under our discretion. Maximum number of dives per day is 4(including night dive), except Day 01 and Day 07, however, the maximum number of dives per day is also subjected to weather and sea conditions.
Divemasters:
There will be 4-6 guides provided, with the breakdown of 4 local guides.
Coordinators:
Erwin KodiatParticipants (12):
Winda Kesuma
Adrijani Lim
Eric Lee
Dewi Sari Sugiharto
Nila Murti
Alice Chong
Martin Donnelly
Eugene Kohar
Tio Bagio
Alan Kuek
Adrianna Tan