Raja Ampat, Part I: Island of Kri, Koranu Fyak Homestay

Here is my report from our most recent scubadiving trip to Raja Ampat. First week we spent at the Island of Kri in the Koranu Fiak Homestay, February 2020 (Part I):

February 2020 we (my wife Lisi, Franz and me) headed from Austria (Europe) towards Raja Ampat (Indonesia). After two strenuous days of travelling (Vienna-Amsterdam-Jakarta-Sorong) we arrived at Sorong airport. From Sorong harbour we took the public (and adventureous) ferry boat to the port of Waisai, where we were picked up from the people of the Koranu Fyak homestay, a native family clan around two brothers (Ruben and Mathias), who run the facility. Don't expect western standard from such an accomodation, the living is according to the standard of the native people...

Koranu Fyak Homestay. Diving base is just to the right. A typical hut for two people can be seen in the background. The furnishing consists just of a double bed with a mosquito net (malaria prevention is recommended). Ruben, the toughtful owner of the homestay, immediately provided us with a big extra table, were we could place our photographic equipment.

Jetty of the Koranu Fyak Homestay with the boat that is used for the diving. Also house reef diving is rewarding (but beware - the current outside, just after the edge of the reef can be heavy!). The diving base is small, but there were never more than two divers in the boat in addition to the three of us...

Ruben and Mathias approach all the diving sites within the Dampier Strait, that is characterized by strong currents, but extremely rewarding with respect to biodiversity and sheer amounts of fish and other marine creatures. Taking photos is, however, more challenging compared to calm waters and demonstrated to us where our limits are...

A school of humpback snappers (Lutjanus gibbus) appears...

My wife taking a picture from a mixed school of diagonal-banded (Plectorhinchus lineatus) and ribbon sweetlips (Plectorhinchus polytaenia) at Cape Kri...

Glassfishes and a solitary sweetlip looking out from its shelter under a coral head...

Enormous school of surgeonfish at the dive spot "Blue Magic"

Asite from the typical Dampier street dive spots, the jetties of the homestays and native villages provide additional picturesque divesites.

Diagonal banded sweetlip (Plectorhinchus lineatus) under the Yenbuba Jetty.

Fan coral on a pile of Yenbuba jetty. Heavy rainfall on the surface...

It was a unique and wonderful experience for us to dive and live with this friendly and helpful people. The memories will endure ...

Wolfgang

Sure is nice to see some diving reports again!   I'm wondering if I will simply not be able to go diving this year (in the Caribbean), and because of my age I sometimes wonder if I've already made my last dive and don't know it.

You got more dive trip pics (and not just the underwater experience), I'd be happy to see em.

PHXAZCRAIG wrote:

Sure is nice to see some diving reports again! I'm wondering if I will simply not be able to go diving this year (in the Caribbean), and because of my age I sometimes wonder if I've already made my last dive and don't know it.

You got more dive trip pics (and not just the underwater experience), I'd be happy to see em.

Hi Craig,

There must be some diving places near Phoenix Arizona that one can reach by car. For us here this starts with very close gravel ponds, several lakes within reach of a daytrip and extends to the mediterranean (good for a couple of days). Just now our governments relieve the Corona regulations and it is possible to travel again within Europe. It is not so unlikely that under such conditions, sooner or later, the infection numbers will increase again, but I see not a big problem for going home by car (when flights are cancelled, the situation is different. Therefore we avoid air travelling at present). The rest of the year will be diving in our lakes (maybe also some river) and the close Mediterranean. MAYBE at the end of the year we will be able to fly to Egypt again (or at least to the Canarian Islands in the Atlantic that belong to Spain (Spain will become reopened on July 1st)). If not, also not a big problem - we will go for at least two weeks to the Adriatic again at th eend of the year (there are nice Campgrounds with diving bases where one can rent mobile homes to live in them and store all the photographic equipment).

On July 9th Lisi, Franz, me and two other divers from our diving club (a diving club is an excellent institution to find like-minded people - and buddies, even for UW-photopgraphers) will head for the Croatian islands of Lastovo. I have been in Lastovo three times before - the diving is excellent - I will make a report (I also will look in my archives for images on the diving paces in Egypt that I regard to be excellent for UW-photographers)...

Wolfgang

I have Lake Pleasant only 10-15 miles from my house, but it's a lake I would only dive in for training.   Murky at best, with a wicked thermocline at various depths (7 mil wet suit below it, even on a 115F Arizona day).   But the worst thing of all is the pervasive smell/taste of exhaust in the water from the boating traffic.

Honestly, if I never have a chance to dive in the ocean again, I still won't go in the lakes here for fun.  On my first PADI checkout dive I went into Saguaro Lake to a depth of 15 feet for skills testing.  I was warned to not let go of the weight belt when I took it off and put it on again because it would disappear into the mud forever.   My fins were buried several inches as it was.

From here most (warm) diving is in the Caribbean, with popular destinations of Cancun area (Playa Del Carmen, Riviera Maya, Cozumel), and any number of small islands on cruise ship stops.   I've been going to Roatan at least once a year for several years now, but I'm not sure the travel is even possible for now, and maybe for the next year.   Who's going to be left to visit then?