Komodo National Park offers some of Indonesia's best scuba diving, from the temperate waters of the south to the tropical reefs of the north - in November 2009 I took a 10 day trip on MSY Damai to explore this amazing area for a third time.

MSY Damai

I've dived Komodo twice before - in December 2006 on the Peter Hughes' boat Paradise Dancer (about which I wrote this Komodo Diving article for Scuba Diver AustralAsia magazine) and then in September 2008 on S/Y Siren. (I wrote this Diving Komodo story for EZ Dive magazine and also wrote up a S/Y Siren Liveaboard Review). In November 2009, I went back to Komodo for a third time on MSY Damai, Indonesia's newest liveaboard. I've already written up a comprehensive MSY Damai Liveaboard Review, complete with videos and photos of the cabins and critique of how the ship operates - this trip report will focus on Komodo as a diving destination.

Cuttlefish, Wainilu

Even though this was my third trip (or perhaps because it was my third trip) I am not tired of Komodo - indeed, I would go back there in a heartbeat, and will definitely be looking for an opportunity to dive there again in 2010. With each trip I've done there I've enjoyed Komodo's sites more and more - a typical liveaboard passes through such a large area that it's quite overwhelming (in a good way) each time you do it.

Check In And Check Out Dives

Our trip began with early morning pickups from Bali hotels for our domestic flight from Bali to Labauan Bajo. We met up at Starbucks and all our check in formalities and checked baggage was dealt with by MSY Damai representatives, so there was very little for us to organise. Once at Labuan Bajo, we were met by Lorenzo, Damai's Cruise Director and several of the Damai team to take all the luggage into three aircon taxis before the 20 minute drive to the port.

Once on board MSY Damai, there were welcome drinks and snacks and a tour of the boat. (See my in depth liveaboard review of MSY Damai for more info about cabins, food, diving setup etc).

We did a check out dive that afternoon at Wainilu, a shallow muck dive that turned up quite a few critters and gave everyone's cameras a workout. Besides juvenile batfish,juvenile sweetlips, barramundi and mantis shrimp, the most fascinating discovery on the dive was a giant Melibe nudibranch, which used the most bizarre hoover action on the sand to find its dinner. (See my post Attack Of The Giant Hoover Walrus Nudibranch for pictures and more info).

The evening dive at the same location served up not only mating mandarin fish but also mating dragonets, a first for many people on the boat. Unfortunately I didn't get any decent shots of either, but it was great to see them.

Komodo Dragon, Horseshoe Bay, Komodo

Close Encounters With Komodo Dragons

The day began early, setting out at 6am to head onto the island of Rinca and see the famous, fearsome Komodo Dragons. The dragons are only found in the wild on three islands in the world - Komodo itself, Rinca, Flores and Gili Motang. Having been to both Komodo and Rinca to see the Dragons, I think Rinca is actually the better experience - you have a much better chance of seeing Dragons out in the wild, rather than just the ones that hang around the ranger huts waiting for scraps of food. (You can read my report of spending time with the Dragons on Komodo on my other site Travelhappy). Of course, the fact they're at the ranger huts means that you get to see a Komodo Dragon within about 5 minutes of stepping onto the island, so there is a certain instant gratification. On Rinca, there is a long and short walk - we did the long walk (around 6km and 2 to 3 hours) which took a couple of hours as the morning sun got higher and higher and hotter and hotter. We were rewarded though with numerous wildlife sightings - water buffalo, monkeys, birds etc - and several close encounters with Komodo Dragons. Our group actually wound up being pursued by a Dragon down a driedup river bed, so there were a couple of moments where we had to move fast and the guide had to employ his hefty stick to fend off the overly curious Dragon.

Reef Scene, Tatawa Besar

After lunch, we did two dives at Tatawa Besar, on the island on Pandar - while this morning had been adrenaline and exertion, this was the complete opposite - a stunning reef, with its clumps of soft coral lit up in saturated colours due to the bright early afternoon sun overhead. With the deep, vibrant blue of the water, and clouds and clouds of fish everywhere throughout our time underwater despite the lack of current, there were no complaints about doing a second dive on the same site.

Soft Coral, Tatawa Besar

The night dive was at on the sandy slope of Bus Stop, where the highlights included encounters with starry night octopus and tiny bobtail squid.

Giant Frogfish, Cannibal Rock

Critter Hunting On Cannibal Rock, Yellow Wall and Crinoid Canyon

Overnight we had sailed from Pandar down to what I think is one of Indonesia's most desolate and beautiful locations, Horseshoe Bay. The Bay lies at the very bottom of Rinca and is home to several of Komodo's iconic dive sites, along with a local population of Komodo Dragons that wander along the otherwise appealing sandy beach. There's no rangers here to keep you out of trouble.

We were to be at anchor in Horseshoe Bay for two days and so could basically dive as we wished around the standard 4 dive schedule. First up was the legendary Cannibal Rock, a big seamount just under the water that was so named due to two Dragons being spotted on the beach attacking each other. The water in Horseshoe Bay is much colder than it is in the north of Komodo. The water tends to be 24 degrees Celsius and can drop even lower. As such, Cannibal Rock is usually green water, and quite murky, but the site itself is more than enough to make the discomfort worth it. The rock is a smorgasbord of soft corals, plate corals and crinoids, with vivid yellows and greens predominating, along with scores of stunning and usually rare creatures, from giant frogfish and oversize nudibranches to a golden yellow rhinopia, along with turtles, lionfish and mantis shrimp. It's one of those sites that, especially for photographers, you just don't know where to look first. We did a total of three dives on Cannibal Rock, including one night dive.

Yellow Wall, Horseshoe Bay, Komodo

Yellow Wall and Crinoid Canyon are located on opposite sides of Horseshoe Bay and similar topographically, near vertical drop offs that are covered in a spectacular carpet of soft corals and crinoids that tumble over one another. Up in the shallows particularly both of these sites shine, particularly as we had absolutely flat calm, sunny conditions on both days so the sunlight not only lit up the shallows but the wall above the waterline was also visible. (It worth noting that it's not always sunny around Horseshoe Bay - the two previous times I've visited it's been cloudy and rainy).

Rhinopia, Torpedo Alley

Rhinopia, Torpedo Alley

Torpedo Alley was a dive that I was going to skip to catch up on some sleep... until I heard that the dive guides Gusti and Wayan had discovered not one but two rhinopias together. Rhinopias are extremely rare and also very difficult to find, so for two to be spotted together was a real coup. Both Gusti and Wayan are very experienced and I've dived with them on previous trips, and they were on great form throughout this trip too. This was also a good example of MSY Damai's dive policy while at anchor - even though I had technically missed the dive and divers had already started coming back, Gusti encouraged me to gear up and for us to quickly head back out so I could see the rhinopias for myself. While I was taking pictures of them, Gusti somehow managed to find a tiny juvenile rhinopia, of which I only got a mediocre photo. Even so, it was great to see it and to have not missed out on seeing the adult rhinopias too.

Juvenile Rhinopia, Torpedo Alley, Komodo

Bobbitt Worm, Torpedo Alley Night Dive

Torpedo Alley continued to turn up amazing surprises on the night dive, the highlight of which for me was seeing a Bobbitt Worm for the first time. These super scary-looking creatures are thankfully only a couple of inches long (at least, the part that appears above the sand) but their nightmarish appearance certainly makes you keep any appendages safely tucked away. And yes, it's called the Bobbitt Worm after John Wayne Bobbitt. Ouch.

Manta Ray Squadron, Manta Alley

Manta Alley

From Horseshoe Bay we headed to Manta Alley, located at Tora Langkoi Bay. This is another must-see Komodo site where manta rays, probably the most graceful creature in the ocean, gather en masse in the current to feed on plankton. We did three stand out dives here and, while we thought it might be a case of diminishing returns, the third dive turned out to be the best. In the morning we'd encountered super strong currents that had pushed some of us back away from the channel where the mantas are usually seen - I was concerned I was going to miss out, until four manta rays passed straight over my head on the outcrop where we'd come to rest. It was the beginning of a magical dive where we saw mantas swoop and twist around us in all directions for the entire duration of our hour on the bottom. Every time we thought the show was over, the mantas would glide in from another, unexpected direction, sometimes three or four of them in a train, moving with perfect synchronicity behind one another until they spun back out into the blue.

Manta Rays, Manta Alley

On our subsequent dives we made our way back up the channel where the current had reversed direction and was now pushing us in front of it, until we rounded the corner and nearly collided with no less than nine manta rays effortlessly hanging 3 deep in the underwater breeze. As we skidded off to the sides and underneath the mantas barely acknowledged our arrival and continued to remain perfectly still until they'd had their fill of plankton. On our third dive, the current had disappeared and we thought, with it, the mantas would be gone too. Yet they remained, with what seemed a great playfulness as they skimmed over the reef and over each of us as well, unperturbed by our bubbles or camera flashes. I spent the last half hour in less than five metres watching the mantas disappear and reappear within the now greying, turbid water as the day's light began to fade. After 85 minutes, I reluctantly had to draw my dive to an end and exit while the mantas still spun around just below me. If there's one dive site I already want to go back to in Komodo, it's Manta Alley.

Cuttlefish And Diver, Castle Rock

Rocking Out At Castle Rock and Crystal Rock
Our arrival next day at Gili Lawa Laut and the dive sites of Castle Rock, Crystal Rock and Lighthouse was the most anticipated part of the trip for me. At Castle Rock last year, while on board S/Y Siren, I'd had two magical dives at Castle Rock that immediately went into My Top 10 Dives. (You can see a video shot at Castle Rock by my talented friend Ai Futaki too, along with her beautiful Freediving In Komodo video). I'd been wondering if my return visit could possibly be as good. We stayed two days at Gili Lawa Laut which gave us time to dive Castle Rock and Crystal Rock twice, both sites that need the tide tables consulted thoroughly as the current can be ripping. Our first dive was in almost slack water and so there was not quite as much fish action as I remembered from previous trips - however, the corals were resplendent and we spent a lot of time with two cuttlefish that were laying eggs in a large staghorn coral patch.

At Crystal Rock we had giant napoleon wrasse action, the biggest I've ever seen, a good metre in length - and there was the beginning of a definite electricity across the reef with jacks and fusiliers stampeding around us, barely heeding the presence of divers.

Reef Scene, Castle Rock

When we dropped back in at Castle Rock, it was stunning - sitting at 15 metres on the plateau of rock as it drops away into the blue is like being in the front seat of an aquatic IMAX screen. What had been quite quiet on the previous dive soon became a blue canvas filled with, no exaggeration, thousands upon thousands of fish - dogtooth tuna and whitetip sharks weaved in and out of fusiliers, jacks, snapper and a baitball of glassfish tens of metres deep and hundreds of thousands strong, moving as one across the backdrop of the sun illuminating the ocean.

Cuttlefish with Eggs, Castle Rock

Indeed, perhaps the most amazing thing about Castle Rock is the way the whole dive site feels like it's flooded with sunlight - the viz has been spectacular every time I've dived there. Wayan and I were the only divers out front and had the IMAX fishbowl to ourselves - incredible! And as quickly as it began, it was over - one minute the sea was full of fish, the next empty.

Orange Frogfish

Sangeang - Under The Volcano

Further north of Gili Lawa Laut is the still active volcano of Sangeang. There are several sites here, all of which are similar in topography - colourful reefs juxtaposed against the black volcanic sand slopes which still give off sulphuric bubbles from the magma churning deep below the earth's crust. Diving on Bubble Reef, Black Magic and Tikno Reef sites proved to be a riot of colour and different critters, especially this vivid orange frogfish that lurked within the soft coral fronds of Tikno Reef.

Stargazer Half Buried In The Sand, Small World Night Dive

Gili Banta

Bad weather stopped us diving more of sangeang the following day - we had a near zero visibility dive at Bontoh, so were glad to head for Gili Banta and the dive sites of Highway to Heaven and K2. It was the It's A Small World night dive at Gili Banta, the last night dive of the trip, which was particularly great, especially as we managed to find the Stargazers that wait almost wholly buried in the sand waiting for their prey.

Crocodile Fish, Sabolan

Heading Towards Home - Palau Sabolan and Palau Raja

The final two days of our trip involved only two dives each day as we needed to do some hefty cruising to make it back to Maumere on schedule. It was a shame we coudn't squeeze in a third dive on our penultimate day. The two dives we did at Sabolan in the morning were good fun and had great viz, with some good coral growth too, although not a huge amount of fish life, except for the crocodile fish we discovered towards the end of one of the dives.

Fire Gobies

Our final dives at Palau Raja, by contrast, were an unexpected treat - this is a site rarely dived and is named "School House" as you can see the kids heading to their wooden school building on the shore directly in front of the dive site. Despite the presence of fish traps and the evidence of old dynamite bombing, what I thought at first would be a mediocre site turned out to be beautiful. Once we'd headed through the slightly bashed up shallows, there was a steep drop off at around 8 metres that revealed a vertical wall encrusted with massive fan, barrel and plate corals, one of which could have easily swallowed a diver.

In conclusion, seeing Komodo for a third time has only made me want to go back and dive it again. The sheer variety of sites that you see within a 10 day trip - from the temperate waters of Cannibal Rock to the warm tropical waters of Sangeang - makes it a truly unique area for diving. You get the best of both worlds here, with big stuff - manta rays and en masse fish action - as well as a plethora of amazing small stuff too.

There is also the sense of being on an epic voyage thanks to seeing the Komodo Dragons themselves but also the desolate and beautiful topside scenery too. And despite Komodo being a popular destination, you rarely see any other boats - we saw one Japanese boat of divers at Cannibal Rock and that was the only time divers were in the water at the same time as us. The huge diversity of the area means that as an introduction to Indonesia diving, Komodo is hard to beat.

While diving in Komodo, I encountered this giant Melibe nudibranch for the first time, which has a bizarre circular mouth that acts like a hoover as it crosses the sea floor

Melibe Nudibranch

I'm a big fan of nudibranches, but I'm used to the colourful sea slugs being just a few centimetres long. Hence when I encountered this whopping great Melibe nudibranch at Wainilu in Komodo, I was somewhat taken aback (I didn't even know it was a nudi until told later). The nudibranch was at least six inches long, huge by nudi standards. The sequence of photos below shows the downright strange mouth it has - as you can see, the mouth (technically, the oral hood) is circular but also contorts into a shape something like a walrus, before it swoops in over the seabed and sucks up small molluscs for food. Truly bizarre and somewhat mesmerising to watch.

I'm indebted to Nudipixel for their amazing database of nudi pictures, which is how I worked out the species. However, I'm not sure what type of Melibe nudibranch this one would be classified as.

Melibe Nudibranch

Melibe Nudibranch

Melibe Nudibranch

Melibe Nudibranch

Melibe Nudibranch

Melibe Nudibranch

Melibe Nudibranch

Possibly the most luxurious liveaboard boat currently in Indonesia, MSY Damai is trying a new approach in providing top notch diving and underwater photography

MSY Damai

MSY Damai is a new luxury Indonesian liveaboard launched in October 2009 by Alberto Reija, who previously worked on MSY Seahorse and Kararu liveaboards. Damai (the word is Indonesian for "peaceful") is trying to do something pretty ambitious with the liveaboard concept, by targetting small groups of underwater photographers who want a top-level luxury boat that is super focussed on their requirements. I joined the boat on its 5th and 6th trips during November 2009 as it sailed through Komodo, the Banda Sea and Raja Ampat - after four weeks on board, here's my rundown of what the MSY Damai is like as a diving liveaboard.

Small Number Of Guests
Perhaps the most radical move is the limit on the number of guests: MSY Damai carries a maximum of eight guests on each trip, split between 4 huge stateroom style bedrooms. (There's also a more modest cabin for an extra 2 people, usually tour leaders who have chartered the boat for a group). These cabins are the biggest I've seen on any boat - they are each 300 square feet. There's more info and videos below.

MSY Damai Cabin 3

MSY Damai Cabin 3

MSY Damai Cabin 3

Max 3 to 1 Guest To Dive Guides
There are three dive guides on board, so there's at most three divers to one dive guide. The whole boat's setup revolves around looking after the needs of underwater photographers, from a custom built spacious camera room and individual rinse tanks at each dive gearup station to extremely proactive boat staff who handle camera gear with skill and sensitivity.

There is also a Cruise Director on board - this is either the boat owner Alberto or Lorenzo, an Italian guy who is endlessly cheerful - even at 5.30 in the morning - and also hyper-organised at keeping the boat running smoothly with the 15 crew on board. He also has some fantastic stories to tell at the dinner table (be sure to ask him about the Teletubbies). Lorenzo and Alberto frequently dive with the guests as well, so providing another pair of eyes in the water to assist the dive guides.

Individual Workstations For Photo Editing
Each cabin has two desks for photo editing, complete with power outlets and overhead light. These means that each guest can review and edit in the privacy of their cabin if they prefer and have plenty of space. This is a very nice touch for photographers, as they can leave their laptop set up and ready to download each dive as they wish.

Cameras And Scuba Gear For Guest Use
Included in Damai's price is usage of 5mm wetsuits for colder water dives, like at Cannibal Rock in Komodo, and there is a spare camera and video camera on board in case of problems with your own. More info on the spare camera below.

The Difference To Other Liveaboards
Some of these things may seem too subtle to be particularly noteworthy - but if you've ever been on a liveaboard where there's too many guests, too few staff, too little effort made to look after your camera gear and too few opportunities to find stuff underwater because you're constantly stuck in a swarm of six divers, then you'll appreciate MSY Damai's setup.

MSY Damai Cabin 4

MSY Damai Cabin 4

Luxury Service
Besides the photography angle, MSY Damai provides truly impressive bedrooms (more info on the rooms below) along with very attentive waiting staff , great quality food and an all-inclusive policy of unlimited beer and wine are included in the trip price. The wait staff were very accommodating to all requests - it's a similar concept to Peter Hughes boats that I've been on previously. (More info on Dining and Drinking below).

Premium Pricing
Inevitably, Damai charges a premium over other liveaboards in Indonesia for its services, so it's important to weigh up if the extra benefits of the boat - less guests, much more space, maximum 3 to 1 dive guides, dedicated camera gear set up, luxury service - is worth it to you.

If you check Damai's schedule for the next couple of years on their website, you'll see that they have numerous charters from some of the biggest names in underwater photography. Clearly this is Damai's target audience which needs to be sufficiently impressed not only with their first trip but to return to Damai and be happy to pay the extra trip cost for the difference it makes.

MSY Damai Cabin 1

MSY Damai Cabin 1

Accommodation
MSY Damai has the look of a traditional Indonesian wooden pinisi schooner, but it's much bigger due to an extra deck and wider beam. The four bedrooms are divided between Rooms 1 and 2 in the lower deck, which each have two king size double beds in them, and Room 3, which occupies the full back of the boat and looks like something out of Pirates of the Caribbean with its four windows in the stern, and Room 4 above which is a little smaller than Room 3 but has its own private stern balcony. Room 3 also gets the most light due to its position and windows on three walls of the cabin. Rooms 3 and 4 have one king size bed in them. Rooms 1 and 2 are designed to accommodate either one couple or two singles, but if shared by singles they both get a king sized bed to themselves. All of the rooms are a minimum of 28 square metres (300 square feet) - they are all, in short, bigger than my apartment at home.

MSY Damai Cabin 2

MSY Damai Cabin 2

In Rooms 1 and 2 there is a toilet and shower in separate rooms, and indeed, a full sized bathtub in the shower room too. There's one sink in the bedroom itself and two writing desks. Hairdryer and dressing gowns are provided in all rooms. One annoyance is that there is no hand sink in the toilet itself.

Rooms 3 and 4 don't have a bathtub, but have the same amenities as Rooms 1 and 2. Rooms 3 and 4 have their own unique characteristics, as mentioned above.

One downside of Room 3, the biggest cabin of all, is that it is directly above the engine room, so when the boat moves early in the morning there is some rattle and hum. Similarly the raising of the anchor can be heard in Room 1.

How Does MSY Damai Handle In Rough Seas?
One important thing to note is that MSY Damai handles well when doing big ocean crossings, like in the Banda Sea. We had a couple of rough nights out there where the boat was pitching around a fair bit, but it didn't the boat into a vomit comet. The creaks and groans of the ship's timbers might be a little more disturbing, but that is standard on wooden boats anywhere. It also helps that Damai's captain is very experienced and knows how to take on big waves while minimising boat movement.

Video Tours of Each Cabin on MSY Damai
Here are individual video tours of each cabin - nothing fancy, it's just me walking around with my camera, but it gives you an idea of their size and amenities.

Dining and Drinking
All food is served in the mess deck, which is airconditioned and has two fans too. Ironically, the single large dining table is slightly cramped for a full complement of guests plus 2 tour leaders and the cruise director - 11 in all - but it's not a big deal. The dining table is a natural place for conversations to begin and lets everyone take part.

Dining follows the usual liveaboard format - light breakfast before first dive, breakfast after first dive, lunch after second dive, snack after third dive in late afternoon, dinner around 7pm for those not night diving or 8pm for those night diving (or whenever they get back). It's possible to order food at any other time but in practice is not really that practical to do so if you are keeping to the dive schedule.

MSY Damai Saloon

Guests are asked before each mealtime to confirm if they are happy with the meal menu and substitutions are suggested if not. This all worked fairly seamlessly with the crew able to quickly adapt to requests. Food is served at the table rather than buffet style.

There is a heavy duty espresso machine on board for those who want cappuccino. There is unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks included in the price. Currently there are no spirits available on Damai, which might change, but would probably require a separate charge. (Bringing your own is the obvious solution - basic mixers like tonic water can be requested ahead of time, so gin drinkers, take note. Don't expect any cranberry juice however).

Lunch and dinner and three course meals - salad as starter for lunch and soup for dinner. Food is very well presented and in general excellent - I took a couple of photos as random examples of dishes we had. I wish I'd done this on previous liveaboards I've been on as I think it helps give an idea of what to expect.

MSY Damai Dessert

MSY Damai Dinner

And here's a random sample from the menu:
Lunch: Starter: Mix salad (carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, eggs, boiled potatoes, raisin) with Thousand Island dressing.
Main course: Spaghetti Carbonara (cream, bacon, parmesan cheese, onion, garlic,egg, salt, pepper). Dessert: Fresh fruit (mango).

Dinner: Starter: Cauliflower soup. Main course: Roast sweet potatoes with grilled wahoo in leak compote sauce and balsamic vinegar reduction, with green beans and sweet corn.
Dessert: Chocolate Brownie.

Sundeck and other amenities
There is a large sundeck with two double bed loungers, four single loungers and two reclining seats located just up from the dive deck in front of the captain's bridge. The sundeck is usually covered with a canvas sail to provide some shade, as the Indonesian sun is pretty savage. There is a balcony with armchairs at the stern of the top deck too.

Massage on the sundeck is available free of charge from Comoran, a qualified male masseuse who also works as one of the wait staff. Several guests (male and female) tried the massage and all said it was very therapeutic for aching shoulders etc.

Dive Guides
As mentioned above, there are three dive guides between eight guests. The guide leader is Gusti, widely regarded as one of the best dive guides in Indonesia who helped discover many of Komodo's key dive sites in the early 1990s. Wayan, formerly from Peter Hughes' Komodo Dancer, and Ketut, formerly from one of Bali's major dive operators, are also excellent, experienced guides.

Diving And Camera Gear Setup

MSY Damai Gear Up Area

The dive station is located at the bow of the boat. Each guest has a tank setup station with their own personal camera rinse tank and locker to store smaller items. (The locker is located under the seat of the setup station). Wetsuits are hung up on a rack at the front of the boat. Nitrox is free and guests are requested to analyse their tanks when gearing up.

MSY Damai Camera Room

Camera Room
The camera room is located by the dining area. Guests can set up their cameras and then bring them from the camera room to the dive area where there is room for them to be put down before being taken to the tenders. The camera room has eight power stations, one for each guest, with a rack of 110 and 220 volt plugs. There is also a storage cupboard directly underneath each station and also two shelves above for placing lenses, chargers etc. The camera room is great, but it could probably do with being a bit bigger - if you had eight people in there simultaneously it would be pretty cramped. As it was, it worked out Ok with five or six of us in there.

There is a continuous supply of camera towels available before and after dives to wipe down gear, keep the sun off and protect ports as necessary.

Spare Cameras For Guest Use
There is also a spare Nikon D200 DSLR camera and video camera on board in case guests have problems with their own equipment. Over our two trips we unfortunately had a couple of breakages and floods and for guests to be able to use the Nikon D200 was a real godsend.

MSY Damai Tender Boat

Diving Boat Tenders
There are two boat tenders for three dive groups. Entry into the water is by backroll entry. Starting in 2010 there should be three tenders - for now, two groups go out and drop in and one tender returns for the third group. This is a bit tedious as it means group 3 has to wait around for 10 minutes or so for the tender to come back. The three groups rotate every couple of days. The journey time to dive sites is usually very short - 5 minutes or so. Occasionally it can be around 10 mins.

Each guest's tank, fins and camera are carried by the boat boys from the station to the tender. Guests just need to remember to bring their own mask and computer.Getting onto the tenders uses the standard wooden staircase down to water level - this works well, except for in choppy water. On our last day of diving we had a lot of surge and the tender went straight under the ladder - not fun. This should be rectified in future.

The boat boys on each tender are excellent - they are quick to help you gear up, and adept at passing camera gear in and out of the boat quickly without bashing it around. There are boxes on each tender to store dome covers, sunglasses, hats etc. They are also generally very good at keeping clear with the engine propeller switched off when divers are submerging, although there were a couple of occasions where I thought they could have left starting the engine for a little while longer.

One major criticism I'd make is that the wooden decks of Damai are very slippy, and there are currently not any handrails along the walkway from the dive setup area to the tender. There are rubber mats on the floor around the dive deck area which help, but guests need to take real care walking to the boat. All your scuba gear is taken for you by the boat boys to the boat before you get on, but care still needs to be taken.

In Summary
It's hard not to be impressed with MSY Damai - it's a great boat that has been built to a specific concept, and it's obviously a gamble for Damai's owners about whether enough divers will agree with that concept and be prepared to pay the extra money. The response of guests on the two trips I was on was generally very positive. The big challenge for Damai is not only maintaining the high standards it's set for itself, but also continually improving the boat in the future. Personally, I loved it - the small number of guests, direct help from dive guides finding stuff, and ease of dealing with all your camera gear along with the top notch food and sleeping arrangements meant that 4 weeks on the boat passed very quickly.

Practicalities: Getting There And Away
Bali is the departure point for all Damai trips - not in terms of the boat departure but where a Dive Damai representative will pick up guests from their hotels on the morning of departure and organise their domestic flight to the boat's departure point within Indonesia. There are numerous international flights to Bali. See Skyscanner and Kayak to compare airline flight prices. (Bali is an excellent dive destination in its own right and deserves a few days at the beginning or end of your trip).

Dive Damai reps handle the purchase of all domestic flights and excess baggage charges, but note these are NOT included in the price - flights and excess baggage are billed to each guest at the end of the trip. Domestic Indonesian flights are relatively cheap, around $US 100 to $200 depending on your destination. Purchasing Indonesian domestic flights when not already in Indonesia is an exercise in futility - better to let Dive Damai handle it for you. This goes for any liveaboard in Indonesia.

MSY Damai Crew

MSY Damai At Sunset

Going on a Komodo liveaboard is like undertaking an epic voyage - over 10 days, a typical Komodo dive route covers hundreds of miles and sweeps through ever changing and always breathtaking landscapes both above and below the water on a round trip through The Komodo National Park.

This article was first published in EZ Dive magazine, Issue 1, 2009. It appears here in a slightly different form.

The S/Y Siren photos are their official pix, with video from Ai Futaki, except the octopus one.

To see more of my stories for other scuba diving magazines, visit my Scuba Diving Magazine Stories page.

Despite the burgeoning popularity of Komodo as a dive destination, it is still very much a remote wilderness, savagely beautiful and potentially dangerous too, as typified by the famous deadly Komodo Dragons which inhabit the island at the heart of the National Park. Much of the hundreds of square miles of the park’s protected area remain unexplored, and the incredible richness of the marine life here brings still about new species discoveries each year.

S/Y Siren

The S/Y Siren begins its Komodo voyage from the port on Bima island, which requires a one hour flight from Bali. Bima itself doesn't have much to offer visitors, but it does mean that divers get to spend more time in the Komodo National Park itself rather than sailing to and from Bali. (There's a separate S/Y Siren Liveaboard Review here on Divehappy if you're interested in finding out more about the boat and its diving practicalities).

I've dived in Komodo previously with the Peter Hughes boat Komodo Dancer (see my Komodo diving with Komodo Dancer writeup), which departs from Bali - it was good to have seen the amazing scenery along the way, but the extra day of sailing to and from Bali is not really worth it in dive terms, I think - making the short flight to Bima or Maumere or Labuan Bajo to be much nearer to the Komodo National Park is preferable for those looking to maximise their diving time.

Bima Bay is the beginning and end of the trip, a little explored muck diving haven that's got a lot to offer for those who like seeking out small critters and don't mind murky conditions and trash strewn, unphotogenic reefs. The main site here is 'The Unusual Suspects", but we also tried a couple of not unnamed parts of the bay where the diving was just as good. Between the three sites we found a beautiful mimic octopus that was happy to play for several minutes, lots of sizable nudibranches, blue ribbon eels and a couple of ordinary octopus that were not too shy, one of them putting on a real display as it moved across the reef.

The island of Sompa was our first stop after we set sail into the Park itself, where we dived in the beautiful visibility of The Circus. There is a great collection of coral here, all very shallow (10 metres maximum) and there was an impressive giant black frogfish hanging out on one of the table corals, who was thoroughly unimpressed by the divers crowding around him.

Roller Coaster is so named for having some strong currents which push along into a more gentle reef around the corner. I opted to skip the current bit and get dropped straight on the reef, a big wall slope with lots of lush soft coral and great viz again. I had a real stroke of luck as I casually examined a crinoid to find a beautiful ornate ghostpipe fish hovering inside it - I spent several minutes trying to photo it and then glanced up, only to see a manta ray exactly parallel with me about 5 metres away in the blue - it was a classic double take moment, and almost as soon as I got over my surprise it was gone, gliding along the reef into an encounter with the other group of equally surprised divers just around the corner, as I found out later. Talk about a contrast between the size of the ghostpipefish and the manta.

From here, we headed to Gili Lawa Laut. This area has three of Komodo's stand out dive sites - The Lighthouse, Crystal Rock and the real king of the hill, Castle Rock. All three sites are prone to extreme currents but they are also the congregating point for thousands of fish. Castle Rock in particular provided a couple of absolutely mesmerizing dives, the plateau of the rock below becoming the setting for an early morning smorgasbord of snapper, jacks, and fusilier schools all intertwining with each other and then separating again, while below sharks rode the currents biding their time for breakfast. I watched amazed as a dolphin broke up the coral with its beak to find food, before heading up to the surface right in front of us to be reunited with its calf. The first thing everyone one asked when they got out of the water at Castle Rock was “When are we going back in?”

Nusa Kode lies at the far south of the National Park, and it’s here that the Komodo Dragons are found on the islands of Komodo and Rinca, as well as the iconic dive sites of Cannibal Rock and Yellow Wall. The water temperature here is much colder, dropping to a chilly 23 degrees, making for a wholly different environment underwater. On the Rock’s large mount, giant nudibranches and sea apples can be found, along with equally large frogfish amongst a tangled, colourful web of soft and hard coral. Back on the boat, Komodo Dragons can be seen patrolling the overcast shoreline nearest to Cannibal Rock, making the area look like a real life Jurassic Park.

It would be difficult to find a greater contrast to Nusa Kode’s chilly climes than Sangeang, the still active volcano that heats the water around it that makes up the final destination for many Komodo trip. The hot water promotes a plethora of coral growth on the black volcanic sand, but for many divers, the chance to warm their hands by the volcano’s underwater sulphuric vents remains the highlight of diving Sangeang.

As a dive destination that offers a taste of everything, it’s hard to beat Komodo - remote, protected waters largely unspoilted by human intervention; encounters with a huge variety of marine life big and small; a fascinating diversity of underwater environments; spectacular topside scenery – and the chance to come face to face with the Komodo Dragons themselves.

Video Note: The videos above were shot by Japanese videographer Ai Futaki - she is an accomplished freediver as well as scuba diver. The first vid was filmed while freediving in Komodo - follow the link for more info. The second vid was shot on scuba at Castle Rock and other locations. The final video below is an Evil Mermaid -- watch out for those...

Thinking about going on a scuba diving liveaboard on the S/Y Siren? Here's a rundown of some of the practicalities about the boat that might help make your decision.

I went on the S/Y Siren in September 2008 and subsequently had the account of our Komodo dive safari published in EZ Dive Magazine a year later. Here's a rundown of the practicalities of what the S/Y Siren is like as a dive boat.

S/Y Siren Destinations

• Komodo, Indonesia
• Similan Islands, Thailand
• Andaman Islands

S/Y Siren

The Boat
S/Y Siren is a new, purpose built luxury scuba diving liveaboard boat owned by Worldwide Dive And Sail. The Siren (formerly known as Sangai Jumpa Lagi) has spent two years running trips in Komodo, Indonesia, the Similan Islands in Thailand and the Andaman Islands in India.

Dutch national Frank Van De Lindt is WWDS’s main partner, the Siren’s cruise director, and also its builder – along with his father, Frank designed and built the Siren from scratch in Indonesia. As such, while the boat looks like a traditional Indonesian pinisi-class schooner at first glance, it has a very different layout once on board, because it is a custom built boat.

First Impressions
are that the Siren looks gorgeous - newly built, beautifully finished with polished wood everywhere and with some unique design touches. It certainly feels like a luxury boat.

S/Y Siren Mess Deck

Boat Layout
Eating Area: The main mess area is located at the back around a horseshoe shaped table. This provides a great alfresco eating area that is also protected from the elements, with complete suncover and also effective rolldown plastic windows if the wind gets up.

S/Y Siren Saloon

Saloon: The ship’s air-conditioned saloon is mainly used for watching movies on the large plasma screen and relaxing on the two L shaped couches. There is a serious espresso maker in the saloon for coffee addicts. There is a large, uncovered sundeck with sun loungers located directly above the ship’s cabin.

S/Y Siren Dive Deck

Dive Deck and Dinghies: Located at the front of the boat with tanks arranged around a central raised platform. Guests then step down onto a fixed steel platform to two dinghies – the dinghy is always located a sizable step down beneath the platform, so getting into the boat in full scuba gear is not the easiest operation. The big dinghy is fast, the small dinghy not so fast.

The boat boys are proactive and helpful and bring everyone’s gear back onto the boat from the dinghies after a dive, although you’ll need to retrieve it from a central pile at the front of the boat to ensure you have everything to hand for the next dive.

A fresh towel waits for you at your tank station each morning when you get back from your first dive and is replaced each day. You get a hot towel when you get back from a night dive, along with water or tea served as you step back onto the boat.

S/Y Siren Room

S/Y Siren Room

S/Y Siren Room

Sleeping Quarters: Maximum of 16 guests. A variety of well-appointed air conditioned cabins – double bed, twin bed and triple bed are available, each with their own ensuite bathroom with marine toilet and shower and in-room computer where you can access movies and music from the ship’s network. The beds are comfortable and the cabins a good size with ample storage space, although the chair at the computer desk in my room stopped the bathroom door from opening fully. There are fresh towels, dressing gowns, hairdryers – it’s quite posh.

Food And Drink
The food on the Siren is uniformly excellent – a mix of international, Indonesian and Thai cuisine, as several of the staff are Thai. There are the usual 3 meals a day served buffet style where you can help yourself, with snacks after the afternoon dive and hot peanuts and cashew nuts served at sunset to accompany your sundowner. The Siren also has a heavy duty espresso maker which makes superb ground coffee.

The Siren has a Free Beer and Soft Drinks policy which I found highly commendable. I sampled several purely in the name of research. Cocktails and wine are available to buy if you’re not fond of the free local brew – in our case, it was Indonesian Anker beer. There’s tea, coffee and hot and cold water available at any time. If you have a problem with people smoking, be aware that most of the staff on the Siren smoke and most outdoor areas are considered smoking areas.

S/Y Siren Sun Deck

Dive Routine
4 dives a day, with night dives available 5 times during the trip as one of the 4 dives. The Siren offers free Nitrox, which is a nice bonus. Backroll entry from the two dinghies. On my trip, there were two guides for 12 people – Frank and Thai guide Reung – but I think there are more guides normally. You can either stick with them to find stuff or do your own thing with your buddy, if you are considered experienced enough by the dive crew to buddy dive in Komodo’s occasionally tricky waters.

Dives are recommended to be 60 minutes long, although guests can dive as long as they like. The guides come up after 60 minutes, and after 45 minutes when diving in the colder waters of southern Komodo in Nusa Kode (Cannibal Rock, Yellow Wall etc).

Diving with a safety sausage is mandatory – with two dinghies, one will remain on site while the other ferries divers already up back to the Siren.

Photography Setup
Large rinse tank by the front of the dive deck with regularly changed water.

The Siren has different styles of diving for different trips – the boat runs Photography Charters in Komodo with onboard seminars given by photo pros and sites specially selected for the best photography, along with more photo setup and maintenance areas. I haven’t been on one of those trips so I can’t comment on it first hand, but I'd suspect these would suit a serious photographer better than the standard Siren trip.

There are 220V / 50Hz and 24V / 60Hz power outlets available in each of the guestrooms. You should bring your own universal adapter.

Dive Gear Rental
The Siren has a fairly large selection of dive gear on board for free use by guests if you require it. Best to enquire at the time of booking for specific dive gear.

Marine Park Fees
Marine park fees are not included in the Siren price – they are approx $100 US for Komodo.

Arriving and Departing From the Siren
For Komodo trips, the Siren arrives and departs from Bima rather than Bali. This requires a flight on Merpati Airlines from Bali to Bima – the cost of a return flight is around 170 Euros. Worldwide Dive and Sail can organize the ticket for you and have someone to come and meet you at Denpasar domestic terminal in Bali to deliver it to you.

A quick summary:
Positive:
- Custom built boat, beautiful finish, great alfresco mess deck at the back
- Great food
- Free Nitrox, Free Beer

Negatives:
- Getting into dinghy can be difficult

If there's any aspect of the boat you'd like to know about that isn't covered above, please leave a comment and I'll do my best to help.

Issue 50 of Underwater Photography is now out, and included within it is my article about the sea snakes of Gunung Api in Indonesia

Gunung Api Sea Snakes in Underwater Photography Magazine

When Underwater Photography magazine first launched, the idea of a PDF only magazine was something of a novelty. But UwPMag's longevity shows that editor Peter Rowlands was right in thinking a free online magazine that you download could work - it meant that the production costs were low but the articles could still have magazine style layout and the images wouldn't suffer in size or resolution.

UwPMag is now well-respected throughout the diving world and regularly attracts articles and reviews from some of the underwater photography industry's biggest names. The magazine has just published its 50th issue and is still going strong - or maybe they've let standards slip, as I've got a piece in the current issue. It's a slight re-edit of my Gunung Api - Volcano Of The Sea Snakes story that I wrote here on Divehappy a couple of months ago. For me, the real thrill was getting the story accepted using my own photos - it's the first time my own underwater pictures have appeared next to my own words, rather than needing a photographer to come with me or, more usually, the magazine having to buy in stock images.

I don't kid myself that my photos are particularly brilliant - they're approaching competent at the moment - but when I look back on the shots I was taking just two years ago it's a vast improvement and I am deeply chuffed that Peter thought they were good enough to use in UwPMag. You can download Issue 50 of UwPMag free (along with all 49 back issues) at www.UwPMag.com

I actually owe a big debt of thanks to Mike Veitch at NAD Lembeh resort who taught me on a two day one-to-one photo course and was responsible for much of the dramatic improvement in my pictures. I've written a story about that experience too, which should be appearing in the next issue of Scuba Diver AustralAsia, which should be out at the same time as the DEMA trade show.

Gunung Api might be the island of the sea snakes, but it's not the only place you can find these amazing creatures in the Banda Sea - Manuk is another remote volcanic island far from human contact where sea snakes thrive

Gunung Api is the famous volcano of the sea snakes which most Banda Sea liveaboards try and visit, weather permitting - but there is another volcanic island, Manuk, where scores of sea snakes can also be found. Manuk is as remote as Gunung Api, located nearly one hundred miles off the Banda Islands and out on its own in the middle of the Banda Sea. Not that many boats go there due to it being so out of the way of the usual Banda itinerary, so I was really pleased we were going to get a chance to see Manuk and Gunung Api on the same trip. (Sadly it meant we didn't go to Luci Para atoll though, but you can't win them all).

You can smell the stench of sulphur as the liveaboard gets near to Manuk, and there was even a visible plume of steam rising from one of the vents in the steep sides of the island. There are hot rocks in the shallows too, just like at Sangeang in Komodo, where the warmth from the volcano bubbles up through into the water.

A Group Of Sea Snakes at Manuk, Banda Sea

Two Seasnakes At Manuk, Banda Sea

Sea Snakes In Close Up, Banda Sea

Two Sea Snakes at Manuk, Banda Sea

Sea Snake at Manuk, Banda Sea

Sea Snake at Manuk, Banda Sea

Sea Snake Heading For Surface at Manuk, Banda Sea

Coral at Manuk, Banda Sea

Sea Snake Amongst The Coral, Manuk, Banda Sea

Close Up Of Sea Snake Amongst The Coral

There were perhaps not quite as many sea snakes as I was expecting here, though you can see from the photos below they were certainly not bothered by divers - these shots are not so great as I was still getting used to just how fast they move in the water - really quite incredible to watch. There is also a great deal of amazing hard and soft coral around Manuk as well - I spent one whole dive in the shallows trying to capture the surge of the ocean above pristine bommies and huge sponge corals.

Corals And Sea Surge at Manuk, Banda Sea

Sponge Corals And Sea Surge at Manuk, Banda Sea

Fan Coral And Sea Surge at Manuk, Banda Sea

Sponge Corals at Manuk, Banda Sea

Sponge Corals at Manuk, Banda Sea

Besides the sea snakes, the other thing about Manuk is the absolutely huge schools of barracuda to be seen here. I have never seen so many barracuda in one place and again, they were not particularly bothered by divers getting near to them. Watching a school of barracuda hundreds of fish strong moving together is a majestic sight and my enduring memory of Manuk. I hope I can go back there at some point, as one day just wasn't enough to fully take in this amazing island.

Barracuda at Manuk, Banda Sea

Barracuda at Manuk, Banda Sea

Barracuda at Manuk, Banda Sea

While scuba diving may be the main attraction for coming to the Banda Islands, the fascinating - and often bloody - history of these famed Spice Islands makes for a fascinating morning land tour - and some excellent food too

Banda Naira is the only habitation of any size amongst the five Banda Islands, and it's here the colonial remnants of the Dutch and English presence can still be found. The two countries fought bitterly over the right to colonise the Banda Islands as they were the only known place in the world where the spice nutmeg could be found. The demand for nutmeg - erroneously believed to be a cure for the plague - became so great that at one point it was worth more than gold pound for pound.

One Of Banda Naira's Colonial-Era Buildings

Antique Gramophone In The Banda Museum: It Still Works!

The local Bandanese population was decimated by the fighting between the Dutch and English, and the paintings hanging in the museum depict some of the most gruesome episodes of Banda's history. The story of the Banda Islands is brilliantly told in the book Nathaniel's Nutmeg, which also documents the stranger-than-fiction events of how the Banda island of Run was accepted by the Dutch from the British in exchange for the inconsequential island half a world away called Manhattan. (Find Nathaniel's Nutmeg on Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com).

The Internal Pentagon Courtyard Of Fort Belgica on Banda Naira

View From Fort Belgica On Banda Naira Island

The serenity of the island on walking up to Fort Belgica is a world away from this historical turmoil and gives some excellent views out over the bay. Even in the early morning, the humidity is pretty ferocious.

View From Fort Belgica Over Banda Naira's Bay. The MSY Seahorse Is In The Distance

After touring the museum and fort, it's time for breakfast and seeing an array of the spices still grown on the island. Nutmeg and cinnamon prevail, along with taro and numerous others. The nutmeg are hooked off the tree using ingenious basket catchers that let the harvester collect a whole branch's worth easily.

The Nutmeg Catcher - The Nutmeg Hanging On The Tree Is Hooked Into The Basket

As a breakfast, it's hard to beat - lightly fried banana and freshly made nutmeg jam and cinnamon tea straight off the tree, along with some taro too

Banda Breakfast: Fried Banana, Cinnamon Tea, Nutmeg Jam,, Taro

MSY Seahorse in the Banda Islands

We were back on board the boat by around 10 am, and ready to go diving around the Banda Islands.

Indonesia's Banda Islands are historically famed for their spices, but they also possess some excellent scuba diving around the coast line of this tiny five island group.

We got four dives in at the Banda Islands after arriving there from Nusa Laut and before setting out the next day to head for the remote island of Manuk in the heart of the Banda Sea. There is a profusion of dive sites around Banda so this was a quick glimpse. Sorsongi and Banda Ai's Tenjung Udang (Shrimp Point) were a good start to the day - the former a gentle slope with great viz and beautiful corals, the latter a coral encrusted wall. They provided a fascinating contrast to our third dive at the Lava Flow at the Banda island Gunung Api (not to be confused with Gunung Api, the island of the sea snakes, in the middle of the Banda Sea. Gunung Api means "fire mountain" in Bahasa Indonesia, and as such there are many volcanos across Indo with the same name).

Banda's Gunung Api is still very much active, with the last eruption as recently as 1988. What's remarkable about this black, volcanic site where you can see the tranches created by the lava flow - which is a pretty impressive monument in itself to the power of nature - is just how fast the coral have grown back here. You'd think that the lava would have wiped out all chance of life - but there is a flourishing, vast carpet of staghorn coral, plate corals and table corals now growing where the lava once flowed.

Bandanaira Jetty provided a superb environment for a gentle night dive, with frogfish and a cluster of juvenile sweetlips taking refuge amongst the jetty's pylons. Like Ambon, this was another muck dive par excellence, and another great contrast to the day's dives.

The Banda Islands Above Water

Banda Islands coral

Banda Islands coral

Banda Islands coral

Banda Islands coral

Banda Islands coral

Banda Islands coral

Banda Islands coral

Everyone I Show This To Says It Looks Like A Sex Doll's Face...

Quite Amazing - A Bottle That's Been Covered In Coral By Two Plate Corals

Banda Islands coral

Banda Islands coral

Juvenile Sweetlips at Bandaneira Jetty - they move so fast!

Lying to the east of Ambon, the island of Nusa Laut possesses some stunning hard coral seascapes - the sheer size and variety of corals here is absolutely stunning

Day 2 of our Banda Sea trip saw us heading from Ambon to Nusa Laut, a small island that's just to the east of Ambon and en route to the Banda Islands. The reef around Nusa Laut is protected by the locals and the effect of such protection is immediately apparent. It's hard to imagine a bigger contrast to Day 1's muck diving in Ambon - where we'd spent our first day grubbing around in murky water over trash-strewn black sand, Nusa Laut was blessed with 30 metre plus visibility creating an incredible deep blue canopy over a jawdropping array of hard corals. (See photos below for a small glimpse of what it really looks like).

Giant Plate Coral, Nusa Laut

Nusa Laut Coral

Nusa Laut Coral

Nusa Laut Coral

Nusa Laut Seascape

Nusa Laut Seascape

Topographically there was a gentle slope down to around 15 metres before a steep dropoff, and the slope was utterly encrusted with every kind of coral hard and soft. It was the huge plate corals - wider than the full length of a diver - and fan corals that really stole the show, but the size of some of the sponge corals - up to a metre across - was also impressive. Apparently the viz is not always so good here, so I feel very lucky we got to see it in these conditions. It's the sort of dive site that involuntarily makes you say "wow!" when you first jump in - it really is that good. For those who have been to Raja Ampat, Nusa Laut reminded me a little of the lush corals around Misool.

The night dive here was also awesome, as while we had lost the grandeur of the daytime seascape we encountered that rarest - and most dangerous - of creatures, the tiny Blue Ring Octopus.

Blue Ring Octopus on Nusa Laut nightdive

Giant Clam on Nusa Laut nightdive

Nusa Laut Seascape

Nusa Laut Seascape

Nusa Laut Seascape

Nusa Laut Coral

Nusa Laut Seascape

Nusa Laut Seascape