Freediving Photos from Raja Ampat

Snorkeling

I am guiding a Dutch lady this week on a snorkeling and freediving trip in Raja Ampat. We stayed at a guesthouse in Waigeo island run by a Papuan family. The coral reef at the front of the guesthouse is very beautiful and is the natural habitat of a lot of species of fish and other marine creatures.
This morning I gave an introductory snorkeling lesson to her. It was the first time for her to learn snorkeling. She practiced snorkeling in shallow water at depths of 1 to 1.5 meters. Wearing a life-jacket, mask, snorkel and water shoes, she started swimming to deeper area to see such fish as moorish idol, goatfish, striped surgeonfish, convict surgeonfish, damselfish, longfin spadefish, and butterflyfish. She was very happy to see the marine life.

Marine Life in Raja Ampat

After giving her a short snorkeling lesson that morning, I continued my exploration of the coral reef alone. With an action camera in my hand, I enjoyed freediving for approximately 45 minutes. I descended to a depth of 5 to 7 meters to find anemonefish, sea-star, Christmas tree worm, and grouper. I was able to take some good pictures of the underwater world of this beautiful marine environment.
In the afternoon, we had a tour around the King's karst, a tidal cave and a lagoon in Gam island. We really liked this adventure especially this July. The wind was strong and the sea surface was rough. During July, very few tourists come to Raja Ampat because weather is bad and the sea is mostly covered by whitish big waves. During the adventure tour by boat, we did some birding. From that afternoon trip, we saw Lesser Frigatebird, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Beach Kingfisher, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Brahminy Kite, Eclectus Parrot, Hooded Butcherbird, Pacific Swallow, Crested Tern, Brown Cuckoo Dove, and White-breasted Woodswallow.

Blue Sea Star and white Sea Worm

To watch birds, we used 10×42 mm binoculars. For taking pictures of them, we used Canon SX430. For underwater photographs, I used Brica B-Pro 5 Alpha Edition.
As a tourist guide, I offer a combined snorkeling, sightseeing, island hopping and birding tour to Raja Ampat for tourists who are interested in seeing the birdlife, marinelife and beautiful landscape of this tropical islands. If you want me to be your guide, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. I will be happy to organize your trip and guide you around this marine paradise.

Birding Tour in Sonder of North Sulawesi

Sonder is a small subdistrict town in Minahasa regency, North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. It has got natural sites that are good for visitors to enjoy hiking, sightseeing and birdwatching. Here are some of them:

Sulawesi Hanging Parrot

Tounelet Slope - This is a very small forest in Sonder town that is located behind Siloam Hospital of Sonder town. It is good for birdwatching especially early in the mornings and in late afternoons. Birds that could be watched include: Black-crowned White-eye, Sultan's Cuckoo-dove (also called Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove), Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Zebra Dove, Sulawesi Crow, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, White-nest Swiftlet, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Sulawesi Brush Cuckoo, Sahul Sunbird, Brown-throated Sunbird, Black-naped Oriole, Chestnut Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Pale Blue Monarch, Yellow-billed Malkoha, and etc.

Some birds in Sonder of Minahasa highland of Indonesia

Paddy Field of Talikuran village - This birdwatching site is located at the outskirts of Sonder. It is the site for watching Barred Rail, Buff-banded Rail, White-browed Crake, White-breasted Woodswallow, Barn Swallow, Collared Kingfisher, Javan Pond Heron, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Isabelline Bush-hen and etc. 

Another rice field area that is worth visiting in Tincep Valley, various kinds of birds could be seen in this area. They include Purple Heron, Javan Pond Heron, Hair-crested (white-eyed) Drongo, Pied Stilt, White-breasted Woodswallow, Spotted Dove, Zebra Dove, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, and etc.  Sometimes, Black Kite, and Sulawesi Serpent Eagle could be seen flying over the sky of Sonder.

The ravine of Kengkang waterfall is located in the north of Sonder. We could watch some interesting birds such as Sulawesi-crested Myna, Black-naped Fruit-dove, Green Imperial Pigeon, Sulawesi Serpent Eagle, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, White-rumped Triller, and etc. 

Sulawesi Scops Owl

Sonder - Kiawa Road is not a busy transportation lane. It has got a lot of trees and agricultural crops that grow on both sides of it. Birds that could be watched in this area include: Finch-billed Myna (formerly called Gross-beaked Starling), Zebra Dove, Black-naped Fruit-dove, Lesser Fish Eagle, Brahminy Kite, Collared Kingfisher, Gray Wagtail, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, and etc.

More birds could be watched if we go hiking in the forest of Mount Lengkoan of Sonder. There are Warbling White-eye (Japanese White-eye), Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Black Sunbird, Black-faced Munia, Black-crowned White-eye, Citrine Canary Flycatcher, Mountain Tailorbird, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Sulawesi Myzomela, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Sulawesi Bush Warbler, Sulawesi Pitta, and etc.

Nocturnal birds that can be watched in Minahasa highland include Speckled Boobook, Sulawesi Masked Owl and Sulawesi Scops Owl. 

Duration of the tour - In general, visitors spend at least 3 days/ 2 nights in Sonder to enjoy birdwatching. However, if the tour is combined with trips to Mount Mahawu, Lake Linow and Lake Tondano, the duration of the tour in this part of Minahasa highland can be as long as 4 to 5 days. 

The total duration of birding tour across North Sulawesi Province is 7 to 9 days, this will include trip to Maleo Sanctuary in Kotamobagu, Minahasa highland (Tomohon and Sonder), and Tangkoko Nature Reserve.

How to get there?

Visitors who are interested in taking a birding tour in Sonder town as well as other birwatching sites in North Sulawesi need to fly from their country to Singapore and then to Manado city. Or they can fly to Jakarta or Denpasar Bali and then continue to Manado city. We could meet you at the airport of Manado city and organize your trip to Sonder and other birdwatching sites in North Sulawesi province of Indonesia.

Booking contact

Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.  

Also read:

• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa regency
• Hiking and Birding Tour in Sonder, Minahasa regency, Indonesia
• Birding and Butterfly watching in Sonder's Forest and Farmland

Birding Trip in North Sulawesi with A Canadian Birdwatcher

A trip Report by Charles Roring during 1 week birding trip in Tangkoko Nature Reserve, Temboan Hill, Lake Tondano, Lake Linow, Mount Mahawu, Sonder's Mount Lengkoan Forest, Tincep's Rice Rield, Kengkang Waterfall and the outskirts of Manado city

From 31 December 2025 to 7 January 2026, I organized tour and guided Fred Hareau, a Canadian birdwatcher, on a birding trip across the Province of North Sulawesi of Indonesia. 

We went to Tangkoko Nature Reserve, Naun River, Lake Tondano, Lake Linow, Rurukan village, Mount Mahawu of Tomohon, Sonder's forest and rice field as well as Tincep's waterfall. 

Birding in North Sulawesi

Tangkoko Forest and Temboan Hill (31 December 2025 - 1 January 2026)

In Tangkoko's forest, we saw Rusty-backed Trush, Green-backed Kingfisher, Lilac Kingfisher, Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher, Great-billed Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Malkoha, Sulawesi Babbler, Ruddy Kingfisher, Knobbed Hornbill, Sulawesi Dwarf Hornbill, Black-billed Koel, Black-naped Fruit-dove, Maroon-chinned, Finch-billed Myna, White-necked Myna, Chinese Sparrowhawk, White-bellied Imperial Pigeon, Maroon-chinned Fruit-dove, Isabelline Bush-hen, Black-billed Koel, and etc. For mammals, we saw Sulawesi Bear Cuscus and Celebes-crested Macaque.

Celebes-crested Macaque

Naun River (2 January 2026)

We also did a trip by motorized boat to Naun River to find Great-billed Kingfisher. Along the sea cliffs, beach and river area, we also saw a lot of shore birds including Blue Rock Thrush, Pied Imperial Pigeon, White-rumped Cuckooshrike, Little Egret, Sulawesi Crow, Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon, Pacific Reef Heron, Common Sand Piper, Terek Sandpiper, Nankeen Night Heron, Medium Egret, Great-tailed Tattler, Terek Sandpiper, Pied Stilt and etc. 

We did night birding walks during our stay in Tangkoko. We saw Ochre-bellied Boobok, Speckled Boobook, Sulawesi Scops Owl, Northern Boobok, and Sulawesi Nightjar.

Lake Tondano (3 January 2026)

After spending 3 nights in Tangkoko, on January 3, 2026, we continued our trip to Lake Tondano where we watched Brahminy Kite, Black Kite, Dusky Moorhen, Oriental Reed Warbler, White-browed Crake, Barred Rail, Scaly-breasted Munia, Chestnut Munia, Javan Pond Heron and Cattle Egret. 

During our night birding activity in Tomohon, we saw Sulawesi-masked Owl. 

Tomohon and Mount Mahawu (4 to 5 January 2026)

On 4 January 2026, we took a morning birding trip in Rurukan village to see Sulawesi Pitta. After that we continued our trip to Mount Mahawu to watch Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Citrine Canary Flycatcher, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Warbling White-eye, and Black-crowned White-eye.

We also visited the volcanic Lake Linow near Lahendong village. There, we watched Sunda Teal, (perhaps) Whiskered Tern (in winter plumage), Sunda Teal, Collared Kingfisher, Purple Heron, Australasian Swamphen, Barn Swallow, Javan Pond Heron, and etc.

Sonder (6 January 2026)

During our birding trip in Sonder's forest from 5 to 6 January 2026 from Mount Lengkoan to Tincep's rice field and Kengkang Waterfall, we experienced a lot of rain. However, we were able to watch Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Crimson Sunbird, Black-crowned White-eye, Warbling White-eye, Mountain Tailorbird, Hair-crested Drongo, Sulawesi Myzomela, Black-faced Munia, Barred Rail, Collared Kingfisher, Pied Stilt, Javan Pond Heron, Zebra Dove, Purple Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Sulawesi Serpent Eagle,  Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, Black-naped Oriole, Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon. 

Manado city (7 January 2026)

To do our last morning birding walk, we left Tomohon town at 05:48 for the outskirts of Manado city. We saw Yellow-billed Malkoha, Javan Myna, Brown-throated Sunbird, Scaly-breasted Munia, Chestnut Munia, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Yellow-billed Malkoha, Sulawesi Crow, and three birds of Java Sparrow (Padda oryzivora). We were quite surprised to see these birds because they were not a native bird of Sulawesi. Perhaps they escaped from cages that belonged to someone in Manado city. There was a raptor soaring high in the sky. We could not see it well because the weather was cloudy. Perhaps, it was Spotted Harrier. 

If you are interested in taking a birding tour in North Sulawesi and want me to organize your trip and guide you, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or through whatsapp by pressing this contact link.

Also read:

• Birdwatching in Sonder