Snorkeling Widens Our Knowledge of Marine Environment

Snorkeling is a marine sport that allows us to widen our knowledge about marine environment. I often guide tourists on various snorkeling tours in West Papua especially Raja Ampat.

Some Snorkeling Photos of Mine

People can enjoy snorkeling at a beach, a river or a lake. I like snorkeling over coral reef areas because they are the natural habitat of a lot of marine creatures. I usually bring an underwater camera to record some videos and take pictures of fish and corals. 

Some current or waves makes my body unstable in the water. So, I find hard coral and  with my left hand, I hold it. I could hold my breath for around 1 minute underwater. That's enough for me to take pictures of the marine life. 

In order not to break the corals, I position my body and feet floating in the water. After taking a number of underwater photographs or videos, I go up to the surface again. 

Later when I have returned to my house, I will try to identify fish that I see using a field guide book Reef Fish Identification Tropical Pacific. 

By enjoying snorkeling, I and the tourists whom I guide can see various species of fish and marine creatures that live in coral reef. They are beautiful and colorful. Coral reef is similar to tropical rainforest. It is the habitas of a lot of species of plants and animals. It is also a great natural resource for anyone who is interested in studying about marine science. 

If you are interested in taking a snorkeling tour with me to coral areas in West Papua, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp through this contact link.

Related Posts:

• Butterfly watching tour in Sonder town
• Birdwatching in Sonder of Minahasa Regency
• Minahasa Highland Tour

Recommended Snorkeling Sites in West Papua

I often guide tourists on various vacation tours in West Papua province of Indonesia. We enjoy snorkeling in coral reef sites as well as go hiking and wildlife watching in the forest areas. The durations of the tours are between 1 to 2 weeks or even more. 

Snorkeling in West Papua

There are a lot of coral reef sites in West Papua province of Indonesia. Some of them are described below: 

Wondama - This is a regency in West Papua. It has got a lot of big and small islands that are surrounded by coral reefs. Its capital is Rasiei town. Most part of the National Park of Cendrawasih Bay is inside the territory of Wondama. Along the coast of Wondama town there are coral reefs, visitors can enjoy snorkeling over them. The snorkeling tours can be continued further to islands at the tip of Wondama Bay. For visitors who want to see villages to meet local people and explore rainforest to see birds and wildlife, Wondama regency is a highly recommended destination especially for budget travellers.

Raja Ampat - There are two small satellite islands in the east of Waigeo of Raja Ampat. They are called Waim and Mamiaef islands. They are not mentioned in the usual travel brochure about Raja Ampat tourism. But these empty islands are very beautiful. White sandy beach, coconut trees, and pristine coral reef are the typical scenery that most tourists will see there. I used to enjoy snorkeling in a lot of coral reef sites in Raja Ampat including Arborek, Yenbuba Strait, Mansuar island, Kri island, Piaynemo, Friwen, Kabui Bay, and a lot more. They are beautiful. Raja Ampat has got the richest marine biodiversity in the world. Misool, Batanta and Kofiau are important sites for snorkeling and scuba diving too. In my personal opinion, Kofiau islands and Batanta, although remotely located, are worth visiting. Marine life is abundant there.

Manokwari - as the capital of Papua Barat (meaning: West Papua) province, it can easily be reached by passenger planes operated by Sriwijaya Air, Batik Air and Lion Air. Coral reefs can be found in the eastern part of Manokwari. Manokwari is also the entrance gate for visitors who want to travel to Wondama. Manokwari is also an important destination for those who are interested in taking rainforest tours.

During 2020, the Indonesian government limit the influx tourists to this country due to Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, the world will start introducing vaccines. We hope that after the introduction of the vaccines, people will be able to travel again as usual and the snorkeling sites can be visited by tourists.

 Also read:

Coral Reef in the Waters of Manokwari

Birdwatching in West Papua - slideshow of birds

Here are some of the many bird pictures that I took while guiding visitors on various birdwatching and wildlife watching tour in West Papua province of Indonesia.

The tour is not only limited to birding. In the tours, activities such as swimming and snorkeling over coral reef, traveling to remote islands and visiting villages as cultural interactions with local people are included in the itinerary.

If you are interested in taking a birdwatching and wildlife watching tour in West Papua, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Birdwatching Trip to Wondama

Early this month I had two trips to Wondama Bay. I visited a lot of places in the coastal area and in the forest. I brought my binoculars and spotting scope so that I could fully enjoy birdwatching. In the coastal area of Rasiei and Rowi, birds such as Little Egret, Lesser Frigatebird, Grey Crow, Shining Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, and Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Olive-crowned Flowerpecker. 

Blyth's Hornbill were flying in Wondama's Forest

I also explored the lowland and hill forest in its northern region to do general birding. There, I saw Spangled Drongo, Golden Myna, Eclectus Parrot, Black-capped Lory, Coconut Lorikeet, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red Myzomela, Hooded Butherbird, Blyth's Hornbill, Lowland Peltop, Common Paradise Kingfisher. At the beach, there are White-bellied Sea Eagle, Little Tern, Olive-backed Sunbird, and a lot more.

Eclectus Parrot photo taken at dawn)

Wondama is a regency in West Papua province of Indonesia. To reach it, you need to fly from your country to Jakarta - the capital of Indonesia. Domestic airlines such as Batik Air, Sriwijaya Air and Lion Air provide regular flight services between Jakarta and Manokwari city which is the capital city of West Papua province. I could meet you at the airport or one of the hotels in Manokwari and then organized your trip to Wondama. 

Helmetted Friarbird

Your birding trip to Wondama can be combined with other activities such as snorkeling, visiting some historical sites left by the Dutch, and traveling by boats to islands. Wondama regency is a great destination for birdwatching. It has got beautiful landscape (and seascape). Most part of Cendrawasih Bay National Park is located inside Wondama regency.

Spangled Drongo

If you are interested, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read:

• Coral Reef and Rainforest in Roswar Island of Wondama regency 
• Wildlife Watching Tour in Wondiboy Peninsula
• Birdwatching Tour in Minahasa Highland of North Sulawesi
• Exploring the Natural Beauty of North Sulawesi

Vacation Tour to Wondama

I visited Wondama regency early this month. It was a beautiful destination for tourists who like snorkeling in coral reef areas or hiking in rainforest. The coastal area of Wondama has got a lot of coral reef sites that are suitable for visitors who like snorkeling. I went swimming at Cape Duari. It is a good site for those who want to see parrotfish, butterflyfish, anemonefish, and striped surgeonfish, and a lot more. 

In reef flat area, the depths of the water is around 1 to 2 meters. It is a good spot for those who want to see damselfish, sea star, christmas tree worm, urchin, sea grass and a lot of fish of various species. 

Most often while we swim, we can see birds such as Lesser Frigatebird, Striated Heron, White-bellied Sea Eagle and Tern flying across the sea to find food. 

Snorkeling Tour to Wondama Regency
West Papua province - Republic of Indonesia

Going deeper into the bay, the coral reef is also rich of marine life. We could see tropical fish such as jacks, sweetlips, humphead wrasse and a lot more. 

As a tour guide, I offer vacation tour for anyone who is interested in traveling to Wondama in West Papua province of the Republic of Indonesia. 

You need to fly from your country to Jakarta - the capital of Indonesia. After that you need to take domestic flight from Jakarta to Manokwari city. Airlines such as Batik Air, Sriwijaya Air and Lion Air provide regular flights to Wondama.

I can meet you at the airport and organize your trip to Wondama by ferry or airplane. The duration of your vacation to Wondama should be around 2 weeks. I suggest that you come here in a group of people so that you can share the cost. 

Well, don't forget to bring your snorkeling gear such as mask, snorkel, fins, and sunblock lotion, underwater camera. Those who like to go hiking in the rainforest can bring binoculars and camera with telephoto lens such as Nikon P900 or Canon SX70HS.

In addition to snorkeling, you can also visit former complex of Dutch missionary who built school for the Papuan people, visit villages to see how people made sago flour which is the traditional staple food of Papuan people and do boat tour along mangrove forest to see its unique vegetation and animals that live there.

If you are interested, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6381332245180.

Also read:

• Wondama - a beautiful destination for nature lovers
• Birdwatching Trip to Wondama

Birding Tour to Manokwari and Wondama regencies in Indonesia

I offer birding tour in West Papua for anyone who is interested in traveling to Indonesia. The birding sites will include Manokwari, and Wondama regency. These two birding sites have got different rainforest. The first one, the rainforest in Mount Soyti, is higher elevation forest that is the habitat of such birds as Western Parotia, Magnificent Bird of Paradise, Mountain Fruit Dove, Black Sicklebill, Papuan Flycatcher, Black-breasted Boatbill, Friendly Fantail, Black Fantail, Hooded Pitohui, Plum-faced Lorikeet, and a lot more.

Birdwatching Tour to West Papua province of Indonesia

In Wondama regency, we will go birding through lowland rainforest. The birds that we can watch include Hooded Butcherbird, Lesser Bird of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Red Myzomella, Blyth's Hornbill, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Brown Cuckoo Dove, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, and a lot more. 

Visitors who are interested in taking this tour need to bring their own binoculars, and digital camera. The number of participants can be a solo traveler or a group of birdwatchers from 2 to 4, 6, 8 or even more people.

To cover this huge rainforest, we need to around 14 days. The typical itinerary will be as follows:

• Day 1 Leaving Manokwari for Wondama by ferry
• Day 2 - 5 Birding in Wondama's forest
• Day 6 Going back to Manokwari
• Day 7 Going to Mount Soyti (birding)
• Day 8 - 14 birding, in the afternoon going back to Manokwari.

Because the starting point of this birding tour is Manokwari city, please, arrange your air travel from your country to Jakarta. After that, you could continue your trip to Manokwari city by using domestic airline such as Batik Air, Sriwijaya and Lion Air. The following is the flight route to Manokwari city:

Flight route from Jakarta to Manokwari city
and then by ferry to Rasiei - the capital of Wondama

During the birdwatching tour, we will combine it with mangrove tour and swimming/ snorkeling excursion at the beach especially in Wondama regency.

Also read:

• Birding Tour in Sonder Town of North Sulawesi
• Minahasa Highland Tour
• Birding and Butterfly watching in Sonder's Forest and Farmland

Arfak Mountains

This is the view of Arfak mountains taken from Rendani airport of Manokwari city. The mountains have been an important destination for visitors who like to see rainforest with its unique tropical plants and animals. 

Rendani airport with the view of Arfak mountains

There are hundreds of species of tropical birds, insects, mammals, reptiles that live in the forest of Arfak. The mountain range itself is home to a lot villages of the indigenous people. They gather food from forest but also work as traditional farmers. 

Lesser Birds of Paradise in Susnguakti forest

There is a forest in lower montane region of Arfak. Its name is Susnguakti. It is the habitat of some species of paradise birds including Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor), Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus), and King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus magnificus). There are also a lot of other birds such as Brown Cuckoo Dove, Superb Fruit Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Red-bellied Pitta, Hooded Pitta, Frilled Monarch, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Azure Kingfisher, Hooded Butcherbird, and a lot more. 

The rainforest is also the natural habitat of various kinds of insects, reptiles and mammals. I have guided tourists to the forest since 2010. During the day, when we walk, we see birds, butterflies, cassowary, and snakes. At night, we can see nocturnal animals such as cuscus possum, bandicoot and forest dragon lizard. 

Rainforest tour in Manokwari regency of Indonesia

There is a basecamp where we put dome tents, mattresses, cooking and eating utensils in it. When I go there with tourists, we are accompanied by local people who own the forest. We stay for 3 to 4 days in dome tents  and do jungle tours to see the wildlife of the forest.

After that we can continue our adventure to another different place such as the higher elevation forest of Arfak range or to Sorong regency and Raja Ampat islands. 

I usually combine the rainforest tour with swimming and snorkeling tour so that participants can see the biodiversity of plants and animals in the forest and coral reef. 

If you are interested in traveling to Arfak mountains or enjoy snorkeling to see colorful tropical reef fish, you could contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Coral Reef in the Waters of Manokwari

Manokwari is the capital of Papua Barat province in Indonesia. It is a coastal city in West Papua. Because it is located near the equator, its beaches have got coral reef. I like swimming and snorkeling over this coral reef and take pictures of the marine life that can be seen there.

Coral Reef in the waters of Manokwari

The ones that are far from the city are in very good condition teeming with fish, clams, and other marine animals. I usually do some freediving to a depth of 2 to 10 meters to take pictures of them. At these depths, sunlight can still reach the surface of the coral reef. 

Reef fish at Bakaro Beach of Manokwari

I use Nikon AW300 and Fujifilm XQ2 with its watercase to take underwater pictures and videos of the marine life. They are good enough for fish and reef identification works. 

Because I am a tourist guide, I like to organize tours for visitors who like snorkeling. But it is not limited to Manokwari city and its surroundings. I also go to Tambrauw mountains, Sorong regency and Raja Ampat islands. Most of my tours last for around 2 weeks combining snorkeling, sightseeing along the coastal area as well as hiking, birdwatching and wildlife watching in tropical rainforest of West Papua. In general, I guide between 2 to 4 tourists. There are also solo traveling tourist whom I guide. 

Sra-Oseri beach in Mansinam island

Bakaro beach in Manokwari

The tours to the beaches, and mountains of West Papua allow participant to see the biodiversity of plants and animals in coral reef and in the forest. They play a great role in maintaining the balance of our ecosystem and greatly support our life.

To visit Manokwari, visitors need to fly from their country to Jakarta - the capital of Indonesia. After that they can continue their trip by domestic airlines such as Garuda, Batik, Lion and Sriwijaya Air. The planes will land on Rendani airport of Manokwari which is only around 20 minutes from city center. 

If you are interested in taking a holiday to Manokwari in 2021 with health protocol under new normal, you can contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. I will be happy to prepare a customized itinerary for you.

Queen of the Night Flowers

I have just watched the blooming of Queen of the Night. These are beautiful flowers that bloom at night. The fragrant scent is similar to jasmine but mild. 

Queen of the Night Flower

I have seen a lot of flowers in tropical islands of Indonesia from the Queen of the Orchid (Grammatophyllum speciosum) to various kinds of hibiscus as well as Rhododendron. 

Queen of the Night Flowers (Epiphyllum oxypetalum)

For me, Queen of the Night or Bunga Wijaya Kusuma (its name in Indonesia) is a special flower. I am lucky to see them blooming.

Because the flowers emit fragrant scent, it has got the potential to be developed as essential oil. So, I do some searches on the internet about essential oil of the Queen of the Night. The result from Google searches show some companies that sell queen of the night. The scent of the oil can create a relaxing atmosphere to those who use it. 

Birding Vacation to North Sulawesi

I offer birding vacation tour to North Sulawesi for visitors who like to watch tropical birds of Celebes island. This easy birwatching tour will include trip to a waterfall at the suburban area if the city, a trip to Doloduo for watching birds in Tambun Maleo Conservation area. Tangkoko Nature, Mount Mahawu and Sonder will also be visited. 

Sulawesi Hornbill

During the tour, participant will watch Pale Blue Monarch, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Red-backed Thrush, Sulawesi Malkoha, Green-backed Kingfisher, Gross-beak Myna, Sahul Sunbird, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Ashy Woodpecker, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Knobbed Hornbill, Sulawesi Hornbill, and a lot more.

Red-backed Thrush

After the birding tour to North Sulawesi, the trip can be extended to Raja Ampat islabds in West Papua for visitors to watch Red Bird of Paradise, Wilson's Bird of Paradise as well as other interesting avifauna of mainland New Guinea.

For more info about the itinerary and cost, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read:

• Birdwatching Tour in Minahasa Highland
• Sahul Sunbird in Minahasa Highland
• Minahasa Beach and Great-billed Kingfisher
• Birds in Minahasa
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Exploring the Natural Beauty of North Sulawesi
• Yellow-billed Malkoha
• Birding in Minahasa Peninsula
• Nature Tour in North Sulawesi 

Birding at Sea and at the Beach of Raja Ampat Islands

Before the Covid-19 pandemic reached Indonesia, I often traveled to Raja Ampat islands to guide visitors. We spent between 3 to 5 days exploring the rainforest, the beach, and the islets to watch beautiful tropical birds such as Red Bird of Paradise, Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Beach Kingfisher, Red-cheeked Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Hooded Butcherbird, Spangled Drongo, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon, and a lot more. These birds live in rainforest along the coastal and hill areas of Waigeo island. 

Wilson's Bird of Paradise (Diphyllodes respublica)

Because Wilson's Bird of Paradise can only be found in deeper forest, we need to leave homestay early in the morning and did long morning walk to its display ground. My favorite site for watching this paradise bird was Zedekiah's forest located at the entrance area of Kabui bay. There is a very narrow beach where speed boat can land for tourists to go hiking up steep slopes, to the place of Wilson's Bird of Paradise.

My favorite places for watching birds were the southern, eastern, and northern areas of Waigeo, Gam island, as well as karst in Kabui bay.  When traveling in the bay, we used a motorized outrigger boat, or speed boat. Sea and coastal birds could be seen at the beaches and in the sky including White-bellied Sea Eagle, Whimbrel, Radjah Shelduck, White-breasted Woodswallow, Eastern Osprey, tern, and a lot more.

A Couple of Red Bird of Paradise

In certain islets where we could find nice white sand beaches, I would ask boat driver to land on them. We could spend around 1 hour enjoying the beauty of the seascape and watch birds using spotting scope mounted on a tripod.

Raja Ampat had a lot of beautiful things for visitors to see both above and underwater. I really hope that the situation will be better in the near future so that government will allow foreign visitors to come to this country again.  

The main gate to this tropical archipelago is Sorong city. Visitors can fly in from any major cities in Indonesia. Domestic airlines such as Garuda, Sriwijaya Air, Batik Air, Lion and Nam Air offer regular flights to Sorong. Arriving in DOMINE EDUARD OSOK airport, visitors still need to cross the sea by fast ferry boat to Waisai town. There are a lot of homestays and beach resorts which visitors can choose for staying in Raja Ampat for a few days. by Charles Roring

Also read:

• Birding Tour in Sonder of North Sulawesi
• Birding in Mount Mahawu
• Birding in Minahasa Highland
• Birding and Butterfly Watching in Sonder's Forest and Farmland

Magnificent Riflebird Calling His Mating Partner

I have just uploaded a video of a male Magnificent Riflebird calling her female partner. I saw him in Malagufuk forest of Klasow valley. It was a lowland tropical jungle of Sorong regency. 

This bird is one of the 42 species of Birds of Paradise known to science. It can be found in lowland and hill forest of New Guinea. The bird has got iridescent blue breast mostly black feather. The bird dances on a branch of a tree or vine to attract her female partner for mating. 

In addition to the Magnificent Riflebird, visitors who go to West Papua can also watch a lot of other birds including Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Bird of Paradise, Western Parotia, Red Bird of Paradise and Wilson's Bird of Paradise.

To watch them visitors need binoculars, birding camera and a field guide book: Birds of New Guinea: including Bismarck Archipelago and Bougainville by Phil Gregory or another similar title Birds of New Guinea by Thane K. Pratt, et al.

The main gate to birding in West Papua is Manokwari city and Sorong city. There are tens of hotel which visitors can choose to stay for at least one night before continuing their trip deeper into the forest to watch birds in the villages. This is written by Charles Roring

Cendrawasih Merah

Cendrawasih Merah (Paradisaea rubra) adalah salah satu spesies burung surga yang hidup di hutan hutan tropis Raja Ampat terutama di Pulau Waigeo, Gam dan Batanta. Burung ini memiliki perilaku yang unik yaitu berdansa di dahan-dahan pohon tinggi baik di pagi dan di sore hari. Dalam bahasa Inggris, namanya adalah Red Bird of Paradise. Satwa ini dilindungi sehingga siapa saja tidak boleh menangkapnya. 

Seekor Cendrawasih Merah jantan sedang menari di cabang pohon yang tinggi

Di Raja Ampat, wisata pengamatan burung Cendrawasih Merah semakin diminati oleh wisatawan nusantara maupun manca negara. Ada beberapa tempat yang bisa dikunjungi oleh wisatawan seperti wilayah selatan (Saporkren) dan utara (Urbinasopen) Pulau Waigeo serta kawasan Teluk Kabui. 

Untuk menontonnya, wisatawan perlu membawa binokular. Saya sarankan yang bermerek Nikon (seperti Nikon Monarch 5 10×42mm), Leica, Swarovski, atau Bushnell. Binokular bisa dibeli lewat Tokopedia, Lazada dan Bukalapak. Ada juga yang membawa kamera d-slr dengan lensa telefoto. Kalau lensanya cuma 300 mm, lebih baik, pemakainya menambah tele-converter 2×. Ada juga kamera bridge seperti Canon SX70 HS, Nikon P1000, Sony RX10 IV atau kamera jadul Fujifilm HS50EXR. 

Cendrawasih Merah/ Red Bird of Paradise

Ketika matahari terbit dan langit cerah, burung-burung Cendrawasih Merah jantan akan terbang ke tempat di mana mereka biasa berkumpul untuk berdansa. Sebenarnya mereka menari untuk memikat pasangan betinanya supaya diajak kawin. Kadang persaingan terlalu sengit sehingga mengakibatkan perkelahian. Mereka juga menari di sore hari. Durasinya rata-rata dari jam 06.00-09.00 atau dari jam 14.30-17.30. Sebenarnya waktu tersebut di atas bukan jadwal standard. Jam dansa sangat dipengaruhi oleh cuaca. 

Selama berkeliling kawasan hutan dan pantai di Raja Ampat, kita bisa melihat banyak sekali burung yang lain seperti Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Beach Kingfisher (Raja Udang Pantai), Common Paradise Kingfisher, Eclectus Parrot (Nuri Bayan), Palm Cockatoo (Kakaktua Raja), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (masyarakat lokal umumnya menyebutnya Kakaktua Putih), White-bellied Sea Eagle (Eagle Perut Putih), Brahminy Kite (Elang Bondol), Pinon Imperial Pigeon (Kumkum), dan masih banyak lagi. 

Baca juga:

• Cendrawasih Kuning Kecil
• Cendrawasih Kuning
• Gambar Vektor Cendrawasih Merah
• Burung Surga Merah
• Wisata Nonton Burung di Waigeo
• Pengamatan Burung Cendrawasih di Hutan Hujan Tropis