Island of Smiles - Turtle Gulag
A Farewell to Juergen Softka

A bit more than eleven years ago when I first begin diving in Raja Ampat I met an incredibly enthusiastic German diver and his wife, Juergen & Felice Sofka. We lived and dived together for 3 amazing weeks.

Juergen & Felice loved Irian Jaya (it was still Irian Jaya at that time) so much that Juergen invested heavily in a dive operation sending thousands of Duetsche marks, equipment and assistance.

In 2001 Juergen and Felice moved to Raja Ampat to help run the dive resort. Due to unfortunate circumstances concening his partner in the dive resort, Juergen lost everything he had invested, but he remained in Irian Jaya (Papua) fighting for his rights and the rights of traditional landowners in Raja Ampat.

On Friday, August 27, Juergen suffered a stroke and passed away the same day. He was staying in Jayapura at the time and is burled nearby in Sentani..

I was looking for some way to express what a good and kind person Juergen was, and how he would risk everything to help someone else. Then I remembered the sea turtle rescue!

While Juergen was doing survey work for a new resort he discovered that the remote island (not in Raja Ampat) where he was staying was being used by turtle "bandits".

A local man led him to see dozens of sea turtles that were being held in terrible conditions Outsiders were coming to the islands to illegally capture and imprison every sea turtle they could find to send for sale to the Bali trade.. The island was 150km from any other town. Juergen had no way to contact anyone to help. In spite of this, Juergen initiated a plan to free them at an incredible risk to his own life.

Although Internet access in Papua at that time was extremely poor, Juergen emailed me an account of his experience along with a few very small images.  I've published a webpage of his account here:

Juergen's "Island of Smiles - Turtle Gulag"

In the end Juergen's risky bluff led quickly to the release of an estimated 120-150 sea turtles.

We will miss him.

tours@cityseahorse.com

2011 Trips !

Each year I organize and accompany a few specialty trips, the "City Seahorse Charters", to only the best dive spots in In the world. I've been doing this since 1994.

On these Raja Ampat trips we dive only the best of the best dive sites.

Our limited participation trips cost approximately the same as other trips that carry full loads of divers - but we get lots more dives, more time underwater and more personal attention.

For 2011 I've made the trips a bit longer to give us time to venture into more of Raja Ampat than on the 11 day trips. The few days extension will give us the flexibility to visit some different areas while still finding time for "open deck" days and our favorite sites..

Oct 24 - Nov 7, 2011, 14 days & nights, $4995
Nov 11 - 22, 2011, 12 days & nights, $4295

On every City Seahorse charter we will try for 4+dives/day.  Unlimited diving time. Staying at the good sites for photography, video and adventure and missing the bad sites.  If you have favorite sites from a previous trip, please tell me and we will try to work them into the itinerary.

2011 Trip Prices Include:

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A Note from DebF

Thanks for reading my newsletter.  I look forward to helping you plan an exciting dive trip!

Best Wishes for Fishes,

Deb Fugitt,
Owner, City Seahorse, Inc.
tours@cityseahorse.com
www.cityseahorse.com/rajaampat
Telephone: 1-817-626-0636

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