2008 - 2009 Indonesia Liveaboard Dive Trips
Raja Ampat Diving - Diving Raja Ampat, Raja Ampat Liveaboards

2008 Special Trips are Full
Book Now for 2009

** August 2008 ** Newsletter

2007 Underwater Photography Contest Winners !

2009 Trips:

Our Best Trips:

Sorong-Sorong 12nt trip, $4095pp
Apr 22 - May 4

Sorong-Sorong 11nt trips
Nov 12 - Nov 23, $3895pp
Nov 26 - Dec 7, $3755pp

Sorong - Halmahera - Lembeh:
12 nt trip, $4095pp
May 8 - May 20, 12 nts

FakFak - Raja Ampat
11nt trip, $3755pp
Oct 29 - Nov 9, 11 nts

2008 Trips:

Our Best Trips:

see also Lembeh Strait Photo Trips

Sorong-Sorong 12nt trips,
April 2- Apr 14, FULL

Sorong-Sorong 12nt trips, $3895pp
April 30 - May 12, FULL

Sorong-Sorong 11nt trips, $3555pp
Oct 30- Nov 10
Nov 13-24

Deb's article on Raja Ampat Diving

2004 Raja Ampat Trip Galleries

The best things I can say about our previous trips, is that some of those divers signed up for 2005 and 2006! We have 40% repeat guests in 2006 but always welcome new guests... and hope they are happy enough to join us again too.

Our two 2004 and two 2005 trips were a success. Our method of diving for photos appealed to the participants as did the special menu, extra dives, extra services and the improvements to the ship we requested for our trips.

For the second year, underwater photographers on our trips won the top prizes in the photo contest. Not too shabby!

We don't want to give away all our secrets, so after reading our web pages, send us an email or give us a call (817.626.0636) so we can tell you all the details.

In summary, everyone loved the ship. Many said it was the best organized liveaboard for diving they'd seen. Our special menu was a hit.. again, many said it was the best liveaboard food they'd ever had.. even comparing it favorably to luxury land-based resort restaurants.

And the cabins... , all the divers really liked the cabins. They were spacious, clean and comfortable.. coming out on top of other Indonesian liveaboards for the functionality. Kudos to Ricard for his design of the ship's interior (that's everything inside the hull).

We had two excellent trips. Lots of fishy dives. If I had to choose one outstanding thing about this trip for me it would be barracuda! On many of the dives I ended up swimming in the blue with a large school of them. There were mixed schools, segregated schools and individuals getting cleaned. Expect some good barraduda shots in the 2005 gallery.

During the 1st trip, a couple of spots in the Dampier Strait were favorites for fish. Most of the group got to be surrounded by fish several times. One of the sites in Misool had a beautiful area at 25ft where a dense shoal of silversides were corralled by hunting jacks all morning. Coming up from the first dive I stuck my head into the dining lounge and rounded up another couple of photographers to come right in. By skipping breakfast, I managed 4 dives in the "corral" that morning and finally left it only because I was tired.

On another dive, again surrounded by silversides, Ricard and I were buzzed by a school of Mobula Rays that circled past us many times.

We caught the current just right at one of our favorite sites so were treated to schools of hundreds of cooperative sweetlips and at the top, massive schools of fusiliers and surgeonfish.

On the second trip we had some outstanding fishy dives too. We didn't manage to catch the masses of sweetlips and silversides seen on the first trip, but some of the dives were thick with jacks, barracuda, surgeonfish, fusiliers, chubs and snapper schools.

This was the batfish trip. At one site there was a photographer feeding frenzy on a large school of large batfish that were trying to relax in the "sweet spot" at the edge of a small island. I waited for the frenzy to end (maybe they ran out of air?) and bubbles to dissipate, then spent a few minutes alone with the batfish near the end of my dive. At another site the current was too strong so we were swept past our intended dive area and around the backside where a docile school of batfish provided ample (and excellent) photo ops for the entire group.

We were seeing Wobbegongs on many dives but somehow Hal always missed them. On the next to last day there was a Wobbegong at 12 ft in a good location for photos. I refused to leave the water, keeping an eye on it until the dive tender went back to the ship and brought Hal. Well, Hal had photographed one earlier on that same dive. A different one. But he came anyway and got some good shots of this one as well.

The only downside on this trip.. a shortage of critters compared to all the other trips I've done in Raja Ampat. We had some, but poor Paulino never saw his blue-ring octopus (although Bruce spent time with one on the next trip) and we never encountered even one ghost pipefish. However by the end of each trip, all divers were suffering from "pygmy seahorse fatigue". I found one fan of them at 15 ft. and another area at the same site had red, yellow and orange pygs, plus plucked chicken pygs with a 1 min swim.

The land-based trips we'd done previously had us missing some exceptional night dives and limited us to only 3-4 dives per day. We treat the liveaboard as if it was an island.. not needing to move every dive... and with SMY Ondina's help we've worked out a scheme that photographers really like. We're bypassing some of the problems inherent in liveaboard diving and incorporating some of the best parts of land-based into our trips.

	Susan, Mike, Mitch, Norberto, 1 Bintang and 3 laptops!

A few comments from the 2006 groups:

"The trip was one of two in the area organized every year by Deb Fugitt out of Texas, one of the first to fully recognize the value of this amazing area to divers. Deb's a fantastic photographer and organizes her trips around that pursuit. She also happens to be an amazingly dedicated trip organizer <big snip> The Ondina is a diver’s dream. Constructed from bow to stern entirely of wood in the traditional Pinisi style, the vessel is not only beautiful to look at, but specifically caters to the liveaboard life.... <big snip> One site ... was perhaps my favorite of all time. I was all but weeping in my mask with the sheer splendor of it. The garden in question is impossibly profuse with corals of every size and description, hard and soft, distributed in fields, clumps, outcroppings, small 'mountains', canyons, hills and valleys. There was a brain coral the size of a large igloo, with nary a mark on it. There were cup corals in the thousands, in wide open, orange splendor, climbing the walls of a coral face that formed the subterranean wall of a tiny rock island . Branching corals, including staghorns, formed vast fields, infested with clouds of tiny hovering anthias and other coral fish. Oriental sweetlips hovered cautiously under spreading umbrellas of table corals. A huge giant clam, lavender, green and black, lay open like a small Volkswagen whose roof had been cut away, exposing swollen upholstery. A large, beige and brown Wobbegong shark lounged on large scalloped coral, protruding eyeballs peering up from its weirdly fringed, flat face. Amid all this, reef fish flowed like rivers, lion fish hovered like alien spacecraft, occasional sharks darted and the sun blessed them all with glowing shafts of light. I got to dive this site four times."   full report
Peter, advanced uw photographer from Florida

A few comments from the 2005 group:

"I just wanted to thank you for a really great trip - one of the very best I have ever done and from a photographic viewpoint, the most productive ever!"  
Don, expert uw photographer from Australia

"I've been on two of Deb's trips - one to St. Vincent and one the past few weeks with her in Raja Ampat. I organize charters myself, and the reason I've gone with her (and expect to again in the future) is that she simply constructs and runs outstanding uw photo trips. She goes out of her way to think of every detail, and directs the dive operators she uses so as to maximize photo opportunities for her groups. For example, I saw far more critters in St. Vincent in a week with her than I did in more than two weeks on a private charter I did in that area with my own group. Likewise, I had far more and better photo opp's in Raja Ampat on this trip last week than on a charter of the same length there that I organized earlier this year. I realize that this makes it sound like the trips I organize are crappy, and that's really not the case; it's just that Deb's trips are really a cut above.

BTW, Deb is not only a great organizer, she has a great photographic eye and is an extremely accomplished uw photographer in her own right. Unless you are a troublemaker who doesn't play well with others (in which case Deb reserves the right to send you home), I wholeheartedly recommend her trips. You'll get more than your money's worth."
Bruce, Intermediate uw photographer from USA

"I like Deb's trips because she doesn't have to be nice to anybody."
Hal, uw photographer from USA
(Deb says "I take his meaning that there are no favorites, cliques or "sensitive" personalities that are catered to on these trips." )

"I have only good things to say about the trip you organised. The diving was even better than expected. The crew and the boat were excellent, the food was a joy. I had a lot of laughs with Ricard, David and Co. I'd go back any day. I would have liked to stay longer in Misool, maybe an extra day, but that's a personal preference, I had never seen coral like this before (even after 5 trips to the Maldives, and the Maldives is great believe me). I am very suprised we didn't see more sharks, you never said sharks was not on the menu <joke>"
Jerome, expert uw photographer from Ireland

Undercurrent: Four divers from our 2005 & 2006 trips created reports on Undercurrent. If you would like a copy of their comments, please send us an email so we can tell you how to find them. Both gave our trips 5 stars in all appropriate categories.

The TRIP:

Healthy reefs, unusual reef structures and dive sites. Unusual dive sites and the most diverse marine life area ever recorded. Huge schools of fish: barracuda, surgeonfish, fusiliers, batfish, sweetlips... macro creatures: blue-ring octopus, pygmy seahorses, double ended pipefish, shrimp gobies, nudibranchs, and loads of reef fish. Beautiful unspoiled topside scenery.

This is a trip you will never forget.

About US and the TRIP:

We've spent over 25 weeks creating images on 4+ dives per day in Raja Ampat over the past 8 years and know the reefs and conditions necessary for optimal image making. This will be the 11th - 14th trips we've made with a group here. Irian Jaya (Papua) is where we want to go for our diving holiday, so join us and find out why.

Since 1999, Deb has written several dive magazine articles, created several websites for the area (more to come), has contributed photos to dive magazines in Asia, the USA and UK, presented shows at DEMA, Seaspace, UPS & dive club meetings and wrote the Raja Ampat section of the Periplus Guide to Diving in Asia.

Download a recent article on Raja Ampat's Diving from the Scuba Globe Magazine.

While our guides in Raja Ampat have been excellent at finding the reefs, they have not been aware of the conditions photographers' need in order to create outstanding images. We've worked it out.. although with much arguing and stamping of feet !

We've dived many of Raja Ampat's best sites dozens of times and we've explored by small boat many areas that our liveaboard trip will visit. In our exploration and time in Raja Ampat we've also dived sites that were a waste of time. We'll be giving those a miss on these trips.

This will NOT be an exploration trip. Although we will try a few new sites. We don't believe photographers should spend this much money and their time searching for places where they might get a decent photo.

While we do not offer instruction (except for beginners and some assistance with intermediate composition, lighting, etc.) we do offer a well-organized trip with all the details worked out.

We strive to include only compatible divers & photographers on our trips so that everyone has a great time as well as brings home great photos.

Over the past 13 years of arranging dive trips for groups to Indonesia, the Caribbean and the Philippines, we've learned a great deal about what most photographers want from a dive trip... i.e. great diving, freedom to get that perfect shot, good tasty food, comfortable accommodations, stable electrical supplies ! and a congenial group to share the big finds and photo conversations.

We do screen our guests, and require they behave themselves while on our trip... so if you are grumpy, want to hog photo subjects found by the guides and your desire is to be unhappy and let others know, .. please find another trip.

We receive heaps of praise for our organized trips. References readily available from previous trip members!

About Raja Ampat Diving:

Don't delay. If you want to see Raja Ampat in all its glory.. get there ASAP.

Water Temp : The water temperature is 1mm neoprene or polartec diving, usual temperature is 84-86F with an occasional "chilly" 82F spot. We've had no problem with cold when diving 4 -7 long dives per day.

Liveaboard Travel: These islands are very close together. We plan not to make long journeys, but to keep the boat in an area for several days and dive the sites surrounding that area as conditions (current, angle of the sun, time of day) provide the best photo ops on a site. We aren't into crossing oceans, we're here to see the marine life and get those images.

Conditions: Oct/Nov is the best season for diving the area. The seas are typically flat.. like glass in some areas. Through the surface, split images and surface reflection shots are often possible.

Wide Angle Photography: There are VERY unique formations and unusually large schools of fish that make this an excellent area for wide angle photography. Again the trick is getting into the right spot at the right time. Sometimes this means you must be able to descend quickly to get down and out of the current. The same reef can be amazing or boring depending on the current & light.

Macro Photography: Can be done on nearly every site.. if you just ignore all the fish... We have several sites that we particularly like for macro. The silty bays, although not "clean" have abundant and unusual macro life. No pollution though.. only clean dirt out here. We always see blue-ring octopus, pygs (pygmy seahorses), nudibranchs.. there are unusual small fish, a newly discovered species of bamboo shark.. the ever present anemone fish.... we've seen a lot of the allied cowries on the soft corals.. really just too much to name.. please ask about macro.

Current: While there is a lot of current on certain sites, we do NOT want or plan to drift and try to take photos (with one exception). We do NOT want guests to be struggling with camera gear in strong currents. If you don't know how to dive in current, let us teach you.. that is the #1 specialty that doesn't get taught. We've noticed that many divers are afraid of current simply because they do not know how to deal with it. (note.. on our 2004 trips, we did drop divers who didn't like the current behind the reefs in protected areas.. they didn't see the best diving, but were happier there).

^new Nitrox now available on SMY Ondina

SMY Ondina is a 7 year old Indonesian traditional Pinisi ship specifically designed and outfitted exclusively for diving.

(BTW the sail color is traditional.. not dirty.) It has run many trips in Raja Ampat.

We have separate webpages with medium size photos, boat specs and amenities.. be sure to look at the photo gallery and read the captions.

SMY Ondina - Raja Ampat Liveaboard Details & Pictures

Trips limited to 12 guests !

2008/2009 Dates:

See schedule and availability top of page.

includes:

• 4+ dives per day (except possibly first and last days)
• 4 meals per day + afternoon snack, 24 hr. free snacks, tea, coffee & bottled water
• accommodations on the ship in private cabin with ensuite bath, double share
• transfers between the airport and ship
• ship fees and taxes for travel in Papua and Raja Ampat
• your choice of aluminum or steel tank, air fills, weights & weight belt
  

Not included:

• air travel (good prices from USA, email for an estimate)
• fuel surcharge
• individual Raja Ampat tourist fee and Papua travel permit ($85)
• crew gratuities
• massage, dive gear rental, E-6 processing
• alcoholic beverages & extra soft drinks other than those provided at meals

Please note that due to the doubling of fuel prices in Indonesia Oct. 2005, a fuel surcharge of $150 per person currently applies to this trip. All liveaboards and dive operations in Indonesia have increased trip prices or are adding a surcharge to cover the increase. Read the fine print, conditions and change pages to find these costs which are covered as fuel surcharges, port fees, etc.

more about the liveaboard ship

There are International flights to Bali, Manado and Ujung Pandang in Indonesia connecting through Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries. Generally it will require an overnight in one of these places.

From the USA, the most efficient and least expensive route is to Manado on Singapore Airlines. From the USA you fly via LAX, SFO, JFK or EWR to Singapore, then make a connection on Silk Air to Manado where you will overnight.

The 2 hour flight from Manado or UJP to Sorong is by jet, no problem with lots of luggage, although there is a reasonable charge for overweight. (in 2006 we paid between $0 and $60 per person for overweight on the Manado-Sorong segment).

You will be met at the airport in Sorong and escorted directly onto SMY Ondina. In Manado you will be met at the airport, transferred to your hotel and back. Note hotel and air travel is not included in the trip price.

We are not travel agents but will help you organize your travel which you will purchase directly from an airline wholesaler or through us via an agent in Indonesia. We do not charge for our help. You can also use frequent flyer miles to Bali (or other destinations). We have an arrangement for air tickets with Singpore Airlines from the USA to Indonesia with great prices and terms. Approximate airfare from LAX or JFK to Manado is $1200 + tax.

TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR THIS TRIP:

Please read our terms & conditions page prior to sending a deposit.

call us in Texas at 817-626-0636 for information or

email us about Raja Ampat Liveaboard trips

If you are interested in this trip we REALLY must speak with you about it There is no way to emphasize how special this area is or whether this trip will be suitable for you without some detailed communication. So, please call or schedule for us to call you.

Deb Fugitt

Images & Info from Many of the Areas We Will Visit:

new2005 Raja Ampat Trip Galleries

2004 Raja Ampat Trip Galleries

Raja Ampat Underwater Pictures, Irian Jaya Gallery 1

Raja Ampat Diving West Papau Gallery 2

Scuba Globe feature article on Raja Ampat Diving

Indonesia Liveaboard Pictures & Info

Scuba Globe Raja Ampat Photography Portfolio

Ambon Diving - Maluku Divers

May 8 - May 20, 2008: 12 nts, Sorong - Halmahera - Lembeh - $4,095pp

This trip starts in Sorong, Papua (Raja Ampat) and ends in Lembeh Strait (North Sulawesi) passing through and diving Halmahera.

Like all our Raja Ampat trips, this trip will offer extra diving and special services and will we will accompany the trip to ensure things go smoothly.

This the second time we have offered this particular itinerary. The trip will offer some of the finest diving in Indonesia... a gourmet sampler of photographic delights!

This is a great trip for photographers and for people who love to observe marine life and want a sample of the best diving Indonesia has to offer.

If you are interested please email us about the Raja Ampat- Halmahera - Lembeh Strait liveaboard trip

As an add-on to this liveaboard trip, book into one of the fantastic resorts on Lembeh Strait.. The ship will drop you off at the resort so no drying, packing or surface interval for flying required!

Visit www.cityseahorse.com/raja-ampat-halmahera-lembeh-strait-liveaboard-diving.php for more info.