We spent the day at Misool. When we arrived in the morning, we were excited and keen to get in the water. Three dives were planned for the day, one in the morning and two in the afternoon, to enable all guests the chance to dive twice. We scouted two potential dive sites and decided on the second, a small rocky island with a beautiful coral reef that encircles the whole island. We boarded the ship for a dive briefing with our very excited divers. We were in the province of Raja Ampat; its waters are well known for some of the best diving in the world. We completed three amazing dives. As the sun was starting to set, we spotted dolphins on our way back to the ship. What an incredible day.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 07 Dec 2022
Misool, Indonesia, 12/7/2022, National Geographic Orion
- Aboard the National Geographic Orion
- Indonesia & Papua New Guinea
Ross Gammon, Divemaster
Born in Zimbabwe, Ross grew up between a 45000-acre Game Ranch and the small town of Victoria Falls, which is situated inside of the Victoria Falls National Park. Most of his earliest childhood memories were of the wildlife that was always on his doo...
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Exploring Indonesia: Bali, Raja Ampat and Papua New Guinea
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At Sea
We are incredibly lucky to have the team from Woodland Zoo onboard for this voyage as they have close ties to the villages of Papua New Guinea. Today, Guest Speaker Dr. Lisa Dabek, Senior Director of the Tree Conservation Program, shared with us her experiences in saving the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo found on the Huon Peninsula. We learned about the tree kangaroos’ feeding and breeding behaviors and the great work they are doing in saving these unique marsupials. Naturalist Heather then took us on a journey into the very misunderstood world of insects and arachnids in her presentation, “Leaving a legacy when you are less than an inch tall.” After a delicious lunch prepared by our gourmet chefs, our knowledge of the undersea world was then broadened with Undersea Specialist Brett taking us on a deep dive into the darkness of the big blue, shining a light on the creatures that live within its depths. Our sea day of learning was then finished off with Guest Speaker Nancy Philips’ presentation, looking at the intersect of human health and the health of the surrounding environment in a sensitive and developing nation. During cocktail hour our onboard National Geographic Photographer Krista and Photo Instructor Fiona held a photo feedback session for those wanting to sharpen their photography and editing skills. It was a very full and satisfying day at sea on board National Geographic Orion.