So here we are first day of dive safari is before me. Breakfast, coffee done and now is time to wait until sleeping beauty wakes up. Yeah we sat with Irwan and chatted until Elliot  woke up. Few moments later crew was on board and captain said go, so we are ready to rock and roll. Waves were a bit more that little so rock and roll it was. Nothing special just blue ocean gently rocking up and down with some splashes as the boat cut through waves.

We sat and talked, as the boat slowly made her way towards dive sites. Tea, coffee and biscuits ready to much on it and we did. Tasty coconut biscuits with hot coffee, what a treat. Sun is high on clear blue sky and gentle breeze, refreshingly flowing through the boat. We did nice dives and as much as I could talk about them all ‘if I remember them now’ but I remember few.

Mayhem and Blue Magic are two of them. Current, sharks, lots of marine life, manta and oceanic manta.  How can you forget such things. Mayhem is real mayhem of marine life, that sometime I felt like we were in the oversized aquarium. Shark, tuna, trevally, garden eel, fusiliers, turtles and manta. We were diving along the reef and watching all the corals while kicking against current, until we reached the manta spot. We hooked in and start floating in current like flag is floating and waving in the wind. Nice current and some fish around but no manta so Irwan signaled ascend and un hook. As he and Elliot unhooked I stayed in place and watch them go over me to the other side of reef. Then as I turned to unhook myself I suddenly looked into eye of Manta which came from deep right beside me. Such a magnificent view. I just reached to my right and grabbed the Elliot as he was floating away from me and pull it to show manta. Funny things was, that as manta was leaving us gliding above our heads she / he literally shit on us 😊 so that is what they might think of divers.

Blue Magic is as the name says, magic in blue. Great current and colorful corals with the citizens of the ocean all over. As we descend to the side of the reef we saw few sharks swimming below us and then slowly kicked against current. Lots of corals, fish and nice big sandy place with garden eels sticking out like underwater fence, retracting as soon as we approached them. Turned around and as we coming over the top of the reef we saw this yogi walking shark laying on the reef in nearly ninety degrees angle. Resting did not care about us at all. As we came to crevice or dent in the reef we descend into it and waited for manta to come clean as this is cleaning station. We sat there and then Irwan signaled ascend as Elliot was getting low on air. As they left and start swimming left and up I turn to right around small pinnacle. That was when the magic happened. Oceanic manta came from the deep and I screamed my lungs out to get Elliot and Irwan attention. It is so awesome sight to see oceanic manta graciously gliding around, that it literally take my breath away.  Did two laps around us and then left. What a amazing finish of last dive ! Cannot be any better. We were so happy that we might look like kids who got ice cream first time.

Also the home stay, where we stayed are some beautiful places to be. Simple bamboo cottages with a porch and a bed in the most simplistic way. What sets them apart is the location they were build on. They are built mostly on beautiful places around the small island above the water or close to the water. It looks romantic and fab but if you are not in lagoon or shelters area, the waves crushing on the shore can ‘they did actually’ keep you awake. However the crushing waves are allright but the sunrise on the beach directly below bungalow made all better in instant.

Second home stay was built in protected lagoon and all the houses are on stills above the water. Peaceful and tranquil place to be in small numbers. We had luck on the guest staying there. We dined together and have nice chat every evening. One evening someone said ah cous cous as me and Elliot were eating our dinner and we thought really..? here ? But it was an animal on the roof of bamboo communal room. Everyone run out with cameras ready to take photos and with bananas in hand to feed the animal. As Elliot mentioned it looks like cross between cat, leopard, sloth. There was one on the roof moving slowly like someone on tranquilizer pills or stoned really really hard. Also did not give a fuck about all the bananas throwed on the roof. Later another one came and the betting started on the winner of the fight. Unfortunately for all the gamblers the fight did not happen as there was a staring contest for a while. They got really close face to face together and stay looking on each other with slight movement. Then one of them backed off.

All the evening entertainment had finished and we all moved back to communal area for more chat and some water. One of the animal came down to us into communal area and observed the kitchen and us. After a while t realized that we are not so interesting animals and left.

Have to say that was nice and I think that we would not be able to experience this at hostel / hotel or liveaboard so dive safari is thing I do recommend at Raja Ampat.

Got back to the resort and have fab sunset on the jetty, dinner with Maria and rest of the guest, exchanging the experiences of diving. One more night and it is time to move on with travelling. Well, actually I did extend stay at this paradise for one more night as I decided that it would be shame to go to town and not stay here. Woke up in the morning to the sunny day so I was happy as needed to dry my diving gear. Lazy day spent in hammock, on the jetty and between the repositioning gear to dry. Great talks with guests and some great food as well, what was real nice surprise. Eventually the last night came and the next morning we have chat together as people were having breakfast before my transport was ready to take me to ferry.

Thank you all at SCUBA REPUBLIC for such wonderful time and my dive buddy Elliot as well as the rest of the guest from Finland, Germany, England, Czech who created homely atmosphere in this little paradise of Indonesia.