IN SEARCH OF WALLACE AND HIS LIVING TREASURES

How I wished that I had the brain of a Russel Wallace and could make a small parakeet last read more clearly the illuminated page of Nature. - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle In collaboration with Dr. George Beccaloni – naturalist, Wallace expert and head of the Wallace Correspondence Project –In collaboration with Dr. George Beccaloni – naturalist, Wallace expert and head of the Wallace Correspondence Project – this exclusive SeaTrek itinerary honours Alfred Russel Wallace in the 150th year since the publication of his seminal travelogue, The Malay Archipelago. Like Wallace, we will go in search of the stunningly beautiful Birds of Paradise, which he regarded as "…one of the most beautiful and most wonderful of living things." With George as for two frugal meals as he sat in his small leaking ant-infested our on-board guest expert, 0ur journey on-board the Ombak hut in the pounding tropical rain. The Ship's Naturalist Dr. Putih will visit some of the places that most fascinated Wallace: George Beccaloni, is a knowledgeable all-round naturalist and a the Spice Island of Ternate, Wallace's base for his eastern world expert on Wallace, who has visited Indonesia five times travels and once the centre of the world clove trade.; the previously on natural history-related trips. George is the Director mysterious island of where Wallace discovered of the Wallace Correspondence Project evolution by natural selection; the remote Raja Ampat Islands (http://wallaceletters.info) which aims to locate, digitize, with their pristine incredibly diverse coral reefs and glorious transcribe, interpret all of Wallace's surviving letters and other Birds of Paradise Along the way, we hope to see some manuscripts. Its online digital archive and publications will be a incredible , including possibly five species of Birds of key resource for all those interested in the life and work of this Paradise (about the same number Wallace saw), giant clams, great man. Note: The price of this cruise does not include any massive manta rays, humongous coconut crabs, endangered domestic airfares to and from our start and end points. If you black macaque monkeys, and if we are very lucky, dugongs. The are booking flights by yourself, do not book any flights before landscapes are spectacular: from remote palm-fringed coral checking with us first. Our first and last day programmes rely on islands, to majestic rainforests, to huge smoking conical strict time scheduling, so please confirm with us to ensure that volcanos. On-board the Ombak Putih we will have comfortable you arrive and depart at your destination with plenty of time to cabins and delicious food. For us there will be none of the spare and to avoid disruption to other guests' schedules. hardships that Wallace experienced: more than once he had to

0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com ITINERARY Day 4 Raja Ampat When we emerge from our cabins we will be in the southwest corner of Kabui Day 1 Sorong Bay next to ‘Wallace’s Channel’ where Wallace emerged after his very Your flight will arrive in the West Papuan port town of Sorong, the gateway to challenging sail from Seram. After breakfast we will take dinghies through the Raja Ampat. From the airport we will transfer you to the harbour where the narrow channel, examine the vegetation clinging to the limestone cliffs, and Ombak Putih will be waiting at anchor. Once settled into your cabin, your snorkel at a few contrasting sites. We will then return to the ship and head out cruise director will familiarise you with the vessel’s facilities and safety of the bay; with luck we might see some dolphins. We will spend the afternoon procedures. Ready to start our adventure, we will weigh anchor, leave the in Yenbeser village where Wallace spent some months and (if the tides are harbour behind, and cruise to a small island, where we can enjoy our first right) we’ll visit a faithful replica of Wallace’s small hut, which was built by the snorkel. Upon entering the marine protected area of Raja Ampat, we will head villagers using plans from FFI (Fauna & Flora International) and a grant from towards Waigeo, Raja Ampat’s biggest island. SeaTrek. We will also visit a nearby small island where a local man has set up a coconut crab 'sanctuary'. The island is home to a small number of these Day 2 Raja Ampat monsters (Birgus latro, the world's largest terrestrial ), and you can get up close and personal with these magnificent yet docile beasts. Another Today we will rise at 4.30am off Saporkren village. The dinghy will carry us late afternoon snorkel along a reef with some spectacular giant clams (the across to the village in the dark and a local guide will take us on a 20-40 world's largest bivalve) will lead us into dinner at anchor on board. minute-walk into the forest on a pre-dawn quest to spot the gorgeous Wilson’s Bird of Paradise. We hope that the efforts of our early start will pay off, Day 5 Raja Ampat enabling us to catch a rare and privileged sight of the bird’s elaborate courtship dance as the day breaks over the forest canopy. Back in the village Today is a day or snorkelling, Wallace tracking, and exploring some of Raja there will be time to meet with the community and perhaps visit the school. Ampat’s most beautiful limestone karst islands. We will wake up in front of the We will be back on the boat by mid-morning and if time permits we’ll travel island of Penemu, a dramatic location with a short hilltop climb to take in the over to a nearby island to snorkel. In the afternoon, we should also manage a amazing views. After some great snorkelling on the island’s reefs, we will set snorkel on the reefs of Mioskon Island before dinner on board at anchor, course for Klaarbeck, where Wallace landed after his difficult journey from ready for an early morning venture for the Red Bird of Paradise. Seram after a combination of unpredictable winds, fierce currents, difficult anchorages and lack of water sources ended with him being unable to retrieve Day 3 Raja Ampat two crewmen who were stranded to the south on the small island of Kommerrust. Hopefully, we will be able to land on Klaarbeck and climb the hill Today will present another opportunity for keen naturalists, as we rise early that Wallace climbed in the vain hope of signaling to his stranded men. and walk into the forest on a pre-dawn quest to spot the remarkable Red Bird Afterwards we hope to reach nearby Yar Island at dusk to witness thousands of Paradise, one of the species that Wallace was most anxious to collect. With of flying foxes emerging and flying off to feed. This night we will find a remote a little luck and the help of our knowledgeable guides, we will see this rare beach where we will have a beach BBQ and party, a highlight of any SeaTrek bird’s elaborate courtship display as dawn breaks over the forest canopy. After journey. returning to the ship, we will turn our attention from the sky to the sea as the Ombak Putih makes her way through the Dampier strait, home of some of Day 6 Raja Ampat Raja Ampat’s premier reefs. If the currents are in our favour, we might see some of the area’s larger specimens of marine life, which are attracted to the This morning we will wake to see the sun rise over the picturesque chain of strait’s nutrient-rich waters. There's a chance that we may get to see some islands that makes up the eastern part of the Misool archipelago. The manta rays as we snorkel, but there are no guarantees. We will end the day by topography is typical of ‘karst dissolution,’ featuring a great number of tiny mooring off the tiny Aborek Island, where the local children will perform their islets whose bases have been eroded over time by the relentless motion of the traditional dances for us. We can also walk around the village and gain a tides. After an early breakfast, our tenders will take us into the heart of the sense of the Asai culture, which is still kept very much alive by the villagers bay to see this partially submerged cave where it is possible to swim, snorkel living in this isolated place. or simply float while gazing up at the cavernous grotto adorned with astonishing stalactites. The more adventurous can swim or paddle through the dark waters to the other mouth of the cave. We will then move on to a

0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com mysterious jellyfish lake and swim amongst the many thousands of stingless cuscus and the endangered black macaque – the only monkey in Maluku. It’s animals: undoubtedly one of Raja Ampat’s most memorable activities. After the wrong side of the Wallace Line for monkeys; these ones were introduced returning to the ship, we will use our tenders to explore more of this hundreds of years ago from North Sulawesi. impressive maze of karst islands, both above and below the surface, complete with mysterious skull cairns in sea-cave cemeteries, and prehistoric cave Day 10 Halmahera paintings, estimated to be anything between 3,000 to 5,000 years old and depicting various human figures and huge human palms, fish, and plants, We will rise at 3.00am, have coffee and snacks, and transfer to cars at tools and vessels. Bastiong Village, Halmahera, which will drive us over the dividing range towards Weda Reef & Rainforest Resort. Together with the local community, Day 7 Raja Ampat the owners of the resort manage a foundation for education and conservation of the primary forest and its wildlife. They are proud to be able to protect 700 Today we will try our best to see the Lesser Birds of Paradise displaying in the hectares of primary rainforest, home of the Wallace’s Standardwing Bird of wild, an unforgettable experience for anyone lucky enough to see them. We Paradise, plus many other species of birds and other wildlife. We will start our will rise around 4am and have a quick breakfast and go ashore at Kapatcol, walk into the forest so that by 6am we will be quietly below the trees used by where local guides will be waiting for us to take us through the forest to males of Wallace’s Standardwing for their communal courtship display. The hopefully see the birds as they dance around in their ‘lekking’ (courtship polygamous males gather and perform a spectacular aerial show, each display) trees. We can make no guarantees, however, as we do not have them ‘parachuting’ with its wings and its vivid-green breast shield spread, and their on a leash. We will have time for a look around the village and possibly a visit feather ‘standards’ fluttering above its back. We’ll walk back to the road where to the school and to learn about the way Nature Conservancy is working with we will have breakfast at a shelter before heading out for a morning of bird the village to empower with local women with a fishing practice called ‘sasi’. watching (hornbills, giant cuckoos, parrots, and possibly the Paradise-crow, another species of Bird of Paradise). There might be a chance for a snorkel in Day 8 Halmahera Weda Bay before having lunch at the resort. After lunch there may just be time to explore behind the resort for Wallace's Golden Birdwing butterfly, before When we wake up today we will find ourselves off the extreme southern tip of driving back to boat at Bastiong. Halmahera near the islands of Djoronga and Damar, where we will go snorkelling and visit a local village before heading off later in the day for Day 11 Halmahera Bacan. Today we will wake up off the coast of Halmahera, just across from Ternate, Day 9 Bacan with the mighty peaks of Ternate and Tidore as our dawn backdrop. After breakfast we will head to the village of Dodinga: the very place where Wallace We will wake up off the western coast of Bacan, another of Indonesia’s was living when, in a fit of malarial delirium, he discovered the mechanism historic spice sultanates. We go ashore to explore the forested slopes where which drives evolutionary change - natural selection. Once he had recovered, Wallace made some of his greatest zoological discoveries, including the he promptly wrote a detailed essay explaining his theory, which he posted to Moluccan Cuscus, the Standardwing Bird of Paradise, the world's largest Charles Darwin as soon as he returned to his base on Ternate. His essay, pluto, and the huge and magnificent Golden Birdwing Butterfly. which was published together with Darwin's thoughts on the subject in August Wallace described the latter species as the "finest butterfly in the world". 1858, prompted Darwin to publish his book Origin of Species in 1859, which When he caught the first male in 1859 he wrote: "When I took it out of my explained the theory in greater detail. Dodinga is a pretty little riverside village net, and opened its gorgeous wings, I was nearer fainting with delight and with friendly people, colourful houses and the ruins of an old Portuguese fort, excitement than I have ever been in my life; my heart beat violently, and the and its importance in the history of science cannot be understated. After blood rushed to my head, leaving a headache for the rest of the day." Very spending some time with the villagers, sharing some fresh coconuts and few Westerners have ever seen this species alive and no groups of tourists enjoying their hospitality, we will head back to the boat for lunch and then go have ever been taken to see it before. Of course there is no guarantee we will off for an afternoon of snorkelling and relaxation. Tonight we will have a final see it - but we will try very hard and will be employing as our guide the one farewell party. person on Bacan who knows exactly where it can be found.. We will also keep a close watch for these and a host of other animals, some of them endemic to Day 12 Ternate these islands, including parrots, cockatoos, lorikeets, hornbills, the elusive

0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com Today marks the end of our adventure, but first we will head into the city, which has retained its commercial and political importance as the administrative and trading centre of North Maluku. Of the four historically powerful spice sultanates, Ternate is the only one where the sultanate has survived uninterrupted. We will visit Fort Toluko built by the Portuguese and the ‘Kedaton', the palace of the Sultan, with its rich collection of heirlooms. We will also see the impressive Fort Oranje built by the VOC (Dutch East India Company) and the probable site of the house where Wallace lived when he posted his essay on natural selection to Charles Darwin in 1858. After our tour we will move back to the boat and say goodbye to our crew and our sea-based home, Katharina, before transferring to the airport for our onward travel.

Please Note: Itineraries are subject to change.

0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com YOUR SHIP: OMBAK PUTIH

YOUR SHIP: Ombak Putih

VESSEL TYPE: Yacht

LENGTH: 42 metres

PASSENGER CAPACITY: 24

BUILT/REFURBISHED: 1997 / Refurbished 2015

The Ombak Putih is a traditional Indonesian schooner custom built from Iron wood by Buginese ship builders. The Ombak conditioning Putih is 42 metres long and provides accommodation for up to Towels and beach towels that are regularly changed 24 guests in 12 comfortable cabins. With approximately 400 Valuables and travel documents can be stored in the ship's safe square meters of public space divided over 2 main decks, the Dining in spacious air conditioned lounge Ombak Putih offers both open and covered space in Teak wooden furniture in lounge, cabins and on deck abundance, allowing for privacy and serene relaxing. All cabins Spacious sun and semi-covered decks are located below deck and offer private bathroom, portholes, Free tea, coffee and mineral water individually controlled air conditioning, and ample storage Excellent food and snacks (vegetarian food on request) space including safety deposit box. Led by Captain Feri, 14 A selction of wines, cold beer and other alcoholic drinksare dedicated crew members coming from all regions of the offered for sale archipelago make your stay with us a memorable experience. Fresh water on-deck shower Spacious twin shared cabin with twin bunk beds or double bed Outdoor sleeping facilities Each cabin has a private bathroom with toilet and hot shower Professional cruise director Washbasin and soap toiletries in your cabin Unlimited use of our snorkeling equipment and 2 sea canoes Cabins have individually controlled air Television, DVD and music center in lounge

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