001 002 WHALE SHARKS

BURT JONES AND MAURINE SHIMLOCK ©2012 TO BUTTERFLIES

BURT AND I SAILED EAST FROM RAJA AMPAT ALONG WEST ’S WILD NORTH COAST TO CENDERAWASIH BAY NATIONAL PARK, ’S LARGEST MARINE PROTECTED AREA. ACCOMPANIED BY CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL’S DR GERRY ALLEN AND DR MARK ERDMANN (WHOSE COLLECTIVE PASSION IS DISCOVERING NEW FISH SPECIES) WE PLANNED TO DIVE AREAS WE HOPED WOULD HAVE HIGH POTENTIAL TO BRING SUSTAINABLE MARINE TOURISM TO THIS REMOTE AND STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL PLACE.

ark and Gerry had been to ringed atolls capping dramatic coral walls, Cenderawasih before, but it was we thought, “Finally a place where time Mour first trip and the first time the stands still.” While it’s true there’s no bay would be explored with the aim of large-scale development within the park attracting traveling divers to the park. We and its 20,000 or so inhabitants haven’t knew in advance the trip would have an left much of a mark on the land or impressive beginning and a memorable seascape, we were wrong in our finish: Cenderawasih lies between two of assessment of time’s role in Cenderawasih the archipelago’s most spectacular dive Bay. When considered on an epoch scale, sites, ’s World War II wrecks time is the designer of Cenderawasih’s and reliable gatherings of whale sharks in reefs and has imprinted a history of great Kwatisore Bay’s bait fishing grounds, water movements and geologic upheavals. about 150 miles south of Manokwari. One evening, after a full day of exploring What we didn’t know was that we were the complex reefs and atolls east of Roon entering the marine equivalent of Alice’s Island, we returned to our ship and Wonderland, a uniquely isolated place headed to the top deck, cold cans of where evolution has taken strange twists Bintang in hand, to hear Gerry’s and turns and produced an impressive hypothesis about how Cenderawasih Bay gathering of new marine species. After our became an endemic species treasure first glimpse of Cenderawasih’s natural trove. Between 10 and 14 million years wonders, dense tropical forests sheathing ago, and again three to five million years mist-topped limestone cliffs and tiny sand- ago, slivers of land moved by unstable

Whale shark feeding at the surface; Hard coral garden at Weka's Kejutan; Tiger shrimp at Crissy's Delight, Wandamin Peninsula; Ornate ghost pipefish, Wandamin Peninsula; A dottyback at P. Nutabari; Cenderawasih long-nosed butterflyfish sportdiving magazine june/july 2012 divetheblue.net 003 004

Cuttlefish,Crissy's Delight, Wandamin tectonic plates blocked the mouth of vanishing acts for corals and fish. Falling Peninsula Cenderawasih Bay. Gerry believes these sea levels (during the Pleistocene, the bay Painted frogfish at Napenwaur (Napan); events reduced the influence of oceanic sea levels would have been 120 metres Ceratosoma nudibranch currents inside the bay, further limiting the lower than today) literally left shallow Estuarian seahorse movement of marine larvae through reefs high and dry; only the previously Diver over Cross Wreck at Manokwari; Cenderawasih. The barriers finally moved deeper, vertical walls of coral survived. Snorkeling with whale sharks in Kwatisore on, some merging to form Halmahera The reef fishes that specialize on shallow Bay Island, others with the northern edge of the reef flats perished and disappeared. Fish Bird’s Head Peninsula. The bay’s massive rarely leave a niche unfilled, so deep- size and the shallow sill running between water species gradually moved up the the mainland south of Manokwari east to walls. As sea levels rose again and re- Island still limits oceanographic flooded the long-dry reef flats, these circulation and prevents current-carried deep-water fishes followed the rising sea larvae from reaching many interior reefs. levels to the upper reaches of the Disconnected from outside influences, dropoffs, where they encountered little Cenderawasih’s marine life developed in competition from shallow species due to unique seclusion. the recruitment limitations of the bay’s It took us just a day or so of diving healthy coral we’ll see during a lifetime of unique oceanography. around the bay’s many atolls marveling at diving. Early next morning we descended on a spit the displaced fish, to also appreciate the of reef jutting out from Tridacna Atoll, This evolutionary pattern can still be seen layer upon layer of hard corals of every As we crisscrossed north and east of the where hundreds of endemic Pterocaesio today, especially north of Tridacna Atoll size, hue and configuration which formed Wandammen Peninsula checking out as monikae , a small slender deep blue fusilier and east of Rorebo Island where the reefs these reefs. Unsurpassed in our many sites as possible, we realized we with a lateral yellow line, massed just off are riddled with small caves and experience, Cenderawasih’s hard coral- needed to find some good critter sites if one of the atoll’s sheer coral walls. We cutbacks, perfect niches for secretive fish. dominated reefs confirmed Gerry Allen’s Cenderawasih Bay was to rate among the followed them for a while, but were soon While on survey, Burt and I usually move hypothesis: something special happened world’s best dive destinations. On distracted by several fish we couldn’t quite quickly aided by powerful underwater in Cenderawasih Bay. Over 500 species Wandammen’s east coast, just south of a place: yellow damselfish that were a scooters. We abandoned them on these of hard coral have been recorded (so far) small stream meeting the sea, we rolled out duskier colour, and long-nose butterflyfish patch reefs for the chance to photograph from Cenderawasih, and at least 30% of of the dive dinghy and finned down to a with slightly shorter snouts. Remembering Burgess’s butterflyfish – normally a deep- them have not yet been described. We soft-bottomed slope dotted with small bits Gerry’s geology lesson, we surmised that dwelling, decompression-inducing species know that when a dive guide says the of sponge, solitary soft corals and rocks – these fish were probably isolated variants – in less than 10 metres of water! All words “pristine hard coral garden” most the perfect critter hunting ground! Within a of the fairly common tropical species, and along the reefs crests, we moved slowly divers yawn, but nowhere else have we few minutes we photographed several Gerry confirmed he hadn’t seen these so we could photograph other, normally seen coral gardens equal to these. It was pygmy cuttlefish, which Dr Christine species adaptations anywhere else. deep water fishes residing in much impossible not to be enthralled by the Huffard, CI’s cephalopod expert who was shallower water, including both the male bay’s coral domes, especially when also with us, believed to be undescribed. Due to its turbulent geological past, and female ornate angelfish Genicanthus hovering weightlessly over reefs that Zigzagging over the rock-covered ridges, Cenderawasih has staged repeated bellus and Randall’s anthia. could easily be the greatest expanse of we spotted several interesting nudibranchs,

Drs Erdmann (lft) and Gerry Allen at work on Mark's Mimpi; The newest hot spot for whalesharks is Cenderawasih Bay in Papua, Indonesia. The sharks are attracted to the local fishing boats called bagans where they are handfed by the fishermen. Here a shark is leaving the bagan after receiving a ‘free break - fast’ in the early morning.

The research team included Drs Mark Erdmann, Gerald Allen, and Crissy Huffard, a cephalopod expert and Conservation International staff member assisted by Ruland, a UNIPA (University of Papua) graduate. UNIPA professor Pak Hamed was also on board. Burt and Maureen’s new guidebook Diving Indonesia’s Bird’s Head Seascape produced for Conservation International, can be ordered from www.secretseavisions.com. > sportdiving magazine june/july 2012 divetheblue.net 005 006

arranged to return at dawn to metres of clear water, just off a sloping Visa: Most western passport holders will free dive equipment on the vessels to watch the handouts from the white sand bottom not far from shore. The benefit from the visa-on-arrival system reduce diver baggage weight. previous night’s catch. The rich and colourful coral growth on the top which is valid for 30 days and costs Minimum certification: All diving fishermen believe the ‘Hiu deck sheltered macro subjects like US$25 at international entry on arrival, or passengers must provide current dive Bintang’ or ‘Star Sharks’ bring nudibranchs and pipefish foraging slowly pre-purchased from the Indonesian certification, minimum open water level. good luck and so they reward a among the debris. We spent time deep embassy or consulate in your country for a DIVE INSURANCE IS COMPULSORY. bountiful take by throwing on the wreck, but saved enough air to slightly higher fee. Visibility, water temperatures, currents: below-grade fish to the queuing survey the slope where we photographed Currency: The best cash is US Dollars. Visibility can vary from 5 to 40 metres. sharks. Slipping into the dawn- leaf fish, juvenile batfish, octopus, and However, all foreign currency is accepted This is never a concern due to the huge dark water, we came face to mantis shrimp. at money changers and most banks. Bring diversity of life. Dive guides always check mouth with three ten-ton 20-foot- new notes and the largest denominations if currents (they vary), temperature and vis long giants that fed for over two For quite a few years the stewards of you wish to bring cash. There are many prior to a dive. If a dive is called for in a hours while we snorkeled, Cenderawasih, government officials, local ATM's and banks in Indonesia. current, it’s because there’s something dived, and shot from the bagan leaders and NGOs have sought a Baggage allowances for domestic flights: extraordinary to see. to record the action. Nowhere balance between protection and public These vary enormously between Power: The vessels have both 110v and else have we seen or heard of access to this magnificent marine park. destinations and airlines. Play safe with 20 220v power. There are many adaptors on Mark's Mimpi with seawhips and surgeonfish whale sharks this friendly or accessible, Logging, mining, new roads, airstrips, kg (44 lbs) and one bag. Dive Damai has board to utilise for battery charging and and Cenderawasih could easily become and a growing population all threaten this also laptop computers. the trip of a lifetime for divers seeking once timeless seascape and evidence of Standard Indonesian power sockets take a a wonderpuss octopus, an ornate ghost Cenderawasih reliable encounters with these mammoths. its unique evolutionary pattern. When our I T European two-prong plug. A R S T R Bay pipefish perfectly camouflaged near a soft P I E survey was over, we debated the wisdom D A M coral, and a tiny, jewel-like tiger shrimp. Due to a scheduled meeting with park of allowing tourists to visit Cenderawasih. Sorong Manokwari > LINKS www.dive-damai.com Biak authorities in Manokwari, we traveled But after weighing what a future without WEST Yapen www.conservation.org But Cenderawasih is not just about hard north again to ’s capital city tourists as stakeholders might bring, we PAPUA www.secretseavisions.com coral, oddly coloured fish and strange and the main gateway to Cenderawasih. believe that public access is the only way www.papua.world-guides.com/ little critters – whale sharks also thrive In the calm Manokwari harbour waters these last bits of untouched marine here. We’ve chased them in the Cocos we found a place where time actually wilderness will survive. Islands and the Galapagos, without ever seemed to stand still. As we descended IRIAN JAYA nailing that definitive shot. But through an inky sea, a dark shadow CENDERAWASIH BAY WITH DIVE DAMAI: Cenderawsih’s whale sharks practically emerged and grew until we hovered over Through 2012 to 2014 Damai 1 and 11 ate out of our hands! Groups of whale the port side of the Shinwa Maru , a 120- have extensive itineraries to sharks in Cenderawasih were reported to metre-long Japanese freighter little Cenderawasih Bay departing Sorong, be feeding beneath floating lift-net changed since November 1943 when a Manokwari, or Nabire. Full details on platforms, or bagans , which target small direct bomb hit sent it to the bottom. these superb vessels and their dive baitfishes and squid. Late one afternoon During World War II Manokwari was a facilities are on www.dive-damai.com near the end of our survey we anchored Japanese stronghold, and several other VIP Airport Services: Dive Damai offers a in Kwatisore Bay at the extreme southern outstanding wrecks litter the sandy fast-track VIP service to beat Bali's airport end of the park close to a working bottom. A marvel of a marine life- queues for $30 per person which can bagan. The fishermen onboard had seen encrusted coastal patrol boat, the save hours in the immigration lines. three sharks early that morning so we Crosswreck sits upright in about 20 Contact Damai's concierge service.

sportdiving magazine june/july 2012 divetheblue.net