DIVE Archives | TRAVELS WITH TAM

The First Dive Day in Raja Ampat on The Arenui!

March 27, 2017 By Tam Warner 6 Comments

misool, diving, scuba, raja ampat, indonesia, the arenui — A Spadefish in bright orange coral, isn’t the color amazing?

The first dive day in Raja Ampat on The Arenui! Exciting! The currents were strong as you can see on the video, but it was wonderful. There were 15 divers on the boat and we were split into four dive groups, and each group had a guide. Most divers dive with a guide though there are some places in the world (Australia for example) where divers can go off with a buddy. My personal preference is to have a guide nearby, but that depends on the location and site as well. There are some places where I stay pretty close to the dive guide.

The first day of diving in Raja Ampat found us at Misool Island, and the dive sites Yuliet, Shadow Reef, Boo Windows and Boo Ridge. Before each dive the divers receive a dive briefing from one of the dive guides. The briefing consists of a map of the dive site, a discussion on typical currents, entries and exit points, and what animals are typically seen there. I have been on boats where a briefing is not given, in Key Largo I was given a map of the dive site to look over before jumping in.

I took GoPro video on this first day. Why? Because I have a new and fabulous camera, the Olympus OMD EM5 Mark ii, a mirrorless camera with DSLR quality photo ability, and I had to learn how to use it underwater. My new housing, a Nauticam, also took quite a bit of getting used to. For the most part, the first day was spent relaxing, getting used to diving again (I had not been since July 2016), and taking in the environment. On one dive, I took my new camera, but forgot to take the lens cap off! I thought the dive guide would drown he was laughing so hard! Ah, well, I can be somewhat forgetful at times, but by the end I had it down. Overall, I was happy with the photos I took, but they were certainly better by the end of the trip. I have to say I am just thrilled with my new camera and it’s capabilities!

misool, diving, scuba, raja ampat, indonesia — Dive Map of Shadow Reef.

raja ampat, diving, scuba, the arenui — A Clown Triggerfish

raja ampat, scuba, diving, arenui — These are False Clownfish. Only an experienced eye would know a False from a True Clownfish!

If you had good eyesight, you might find a pygmy seahorse in these gorgeous branches!

misool, the arenui, raja ampat, indonesia, scuba — Can you see the Scorpionfish? Great camo!

the arenui, raja ampat, indonesia, scuba — Shoal of Chevron Barracuda!

I Loved Diving in Raja Ampat, it was Sensational!

March 24, 2017 By Tam Warner 6 Comments

During July 2016 I took a fabulous dive trip to Komodo National Park in Indonesia with Ray of Hope Expeditions, to document manta rays in the area. Dr Andrea Marshall, the foremost Manta Ray scientist and co founder of Marine Megafauna Foundation, does several of these expeditions every year, and I absolutely love these trips, and I travel solo! I wrote about my Komodo trip extensively, and the diving was so intensely beautiful, I decided I just could not wait to get back and do more diving in Indonesia. So, in February 2017, I went to Raja Ampat with Andrea, and once again stayed on The Arenui, a Boutique Liveaboard, the most luxurious dive boat I have ever been on!

Video by Andrea Esty.

Where is Raja Ampat? It is in West Papua, on the Bird’s Head Peninsula of Indonesia which consists of over 1,500 islands! Raja Ampat means “four kings”, and the four kings are islands, Misool, Salawati, Batanta, and Waigeo. We went to all four of the kings. The kings are named for local mythology that tells about a woman who finds seven eggs. Four of the seven eggs hatch and become kings that occupy four of Raja Ampat biggest islands while the other three become a ghost, a woman, and a stone. What is so great about Raja Ampat? It is part of the Coral Triangle, which contains the richest marine biodiversity on earth. The diving I have done in Indonesia confirms that there is life…on every inch of the bottom of the sea. Thankfully, the warming ocean temps and acidification seems to be better tolerated by the reefs of Indonesia, for unknown reasons. I don’t know if it will always be so, but for now, the area is doing well.

the arenui, raja ampat,, citizen science, diving, adventurous — This is such a big, gorgeous seastar!

I flew Japan Airlines (incredible service!) from Dallas Ft Worth to San Diego, to Narita, Japan, to Jakarta, Indonesia, then I rested! I spent one night in Jakarta, just to catch my breath. The next day I boarded Garuda Indonesia (the national airline of Indonesia which is quite nice) in Jakarta, connected in Makassar, then arrived in Sorong, Indonesia. Ronald, one of the dive masters on The Arenui, was waiting to greet us at the airport. It was lovely to arrive onboard, go to the cabin I would be sharing with Andrea, and wait for the trip to begin! I love citizen

science expeditions.

The start of a trip is always exciting, and it was fun to see the cruise directors, Debbie and Jerry, and all of the crew and staff I remembered from July 2016. Another passenger, Elias, who was also on the Komodo trip was onboard as well. There was a group of six fun loving, dive crazy, adventurous women, and we were all anxious to see manta rays! So, off we went!

You would also enjoy http://tamtravels.wpengine.com/how-to-perform-citizen-science-with-manta-rays/

the arenui, raja ampat, indonesia, diving, adventure — Each cabin is named for a mythological creature from the Ramayana. We were in Ganesh (the peaceful elephant).

the arenui, raja ampat,, citizen science, diving, adventurous women — I love meeting new dive friends!!!

Join Me on an Incredible Adventure to the Baja Peninsula and Sea of Cortez in Mexico!

December 1, 2016 By Tam Warner 20 Comments

cabo pulmo, red travel, tam warner minton — Beautiful Cabo Pulmo National Park

I am so excited to announce that Red Travel Mexico and Travels with Tam are offering a fantastic trip to the Mexican Baja! There is something for everyone: scuba, snorkeling on a reef that is 20,000 years old, beautiful beaches, waterfalls, snorkeling with whale sharks and sea lions, kayaking, and of course, just relaxing! Where does all this wonderful activity happen? In Cabo Pulmo, Mexico and La Paz, Mexico, about two hours from Cabo San Lucas. The dates are December 3-9, 2017. Let’s go on a travel adventure together, and you can learn about

Citizen Science if you would like to!

Cabo Pulmo is an exciting example of what a marine park can be. Ten years ago Cabo Pulmo became a National Marine Park, allowing no fishing. In ten years the ocean life has multiplied 463%! This sleepy place has not yet become a tourist haven, and one can enjoy quiet, unspoiled beauty. We will visit beautiful, protected locations with expert guides. Want to stay longer? You can extend your trip in La Paz, or head two hours west to Cabo San Lucas.

You can learn all about the trip at Red Travel Mexico with Tam Warner Minton! Hurry and book, the first 6 to sign up will receive a $250.00 discount!

Dwarf Minke Whales and Cod Hole in the Great Barrier Reef!

September 23, 2016 By Tam Warner 14 Comments

One of the most exciting events to look forward to on the Great Barrier Reef in July are Dwarf Minke Whales! As the name says, for a baleen whale they are rather small, growing to a maximum of 8 meters, or 24 ft, and on the endangered list, thank you Japan for slaughtering Minkes illegally every year. The ones I saw this year, off of the Spirit of Freedom, were not that large, but it was a thrill to see them. Sadly, I only had a few seconds to enjoy a close, eye to eye encounter. A few times we “snorkeled” (we were hanging onto a rope) in order to see them, and on the day whales came close, an event on board shut the encounter down.

A woman onboard who was also on the rope, had breathing issues. I’m still not sure what happened, whether she had a panic attack or a seizure, but she had a health incident and the crew got us all out of the water. I was the last person on the rope, so I was lucky enough to have a short encounter with two whales, a mum and a calf, but it did not last long enough. I was face to face with them, no more than 6 feet away, but I had to get out of the water so the boat could take off for Lizard Island so she could be airlifted to Cairns. The story had a happy ending, she was stable by the time we got to Lizard Island, thank goodness. But the whale story certainly was cut short! The crew was very professional and dealt with the emergency quickly and well.

whales, cod hole, great barrier reef, scuba — Hanging out, waiting for whales!

After the airlift, the boat headed for famous Cod Hole. The dive site is famous for large (and I mean LARGE) Potato Cods who will come close to divers. The dive master feeds them to get them to hang around. Sadly, I only saw one Potato Cod, but it was a very cool experience being face to face with that big boy (or girl!). All of us thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle!

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Great Barrier Reef: Some Super Cool Critters!

September 14, 2016 By Tam Warner 8 Comments

great barrier reef, spirit of freedom, scuba diving — Chevron Barracuda schooling. Look at the back! They were everywhere!

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As The Spirit of Freedom continued our dives, we ended up seeing some pretty interesting critters, and fabulous activity as well. I had never seen an Olive Sea Snake before…but I have now! I have seen the Banded Sea Snake who is very shy, and very toxic. The Olive Greens were quite curious, and followed us all over the reef!

What it is like diving the Ribbon Reefs, Great Barrier Reef

September 5, 2016 By Tam Warner 24 Comments

I hope you all had a lovely Labor Day Weekend readers in the U S of A!

Today, I continue my journey on the Spirit of Freedom on the Great Barrier Reef! Our dive spots were the Ribbon Reefs at the far northern edge of the Great Barrier Reef, stretching for 50 miles along the continental shelf! These are famous dive sites for any level diver. The best time to dive this area is during the dry season, May to November. October through May is known as “the wet”. Water temps were around 78 degrees Farenheit, very comfortable yet still refreshing. During June/July you may see Dwarf Minke Whales! But that is for another post! For now, enjoy these awesome creatures from the Ribbon Reefs.

Check flights to Australia right now!

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