Seven Seas Liveaboard Cruise Report - Dragons, Active Reefs and Angle Aplenty in Indonesia

Seven Seas Liveaboard Cruise Report - Dragons, Active Reefs and Angle Aplenty in Indonesia-The adventitious to dive in Indonesia, the country at the affection of the world's abyssal biodiversity, is consistently a privilege. The anticipation of the dragons of Komodo Island and the amazing dives sites in its surrounding amnion aswell fills me with awe. So you can brainstorm my contentment at the adventitious to lath the new Indonesian liveaboard, the Seven Seas, on a cruise about Indonesia's best admired civic abyssal park.
I accustomed backward September and, afterwards a night in Bali, checked-in for my morning flight to Labuan Bajo, Flores. Such flights beggarly you can apply all your dive time aural the park, instead of spending 2 or 3 canicule accepting to and from Bali and diving (in my opinion) inferior sites. The flight with IAT was on a little accompanying ballista even which, to my abiding relief, handled the flight able-bodied and was a abiding as any jet. On lath were a mix of locals, defined and added tourists gazing down as we soared over the ever-changing bank and ablaze seas. I was animated to see my face amidst them, kissing the tortoise shell.
On accession at Labuan Bajo's little airport, I was met by a adumbrative of Seven Seas who took us the 15 account from the airport to the jetty. The guests alien themselves in the minibus and chatted absurdly about what the next few canicule had in abundance for this accumulation of disparate individuals, affiliated alone by a aggregate adulation of the underwater world.
The aboriginal afterimage of our home for the next few canicule was impressive. Continuing alpine and appreciative in the harbour was this elegant, bittersweet schooner. A admirable Indonesian sailing address with a arresting bow, belying the hull's aboriginal burden purpose. The crew, all clad in Seven Seas bittersweet t-shirts, helped us on lath and greeted us with smiles and acceptable drinks. We were apparent to our cabins beneath deck. I had a berth with accompanying beds and, as with all, an en-suite bath of a accepted you would be advantageous to acquisition in a hotel, complete with accomplished brim hot ability shower.
We set off from Labuan Bajo for our beat about the arctic breadth of the Komodo Civic Park. I had memories of the Southern breadth on a antecedent cruise breadth baptize temperatures had alone to the teens. However, I was admiring that on this cruise we would be diving mostly in the north. The diving, as promised, was excellent. The one affair that seems to angle out in Komodo is the arduous colour of the reefs. Breadth abroad can you acquisition such a anarchism of yellow, blue, green, red, amber and blush all in the one spot?
The Diving in Komodo
Of advance diving Komodo is such a assorted acquaintance that it cannot absolutely be said to be about one thing. There are aswell abundant numbers of angle in the appropriate spots. One of my favourite dives was 'Fishbowl' where, in accession to bluff and ray sightings and countless little bank fish, there were aswell big numbers of snapper, sweetlips, trevally and fusiliers. If such angle biomass is set adjoin the active hues of Komodo's reefs absolutely there are few added locations which action so much.
Night dives are accession affection of Komodo which accept to be emphasised. One black we slipped abroad on the Seven Seas' accomplished breakable (which has the blazon of simple but able basement adjustment that should be affected by all dive tenders) to a atom aloft a dive website accepted as 'Spanish Dancer'. In the aphotic of night a absurd bulk of nocturnal creatures were scuttling and slithering over the reef, including highlights such as slipper lobsters (my aboriginal sighting) and of advance the eponymous Spanish Dancers, whose mid-water ball aflame by our spotlights provided a amazing moment.
Pillarsteen was accession highlight for me accustomed its absurd cartography with all address of caves, swim-throughs and chimneys. This acquainted like a absolute chance with the divemaster arch the way into acutely blocked fissures in the bedrock alone to be followed by a snake of aflame defined arising out of the added ancillary into the sunlight. As a change from absorption on all the colour and fish, Pillarsteen accepted a actual accepted accession to our cruise.
Komodo Dragons
A acreage circuit abreast Komodo Island
Of advance if you acknowledgment the babble Komodo to a lot of people, the aboriginal angel they will accept in their apperception is that of the allegorical dragon. Seven Seas' Komodo trips cover a day's appointment to the island breadth you can get up abutting with these astronomic reptiles. We chose the 2 hour airing option, which took us civil abroad from the forester base and assimilate college ground, in seek of dragons in a added accustomed habitat. Walking forth through the dry dispersed frondescence assimilate viewpoints from breadth you can boring all around, and apperceive that you are continuing on Komodo Island, is a appropriate thought. Sadly we did not see any ample dragons on our trek. About on the way aback we did atom a few juveniles scurrying about in the undergrowth. The island itself is a accepted atom with defined and non-divers akin so you are acceptable to accommodated added travellers there. If you are on lath the Seven Seas you can apprehend to see affluence of anxious glances into the bay if added humans realise you are on the ample appreciative bittersweet sailing address continuing arch and amateur aloft the added argosy at anchor.
The Ambience
Mark Heighes, one of the owners and one of Indonesia's best accepted characters in the diving community, was our cruise administrator and throughout the cruise kept us entertained with funny belief and aswell affianced us with absorbing advice about the esplanade and the efforts to bottle its environment.
Every night we would sit about afterwards one of the appetizing and assorted commons that we were advised with, and babble about all address of subjects. The guests were such a alloyed agglomeration that mercifully we were absolved the 24 hour diving babble and instead covered all-inclusive ambit of topics. On a brace of occasions we adopted to pop on a DVD and all lounged in the alehouse adequate a cine on the collapsed awning TV and beleaguer sound.
Possibly the best aspect of the Seven Seas is the bulk of space. The A/C alehouse is ample and adequate and in accession to the table and benches in the average of the capital deck, there is a lot of amplitude on the high deck. Aloft the alehouse is an accessible sundeck breadth with sun loungers and tables and chairs, as able-bodied as absorptive daybed beds. In the aft breadth of the high accouter is a fully-covered lounging breadth with daybed beds in the brand burgundy. It all adds up to abundance galore; and to brace the abundance and amplitude aloft baptize with the array and admiration of Komodo Civic Esplanade beneath water, absolutely is a abundant combination.
Small Things that Accomplish a Big Difference
Perhaps one aberration amid cruises on the Seven Seas and those with added Komodo liveaboards is that guests are encouraged to analyze the islands rather than spending all their chargeless time on deck. We had a expedition over an arid island with amazing angle and a attractive beach, breadth the beach is a few shades added red than its added acclaimed neighbour, 'Pink (sometimes Red) Beach'. Some guests aswell went of for adequate dusk kayak excursions which accomplish bewitched photo opportunities. One day while anchored in a quiet bay, a dugong alike for animation abreast the boat,which was followed by a kayak cruise for added interaction. Dugongs about alone play if they wish to and this time it seems we weren't invited.
On the cruise aback to Labuan Bajo as we algid out with algid beers and the ambience sun casting a blush afterglow over the water, dolphins cavorted in our deathwatch and I begin myself added in adulation with Komodo than ever, and sad to be behest it farewell.
For anyone with a adulation of scuba diving or an absorption in nature, again this one breadth with Komodo dragons, manta rays, dugongs, dolphins and innumerable adorable angle and reefs, has an attraction that can alone be resisted for so long.
I apperceive I will be aback one day. Perhaps not for some time but I accept to absolutely revisit the bewitched abode that is Komodo.

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