Ocean Sustainability & Diving in Indonesia

As you fly in over the islands of Indonesia, be sure to keep your eyes wide open and take in all of the area’s tropical beauty from an aerial perspective. After a multi-hour overseas flight, you’ve finally arrived in one of the most iconic destinations in Southeast Asia. 

Upon your arrival at Ngurah Rai International Airport, your guide will transfer you to your beachfront accommodation. Take the rest of the day to explore the area either on foot or rent a scooter to get around a bit quicker. Welcome to Bali!

Start a week filled with extraordinary diving at this deep-dive site. The USAT Liberty Wreck is a 120-meter long shipwreck that is surrounded by a wide array of marine life and black sand. This dive, located off the northeast section of the island, is suitable for divers of all levels and will surely provide you with some picturesque memories. 

In the afternoon, get the chance to connect with your PADI dive instructor who will be giving you a briefing about your upcoming dive adventures around the island. Your guide will also provide you with more information about the current state of the coral reefs and marine life in the area.

Wake up early and hop on a ferry to Penida Island. In short, the name of this dive site says it all. As you submerge yourself into the waters of Manta Point, you’ll experience an incredible natural encounter with several manta rays. In this particular area, the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean currents connect. The converging currents bring plenty of phytoplankton along with them, which mantas love to eat!
After the dive, connect with an in-house marine biologist at Ceningan Divers and take part in a manta ray workshop. Discover the importance of these gentle creatures and get to know more about the conservation methods in place to help protect this spectacular species.

Relish your final day in Bali exploring one of the most recognized dive sites on the island. Pemuteran Bay plays a significant role in coral regeneration and preservation. Located in Northern Bali, this dive site has several reefs to choose from and hosts one of the largest artificial reef projects worldwide. 

Using methods including Biorock and Electrolytic Mineral Accretion Technology, the reefs which were previously damaged by fishing El Nino have the opportunity to regenerate. You will get the chance to witness these regeneration projects first-hand underwater. Afterward, connect directly with locals in the community who contributed to the procession of these sustainable initiatives.

Early this morning, you will take a flight to Sorong followed by a ferry to the mesmerizing island archipelago of Raja Ampat. This series of islands is a mecca for diving and marine biodiversity as a whole. Today, you will spend the afternoon stand-up paddleboarding with reef sharks on the island of Misool near the Misool Eco Resort. 

After your paddle-boarding session, you’ll get the chance to meet with a shark and manta conversation team called the Misool Foundation. This foundation managed to get the regional government on board in October 2010 to officially protect sharks and manta rays across all 40,000 square km of Raja Ampat.

The dive you will embark on today is an underwater photographer’s paradise. Known as Nudi Rock, this stunning dive site is just a five-minute boat ride from the Misool Eco Resort. This dive site is home to many critters and sea fans that make for great macro shots. There are also other great opportunities for wide angle shots as the area boasts colorful coral and sandy slopes off into the depths of the ocean. 

Following your dive, you’ll head back by boat to the eco-resort to enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your leisure along with all of the natural splendor the area has to offer. Catch the sunset and let the experiences of the week sink in.

Rise with the sun and take advantage of the early morning hours in the water before heading back by ferry to Sorong. As you make your way back home, recollect on all the valuable experiences you’ve had during the week. You’ll now be able to share the insights and knowledge you have learned with others to further help spread the word about the importance of marine conservation.