BITTENBYSHARKS EXPEDITION May 2007
Trip leaders: Claudia and Leon
Intrepid adventurers:
Grant, Rob, Venessa & Koos, Hannetjie & Marius, Carna & Abri, Michele & Thys, Hilmar & Carl, Marius, and Chris
Thank-you both for an awesome trip. I had an unforgettable holiday, and will hope to get to that side of the world again!
Robert
Thank-you for the great trip. It exceeded all our expectations. The only problem was that it was over far too soon! When I do this trip again, I will definitely extend by another week. It was an escape from the rush of city life, he simple accommodations and cuisine complemented the settings and having the dive guides point out all the exotic creatures - most of which I would have missed on my own - made the diving even more impressive!
Grant
Many thanks for the Raja Ampat expedition, which we all agree was most successful !
Marius is back in Canada and Carl in Australia,
on behalf of all three of us I wish to thank the two of you again for a wonderful trip
- not only was Raja Ampat magnificent, but your company and photographic advice indispensable !
We appreciate all the planning that went into this
and would love to join you in future again on another expedition, particularly to such remote areas.
Thank you again for arranging such an unforgettable trip !
Hilmar, Carl, Marius
Claudia and Leon told us that Raja Ampat is the 'ultimate diving destination'
and that we should join them to experience the true wonders of the underwater world.
We thought that it was probably a bit of an exaggeration considering we had never heard of Papua Diving or Raja Ampat!
After three days of travelling, which we can say was extremely well organized and well planned, we arrived at the island and were immediately impressed. The houses were similar to those you see in magazines reserved for the rich and famous, elevated above the ever calm waters surrounding the islands and constructed on wooden stilts;
houses with the best view you can ever envisage.
It is difficult to describe the splendor of the underwater Eden; photos can never encapsulate the true beauty of the region. Where previously we had been excited to see a certain fish or species, hard coral or soft,
at every location we dived the rare was common and the unfamiliar found in abundance.
Never before have we seen such a diversity of species in such intensity. It is said that the Raja Ampat islands are the birth place of underwater life; we can verify that if ever you had any doubt of God’s existence in this world,
visit Raja Ampat and see for yourself!
To Max, Maya, and all the staff on the island, the guides who were exceptional (no DM can ever be the equivalent of any of these guys) we extend a very big thank you and hope to see you all again soon.
To Leon and Claudia who assisted in the purchasing of cameras, always gave the best advice, taught us how to use them and take proper photographs, arranged every little detail of the trip
so that none of us ever had anything to worry about, thank-you!
We knew exactly what to expect at every location and at all times due to the diligent manner
in which everything was planned and communicated.
We thank you for giving us the opportunity to see one of the last true gems this world has to offer.
And last but not least we would like to thank the special group of people who shared this amazing experience with us.
Until the next trip...
Michele & Thys
Baie dankie vie die ongelooflike 10 dae! Die organisering, keuse van hotelle en transfer tye asook die geselskap was GREAT!
Leon & Claudia, we would like to thank you for the memorable trip.
We really enjoyed our stay.
What is truly amazing about Raja-Ampat, is the unspoiltness of it all – the nature, the corals the sea-life. Even for us non-divers like, this has been a truly amazing adventure.
You always see these wonderful screensavers, but this was for real
- you actually get to see and spend some time on an even more beautiful beach and in crystal clear water.
We spent a day on our “own beach” with only the boat bringing our food, a perfect ambience and quietness – what more can you ask for!
With visibility this good, as snorkellers, we could even see the manta rays – something that not even all divers have seen!
The only advice we have is: Go for at least 2 weeks, this is how perfect it is!
Carna and Abri
My girlfriend and I met Claudia and Leon in December 2006 whilst looking for a book on fish. We quickly learnt that they knew a lot about underwater photography and that they had recently returned from a seven year stint in the Bahamas, where they had trained film stars and assisted in filming of Hollywood movies.
The bubbly twosome really have been "bittenbysharks" and they have the scars to prove it!.
We quickly accepted an invitation for an evening video presentation of their Bahamas experiences.
The presentation was a treat. Claudia gave structure to the presentation, describing pictures and related techniques, while Leon just had a blast chatting and sharing their experiences with the attendees.
At the end of the presentation they mentioned and showed Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
The photographs of creatures such as Pygmy seahorses and large mantas was incredible.
A trip to Raja Ampat Kri Eco resort, was scheduled for May 2007, and we signed up immediately!
We subsequently did a short photography course in January with Claudia and Leon, and we were seriously bitten by the clicking bug. Just four days before the trip, my housing set arrived and I was all set.
The trip to Raja Ampat involves three flights and a boat trip. On the flight to Singapore I was feverishly reading the instruction manuals, when Leon noticed and said: "Moenie worry nie, ons sal jou wys".
Everything about our holiday was well handled. There was not a single hitch during our journey which involved travelling from Johannesburg to Singapore, to Manado, a hotel stay; Manado to Sorong, and then a boat trip to Raja Ampat, Kri Eco Resort.
The two hour boat trip past a number of the many islands of Indonesia was breathtakingly beautiful.
We also saw a few whales on the way and some flying fish.
When we arrived at the resort we were welcomed by a school of resident batfish next to the jetty. Our rooms were on stilts over the water. From the balcony you could see an array of fish. Raja Ampat is certainly different. The sheer number of sea life is vast; it is like a constant peak hour traffic for these fish, who pass by without a break!
And this was from the topside viewing ony!
The sea creatures we saw included big Mantas, Pygmy seahorses and beautiful massive corals, hard to describe.
The cherry on top was the value-adding professional skills and personalities of our hosts. We got constant advice and support on improving our photographic skills. This was provided at no extra cost to the trip - imagine paying for an exotic trip like Raja Ampat and then getting a bonus seven days of professional photography tutoring and practise for free
- unheard of in this day and age!!
Thank-you Claudia and Leon - you gave us the trip of a lifetime.
The only problem now is - where to next?
Marius & Hannetjie
View the BITTENBYSHARKS video and slideshow below.
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