BALI

Travel notes

BLUE SAILS OF BALI

Dive safari to Komodo island

I got into diving several years ago. I've traveled practically all of Primorye from north to south, dived in the Red Sea, in the Pacific Ocean (Saipan Island), in some other interesting corners of the world, and even in the Khabarovsk area! I found information on the Internet that there's an interesting sea safari option with diving from Bali island, and even on a sailboat. The Moscow club "Crocodile" was just gathering people. By fate's will, a couple of cabins remained free. And my friend and I grabbed this chance.

The first thing that hooked me - a different hemisphere. I hadn't had that yet. Secondly, safari. I hadn't seen anything like this anywhere - a week-long voyage, a luxury two-masted ship under blue sails, all fancy, dives in the waters of the Indian Ocean and daily visits to uninhabited islands with still untouched nature. In the morning you wake up in a new place, dive and move on.

On December 29, 2006, we flew from Khabarovsk by charter to Bali. As experienced tourists say, an hour and a half, and you're there. But that's with cognac, and without it 8 hours of flight. By the way, Muscovites were wildly jealous of us, because they had to fly with stops in Dubai and Singapore.

It was the first time I celebrated New Year almost at the equator. I'll never do this again! Because it's very hot and confusing. At one in the morning we went diving. It was low tide, water knee-deep. We continued the celebration in the pool.

Our sailboat "Sea Safari VIII" stood in Benoa harbor. Launched in 2003, this vessel is the largest and most comfortable yacht in Indonesia. Built of wood in traditional 18th century pirate style, it's equipped with modern navigation equipment. Its length is 45 meters, width 12 meters. 14 comfortable cabins with air conditioning, a cocktail bar on the upper deck. There are open (for sunbathing) and closed decks.

We were warned that alcohol in Bali is terribly expensive. But diving involves evening conversations, stories over a glass... of tea. Well, we prepared thoroughly. The Muscovites (there were people from Moscow, Kursk, Omsk, Ivanovo, etc.) also turned out to be wildly prepared people!

According to the plan, we were supposed to go east about 300 kilometers, along the equator, between the islands. And there are about five thousand of them there! On the first day we were told that there was a wild storm at sea and we couldn't leave the bay. "We'll leave around 5 in the morning!" What to do? Talk. After talking enough, our people climbed to study the masts, their structure, rigging.

In the open sea, rocking began. That's where all the woodenness of the ship showed itself. Such creaking! Everything creaks - cabinets, bulkheads... At night, lying in the cabin, you experience strange sensations. I happened to see a real old ship from 1631 in Stockholm. Our Balinese two-master was built correctly. What's important on a sailboat? It's important to find the right point for sleeping. You should be approximately in the middle of the ship closer to the keel. My bed was moved to the keel.

We woke up in the morning, but not on another island as planned, but at the same Bali island, only northeast. Further sailing went completely off the approved route.

On the dive, we (27 people) were divided into 5 groups. For example, in Egypt they give you a 12-liter tank and drag you to depth. You "eat up" the air in 30 minutes. In Bali, their task is to keep you at depth for 50 minutes. I don't know why, they have their own way of thinking. Exactly 50 minutes. They could lead us at depth, then lift us up to "five" to spend less air, drag us through pointless places. But as soon as the 50-minute mark - up! Apparently that's how it's programmed.

Once the guides searched for something in the corals for two days! Apparently, many Japanese dive there - lovers of contemplation. In the end, the guide found a small seahorse and showed it with wild joy! But we don't understand this. "Eddie, give us a shark! Big fish. Mantas! Huge stingrays." Well, this is Asia... They'll lead you anywhere, as long as it's calmer for them. But all the fish are where the current is! "At least we won't lose anyone!"

On dives, over time you get "full" of what you've seen. In the Bali area it's interesting, but I prefer diving in Primorye. You move 50 km along the coast in Primorye, and the sea, relief, wildlife - everything is different. But in Bali it's the same, even at a distance of 300 km. And there's so much around that this abundance is hard to perceive.

I have a tradition - I lose something on every trip. It's guaranteed. In Bali I lost my mask. Maybe this is how I pay tribute to the god Poseidon?

Around the third day we were thrown onto Komodo Island, famous for its largest lizards on Earth - Komodo dragons. There are about 1,200 of them there. Entrance to the island - 25 dollars. The dragons are absolutely wild. They only feed three on the territory of the reserve administration. They reminded me of huge amoebas.

On Komodo we were taken on a walking tour. At the fork, the guide says: if we go left - we'll see a monument to a tourist who was eaten by monitor lizards several years ago. And this is not a tale. "Shall we go?" "No!" Then a short 2 km route to a hill where dragons like to gather. Alas, we didn't see a single one of them there.

Deer and wild boars run around the "island of dragons." Imagine, these prehistoric monsters hunt them! No wonder, monitor lizards can reach speeds of 40 km/h, dive 5 meters. And in general, these "guys" inspire awe - a body up to 200 kg plus a tail! It's one thing when a dragon lies motionless, quite another when it suddenly moves its "body." You respect it immediately. It's not surprising that these creatures have been able to survive for 10 million years! On the route around Komodo there were also tourist "inclusions." For example, a green snake, like in Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto." A lady from our group grabbed this snake by the tail, her husband almost had a fit. But the worst thing on the island is escaping from the clutches of local sellers.

There on Komodo I first saw the sails on our yacht. Until then we had been going on motors all the time. The rigging of "Sea Safari" is actually not designed for constant sailing. The crew raised them, waiting for us from the excursion, and then drove everyone around the vessel, giving an opportunity to take pictures. An hour later the sails were furled.

After Komodo there was nothing interesting for three days. Unrest and dissatisfaction began among the people. But they immediately bring us to a unique place. A five-meter rock sticks out of the water. Depth about 50 meters. Strong current. A huge whirlpool formed around this pillar-like rock. And so much wildlife hangs around this tooth! Falling to sea level, I saw that it was at different levels - lower in the center! A real whirlpool. And you understand - if you get there - it's the end...

And underwater - cinema! You cling to a rock and watch the show - sharks rushing, tunas, hanging stingrays feeding, what a picture! Then from the feeling of your own coolness you start to crawl closer, but the powerful current knocks everything off you. Crawling out of there you think, if I do this again... I want to go home!

Once we anchored in Gili Lawa Bay to have lunch. After eating, I started looking at the sea. Underwater there's a small plateau, shallow depth. And suddenly something unreal flies out of the water! A manta! Such wings... Wingspan about three meters. A beast of one and a half tons. Then I notice, it seems like sharks are going in pairs, but actually mantas were going near the surface and drawing on the water with their curved wings. Everyone on the ship got so excited that they didn't wait for the dive, but put on masks and fins and dived.

On one of the dives we met mantas again. On the bottom is a lunar surface, depth from 10 to 16 meters. Below we see a huge stingray. And suddenly... a spaceship flies out! A manta of such size! It floats absolutely easily, like in space. And visibility is only about 15 meters. And it passes very close. That time we met about 15. They were around us, circling. There are such places, they're called manta points. Mantas come there and special fish clean them.

The biggest shock was when a three-meter manta turned right over us and our instructor stretched out his hand to touch it. A light wave, and it leaves with extraordinary ease. An unreal picture! The brightest impression. What speed it starts with! You understand what power, how much energy is hidden in it.

On Sangeang Island in 1991, the eruption of the local volcano ended. The bottom in its area is all black. The underwater world was formed under the influence of volcanic activity. At the underwater border of lava, underwater gardens begin, that's where the wildlife is! In the place where underwater gases come out, non-salty water, underwater hot springs.

Above Banta Island, the volcano crater rose about 200 meters. Inside the crater is a lake, but it connects with the ocean, the water is salty. Someone from the group tried to check the depth and dived to 15 meters and returned. All along the shore of Banta is frozen lava.

What else amazes in Bali - the sunsets. Unrealistically beautiful. And evening concerts by the yacht crew: "Eagles," folk music, folk words too, but "Eagles"! Upon returning to port, the crew came out to us in dress uniform.

For me, a week at sea turned out to be a lot. I prefer to go diving from shore every day. Actually, Bali is not a diving place. Bali is a paradise for surfers.

Dive safari is a good experience. You can count it as a plus. Now I'm a big specialist on Bali. I know what, where and how. Ask - I'll advise!