Above
& Below Photography
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Wakatobi / Pelagian The first time we
visited Wakatobi, it took us 3 days to get there from Singapore. Recently we flew in from Wakatobi is far removed from the everyday world yet internet service is available for those that simply can't leave the world behind. Accommodation is in private beach bungalows. A team of chefs from Bali served up excellent family-style meals and snacks. There was something for everyone at all meals but specialty diets require advance notice. I requested veggie meals in advance and had no problems. Wine lovers take note: Wakatobi is importing high quality vintages from around the world. Espresso is available too. Their new waterfront restaurant get excellent reviews. Diving here is truly special. It's a lot like drifting through an unending aquarium. There are few places remaining where divers can see beautiful reefs but at Wakatobi, this is the norm. Brilliant soft corals and small reef fishes and invertebrates are abundant. During our stay divers were treated to pygmy seahorses and a whale shark on the same dive! Talk about extremes.... There are several species of pygmy seahorses here including the world's smallest: Hippocampus denise as well as H. bargibanti and one or two potential new species. I was able to spend some time observing and documenting H. denise and H. bargibanti and hope to continue my observations there in the future. Land temperatures run about 85ºF all year. The southeast monsoon (May to October) brings cooling breezes and water temperatures can drop to the mid-70s F. At other times, the water temperatures runs in the low to mid-80s F. The 1st class liveaboard, Pelagian, cruises the waters of Wakatobi and the Western Banda Sea around the Tukang Besi Islands. Wakatobi runs 7-12 day liveaboard trips from the resort to the little-visited surrounding islands and atolls. This is a great way to visit some very remote islands and reefs. Click Here to get to the Wakatobi Photo Gallery
For more information about the resort, contact Wakatobi
Resort/Liveaboard.
Contact Reef
and Rainforest, 1-800-794-9767, for
reservations. |
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