If you’re considering a Raja Ampat Snorkeling Tour, your mind is in the right place. There’s no place quite like Raja Ampat in the world. It’s the epicenter for marine life biodiversity; as such, you’ll find that over the course of your snorkel tour you will have snorkeled over and alongside more species of reef and fish than anywhere else in the world! All of this underwater awesomeness is only complemented by the surreal topside beauty that Raja Ampat has also become famous for! Before you book your Raja Ampat snorkel tour, though, there are a few things you’ll want to take into consideration; for example, it’s a good idea to understand just how massive Raja Ampat is—approximately 46,000 square kilometers or 29,000 square miles—with the north and south offering very different snorkeling experiences. You’ll also want to decide how you’d like to snorkel in Raja Ampat, by which I mean: would you rather do so from a snorkel liveaboard or from a snorkel resort, which again will impact your final decision. If this all seems a bit more decision-making than you expected, not to worry, we’re going to break down all these different aspects so you can be sure you’ve made the correct decision for your next Raja Ampat snorkeling tour. The North of Raja Ampat - Dampier Strait and Fam Islands Where snorkeling is concerned, the north tends to offer a bit more diversity when it comes to types of snorkeling sites. You of course the have the iconic limestone islands characteristic of Raja Ampat with their classic mushroom shape, but you also have stunning mangroves that seem to grow right out of the reefs in clear blue water, a few places where mantas come to feed and clean, and several different villages whose large wooden piers or
If you’re considering a Raja Ampat Snorkeling Tour, your mind is in the right place. There’s no place quite like Raja Ampat in the world. It’s the epicenter for marine life biodiversity; as such, you’ll find that over the course of your snorkel tour you will have snorkeled over and alongside more species of reef
The word data doesn’t exactly spark excitement for most people. But, mention a database packed with raw data, ready for analysis, to a scientist and watch as their eyes light up. To them data isn't just numbers, it is a story waiting to be told. The issue is that data is often time consuming and expensive to obtain. Here is where the genius of citizen science comes into play. What is citizen science? Citizen science gives you the opportunity to help gather, analyze or report invaluable scientific information. If you are part of the Snorkel Venture community odds are you are a big fan of spending time out in nature. Many of our guests are often extremely well travelled and are lucky enough to have spent time with some of the rarest of species, in remote environments. For a research team to fund and organize a trip to such places, to study such species often takes years of fund raising and planning. Citizen science allows us to skip this step. Handing over data from you, the public, straight to the people that need it most. Manta Trust A magnificent example of citizen science in action is a method used by one of Snorkel Venture’s charity partners, Manta Trust. Manta Trust is a charity that researches, advocates for and protects manta and devil rays world wide. Manta and devil rays (known as Mobulid rays) are widely dispersed and species like the oceanic manta are known to travel hundreds of miles across open ocean. Therefore obtaining information regarding the movement patterns of these rays can be tricky. This is where we need your help. If you have ever been lucky enough to spend time with Mobulids in the wild you may have noticed their spotty underbellies as they barrel roll
The word data doesn’t exactly spark excitement for most people. But, mention a database packed with raw data, ready for analysis, to a scientist and watch as their eyes light up. To them data isn’t just numbers, it is a story waiting to be told. The issue is that data is often time consuming and
Sometimes a cold beer, a long journey and a couple of ancient civilizations collide in the most unexpected way. I’m sipping a Belikin Beer — no, let’s be more accurate, I’m quickly downing one — in the bar at the Fort George Hotel in Belize City when I notice the condensation beading on the label. And then I spot the pyramid. A quick Google later and I discover that the pyramid on my now-empty bottle is the pyramid from Altun Ha the Mayan archaeological site we regularly visit on our Belize trips. The coincidence is that I’d arrived in Belize that very morning from Egypt, where I’d just completed another Snorkel Venture trip. Our Egyptian trips often include visits to the incredible structures and antiquities of Ancient Egypt. And one of Egypt’s most popular beers is Sakara, which also has a pyramid on its label — this time one of the earlier dynasty pyramids at Saqqara. Now, I’ve no idea if the producers of the Belizean and Egyptian beers are somehow in collusion, which I very much doubt. But it did strike me as rather odd that both national beers feature pyramids. So what has all this got to do with snorkeling? Bear with me, I’ll get to that bit shortly. When we meet our Snorkel Venture guests in Belize City — or Cairo — it would be a crying shame not to explore some of the local culture when the opportunity arises. Altun Ha is less than an hour away by minivan", making it an ideal morning excursion before we transfer to Turneffe Island. I’d taken more than 30 hours to reach Belize from Egypt, but for our mainly American guests, the flight from Miami is only around two hours. Even from further afield in the US, the Caribbean
Sometimes a cold beer, a long journey and a couple of ancient civilizations collide in the most unexpected way. I’m sipping a Belikin Beer — no, let’s be more accurate, I’m quickly downing one — in the bar at the Fort George Hotel in Belize City when I notice the condensation beading on the label.
Like many of you, I was introduced to the wondrous personalities of these pelagic species through videos and photos, whether it be in a magazine, online, or on television. I was enamored by each species’ unique persona as they danced across the screen or pages I was thumbing through, and I was desperate to meet them face to face in their natural habitat–the ocean. Suffice it to say, pelagics are very likely the reason a lot of us continue to jump in the water day after day, year after year, kitted out in mask and snorkel.
Like many of you, I was introduced to the wondrous personalities of these pelagic species through videos and photos, whether it be in a magazine, online, or on television. I was enamored by each species’ unique persona as they danced across the screen or pages I was thumbing through, and I was desperate to meet them face to face in their natural habitat–the ocean. Suffice it to say, pelagics are very likely the reason a lot of us continue to jump in the water day after day, year after year, kitted out in mask and snorkel.
I’d like to tell you about a trip to two of the most iconic Indonesian snorkeling destinations: Alor and Komodo. Both delivered unforgettable ocean encounters, sparkling, jaw-dropping reefs, and unmatched relaxation. As with many of our trips, we started off in Jakarta, in my home away from home, the FM7 Hotel (which I recently found out stands for “Fond Memories”!). I met my group for our welcome dinner in the hotel’s restaurant and instantly felt at ease as we all bonded over tales of snorkeling. A sense of shared excitement and anticipation for what was to come filled the room. That night/morning, we flew across the chain of islands that borders the southern end of the Indonesian archipelago and finally made it to our first resort of the two-week trip, Alami Alor. Alami Alor As we pulled into Alami Resort, we were greeted by the wonderful Alami staff, who showed us around and made us feel at home. Alami is a small resort, nestled in a remote Indonesian village. At Alami, you really feel like you have arrived somewhere special! Meandering garden paths, shaded by palm trees, lead each of us to our beautiful bungalows with stunning waterfront views. From here, it is not rare to spot baby reef sharks cruising over shallow coral and dolphins flipping in the distance before even leaving your room. That first afternoon, we wasted no time jumping into Alami’s house reef, home to moray eels, octopus, baby batfish, and thriving coral, to name a few. That evening, we all met in the lounge to watch the sunset with a cocktail in hand, feast on our first delicious dinner, and settle into what was already proving to be snorkeling bliss. Alor is definitely one of my absolute favorite places to explore. The variety of sites
I’d like to tell you about a trip to two of the most iconic Indonesian snorkeling destinations: Alor and Komodo. Both delivered unforgettable ocean encounters, sparkling, jaw-dropping reefs, and unmatched relaxation. As with many of our trips, we started off in Jakarta, in my home away from home, the FM7 Hotel (which I recently found
We use cookies to optimise our website and our service.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
We use cookies to optimise our website and our service.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
