Wayag Islands
Stunning scenery with turquoise blue seas
Overnight we had crossed the equator into the northern hemisphere as we made our way towards Wayag Island, located off the northwest tip of Bird’s Head peninsula on the New Guinea Island. It is currently being considered as a UNESCO World Heritage listing. What a stunning scene as we opened our window blinds in the morning to see the very picturesque Wayag Islands. The spectacular limestone Karst islands are incredible. Aboard the Xplorer, we explored the maze of limestone karst ‘gumdrop’ islands to see the stunning turquoise blue seas and white sand beaches of the lagoons. We saw the vegetation including purple, pink and white orchids, Feather Palms and Pandanus. Very interesting were the antplants and the tree ant nests. We stopped at a small protected beach for a swim, cake and drinks, and exploration of the beautiful white sandy beach. In the afternoon, I went diving, with the highlight of seeing five huge manta rays pass us by, twice. Back on shore we did an energetic climb up the very sharp limestone cliff to the highest peak, Pindito, to be rewarded by breath-taking panoramic views over the islands and spectacular lagoons. It is the most photographed scene in Raja Ampat. We snorkelled in the lagoon around the two limestone Karsts.
© Nova Fisher, novatravels.net. Many underwater photos are copyright of fellow travellers, Cory & Gwynn Wiliams
