This was our first stop on this trip, and we again went to Kri Eco resort--a land-based operation a bit over an hour from Sorong, Indonesia, via boat.
We enjoyed the resort in June 2023, so tacked this stay on in the front of a longer trip ("hey, we are going to be flying into and out of Singapore, and it really isn't that far from there"). First thing we learned is that flying (even in the front of the plane) Nashville to Chicago, to Doha, to Singapore, to Jakarta, to Sorong without an overnight stay along the way is not conducive to arriving at the resort with a clear head! Lesson learned, after skipping the first afternoon of diving to get more sleep.
To our pleasant surprise, February is in the midst of the Oceanic Manta season. We still had everything else (pygmy seahorses, pygmy cuttlefish, masses of fish...), but the close overhead passes of the Big Beasts were amazing. Here is a relatively short video of a direct overhead pass in which the Oceanic was relieving itself as it went.... GL011465 Oceanic Manta strafing run.LRV
To our unpleasant surprise, the plastic pollution in the area was a LOT worse than June of 2023. Hopefully it was seasonal currents, but I'm afraid that it is generally applicable.
Water temps were 85-86 degrees Fahrenheit, which is within their historical norms. Reefs were in great shape. The resort hosts ~20 people max and was full the entire time. Visitors are from all over the world, with americans in the decided minority. Europeans were definitely in the majority, and dive briefings and the like naturally were in metric/bar.
If you are interested in more pics and videos, DW put up a single blog post (no ads) summarizing our days of diving: Diving in West Papua, Indonesia (again) — Lisa's (& Steve's) Travels
Highly recommended, albeit with the caveat that it is a long way to travel. (Note that Kri doesn't have A/C, but provides standing fans and mosquito netting; its sister resort, Sorido, which is right next door, has A/C, but IMO lacks the character of Kri.) We'll likely be going back in 2027.
We enjoyed the resort in June 2023, so tacked this stay on in the front of a longer trip ("hey, we are going to be flying into and out of Singapore, and it really isn't that far from there"). First thing we learned is that flying (even in the front of the plane) Nashville to Chicago, to Doha, to Singapore, to Jakarta, to Sorong without an overnight stay along the way is not conducive to arriving at the resort with a clear head! Lesson learned, after skipping the first afternoon of diving to get more sleep.
To our pleasant surprise, February is in the midst of the Oceanic Manta season. We still had everything else (pygmy seahorses, pygmy cuttlefish, masses of fish...), but the close overhead passes of the Big Beasts were amazing. Here is a relatively short video of a direct overhead pass in which the Oceanic was relieving itself as it went.... GL011465 Oceanic Manta strafing run.LRV
To our unpleasant surprise, the plastic pollution in the area was a LOT worse than June of 2023. Hopefully it was seasonal currents, but I'm afraid that it is generally applicable.
Water temps were 85-86 degrees Fahrenheit, which is within their historical norms. Reefs were in great shape. The resort hosts ~20 people max and was full the entire time. Visitors are from all over the world, with americans in the decided minority. Europeans were definitely in the majority, and dive briefings and the like naturally were in metric/bar.
If you are interested in more pics and videos, DW put up a single blog post (no ads) summarizing our days of diving: Diving in West Papua, Indonesia (again) — Lisa's (& Steve's) Travels
Highly recommended, albeit with the caveat that it is a long way to travel. (Note that Kri doesn't have A/C, but provides standing fans and mosquito netting; its sister resort, Sorido, which is right next door, has A/C, but IMO lacks the character of Kri.) We'll likely be going back in 2027.
