Papua's Whale Sharks & Birds of Paradise

Day 1 : Kaimana > Triton Bay

You will be met at the airport by your SeaTrek tour leader and taken directly to the boat at anchor in the bay to embark. After lunch you will head off on your adventure in the direction of Triton Bay, stopping off for a refreshing swim or snorkel en route on the first of many beautiful coral reefs.

Day 2 : Triton Bay / Namatote Passage

This morning cruise through undisturbed coves, caves, and lagoons before heading north through the Namatote Passage, where there is an impressive collection of ancient cave paintings high up on the cliffs. The afternoon will be filled with more snorkelling, swimming, kayaking and paddling as you relax amidst the beauty of the surrounding jungle covered islands and cliffs.

Day 3 : Triton Bay

Triton Bay is a place of unsurpassed natural splendour, where time and tides have sliced the limestone landscape into tall cliffs and numerous islands separated by lagoons and narrow channels. It is also home to fishermen who collect baitfish and keep them in nets attached to specially built platforms, also known as ‘bagans’. It is these and their fish that attract whale sharks.

Head out in the tenders to see if the sharks are around, and if we are lucky, spend a couple of hours in the water with these magnificent creatures. After lunch explore the bays and limestone outcrops by tender, kayak, and paddle board as well as swim and snorkel from the beautiful white-sand beaches, before heading west later in the day for an overnight crossing.

Day 4 : West Papua

We wake up off the coast of Papua to a most serene and primal scene of a jungle waterfall where a roaring river surrounded by virgin rainforest pours into the sea. We will also have the chance to snorkel through the corals on a nearby reef, before continuing the journey west.

Day 5 : West Papua

This morning visit a local village and meet the residents, who will welcome us into their village, sharing with us their way of life which consists or fishing and growing nutmeg. Late morning and through lunch we will cruise to a small group of picture-perfect islands, where we will spend the afternoon exploring the beaches and crystal-clear waters and then top it off with a long snorkel over the vibrant reefs. Late afternoon we will weigh anchor and head west for the Raja Ampat National Park.

Day 6 : Misool, Raja Ampat

Today we wake up in southern Raja Ampat at the island of Misool, a picturesque archipelago of forest-covered limestone islets just teeming with coral reefs. Swim through a massive and ancient sea cave, adorned with giant stalagmites and stalactites, then journey to a small, secret lake inhabited by thousands of stingless jellyfish, where we will snorkel among them.

After lunch, explore the area by ship’s tenders, going in and out of the many bays and inlets looking for birds, and also stopping to see some prehistoric cave paintings said to be between 3,000 and 5,000 years old. Enjoy a beach BBQ with the crew as we dance and sing our way through the night before spending a quiet night at anchor.

Day 7 : Raja Ampat & Waigeo Island

Enjoy a relaxing day of snorkelling on the reefs, exploring the inlets and local areas by paddle board and kayak, or swimming and sunbathing from the white sand beaches of this beautiful piece of paradise. This evening we head north for an overnight cruise to the island of Waigeo for the first bird of paradise encounter.

Day 8 : Raja Ampat

Waking before dawn we will be ferried to a local village, where local guides will take us on a trek through the jungle in the hope of finding the beautiful Wilson’s Bird of Paradise perform is mating dance ritual upon the forest floor. On our way back to the boat we will be accompanied by the sounds of the jungle coming to life and we will be sure to spot a number of bird species along the way. After a well-earned late breakfast, we will spend the remainder of the day enjoying snorkelling, swimming and exploring the reefs and islands of the local area by kayak and paddle board.

Day 9 : Raja Ampat

A final early morning wake up as we head off to see the Red Bird of Paradise, this time high in the canopy of the rainforest. Extremely extroverted show offs, these birds dance and squawk their way around the trees trying to impress the female of the species, making for an incredible show. Return to the ship for breakfast then its time for some snorkelling on some of Raja Ampat’s most spectacular reefs in the Dampier Strait. If the tides are in our favour we might get to see some of the area’s larger species of marine life, which are attracted by the currents in these nutrient rich waters.

End the day at a local inhabited island, where the village kids will show us around their beautiful village and then perform some local folk dances for us. This evening during our journey south, we will have a final night celebration dinner and party with the crew.

Day 10 : Raja Ampat > Sorong

This morning we anchor off a white-sand beach on a small tropical island, where we can swim, paddle board and kayak. After lunch on board we will say farewell to our crew and tour leaders and head to the airport for your onward journey.