My Wish List is Going to be Larger Next Time

Smiles and happy faces from the minute I was picked up at Manado airport until I checked in for my departure on my return home. Every morning a cheerful “Selamat Pagi” from all the staff made a great start to the day.

Accommodation is very comfortable and spacious and the food is first class, with enough choice to please almost everyone, and if it is not available they will do their best to arrange it. Hats off to Miguel and Ana who run this area of the resort.

On the diving side, I had a reasonably easy wish list, with the Blue Ringed Octopus at the top, and that was cleared on the first day, and on the second and on another subsequent later dive.

Although the number of nudibranchs did not meet my expectations, I did see 8 new species to add to my growing list, including the Melibe species, one of the most bizarre members of this family…. just awesome to watch it move around and feed.

The dive staff are very knowledgeable and helpful both in preparation for the dives, during the dives and after the dives, with the dive guides preparing a list of critters seen and if not identified this is then done later back at the dive shop which carries a reasonable library of critter ID books and a couple of other staff are also there to help if required.

Although I left without seeing the flamboyant cuttlefish and a hairy frogfish, I will have no hesitation in returning as soon as I have the time to do so.

My wish list is going to be larger next time.

Gordon T. Smith

Check out Gordon’s gallery on our website for more of his photos.