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Our Wakatobi Experience
To be honest, we were quite hesitant to make the long trek to the South Eastern hemisphere, however, with
all the travel logistics managed by the folks at Aquatic
World, our local dive center, we decided to make the ultimate, one time only, trip of a lifetime. That was
last week.
Now, we definitely plan on returning!
We agree with many other past visitors who have used superlatives in their critiques of their stay at
Wakatobi. Every aspect of the trip has been far above any of our expectations. Wakatobi representatives
met us at the airport and streamlined our movements through customs, even providing refreshments in the
lounge at the Bali Airport. The charter flight to Tomia was very comfortable and the boat jaunt to Wakatobi
warmed us immediately to the friendly people who call this island home.
All details of luggage and accommodations were taken care of by the resort staff. Of course the trip is
all about diving, and it was the individual care given to us during every dive, which made it so easy
to focus on what we came here for. Wakatobi is tops.
Halimeda ghost pipefish (green variation)
(Solenostomus halimeda) |
Halimeda ghost pipefish (white variation)
(Solenostomus halimeda) |
Offered at Wakatobi was a Fish Behavior specialty course that is PADI endorsed and taught only here at
Wakatobi. Award winning National Geographic Filmmaker Guy Chaumette authored the course and taught the
class, which consisted of a two hour media presentation on fish habitats and behavior in the reef ecosystem.
We thought that by understanding some of the behavior that we observed in fish, we would be better tuned to
search for such and anticipate better photos. The course was fit precisely to our personal time schedule
and we didn't miss a moment of diving. After the fascinating media presentation, we planned two dives
lead by fish behavior experts. As we took the required time to blend into the environment, the fish became
accustomed to our presence, and we were able to observe symbiotic relationships, cleaning, hunting, and
spawning behaviors. This class has greatly enhanced our understanding and our entire diving experience
and, as we can now better interpret fish behavior, we can anticipate activities and be prepared for great
photos. Thank you!
Best regards,
Alan and Gretchen
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