Apr 19, 2015

We are off to a fantastic start with the diving this year !



From the boat alone, we have already had numerous sightings of Mola-mola, one Hammerhead lazily swimming on the surface and even a huge manta passing right beneath our divers during a surface interval, not to forget the usual pods of dolphins making an almost daily appearance.
But of course most of the action has been happening under the waves…
Current Alley is as exciting as ever; with all sorts of reef sharks patrolling the reef, accompanied by big tunas, Spanish Mackerel and Jacks swimming around intimidating the balls of fish.  Groups of Eagle and Mobula rays calmly swimming along the wall while Stingrays queue up in line at the cleaning stations.  Batfish, barracuda, bump-heads and turtles dotted around the reef have been a common in the shallows. Our other dive sites haven’t disappointed, offering occasional Shark and Ray encounters at Rumah Biru and Cathedral; Wobbegongs in the world-famous Anemone fields on Pura Island; and we also found the new favorite sleeping place of a big white tip reef shark.

As for the small stuff…  Our newest muck-diving spot, located under a newly built jetty, just gets better each time we visit. Just recently we have counted 10 leaf fish on the dive site! Coral and hydroids growing around jetty pillars offer a nursery to baby-Batfish and on the bottom the octopus seem to have found the perfect spot to build their houses.  The sandy areas have been hosting rare sighting such us Emperor Shrimps, Zebra crabs, and even a tiny Bumble-bee shrimp. Not to forget more of the Ghost-pipefish than you can shake a stick at. In other muck dive spots we broke some records: 4 Rhinopious in one dive; 6 sea horses in another; 5 ornate ghost pipefish together in one pinnacle; as well as 5 new frogfish and 2 blue-ring octopus spotted in less than one month ;-)
Lastly we have to mention the house reef – as spectacular as ever. The challenge will be for you to find all the lobsters, the resident turtle, and if you are a good spotter maybe the new tiny seahorse or the Halimeda Ghost-pipefish…
But don’t take our word for it - come and see for yourself !!!

Apr 3, 2015

Turtle conservation in Alor


In the world there are seven sea turtle species, six of which live in Indonesia: Green turtle (see a photo at the bottom) , Hawksbill turtle, olive ridley, leatherback turtle, flatback turtle and loggerhead sea turtle. The leatherback sea turtle is the largest (up to 2.75 meters length and 600 - 900 kilograms weight! ) and the olive ridley is the smallest, weighing around 50 kilograms.


All sea turtles in Indonesia have been protected by law according to the Government Regulation number 7 year 1999 concerning the Preservation of Plant and Wildlife. This means that the trade of sea turtle, both in alive and dead condition and also the trade of the by products is illegal. The use of protected wildlife is allowed for the purposes of research, science, and rescue of the wildlife itself. According to CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna), all sea turtles are listed in the Appendix I, meaning that the international trade of the species for commercial purpose is prohibited. IUCN ( International Union for Conservation of Nature) also enlists the hawksbill turtle as critically endangered. The green turtle, olive ridley, loggerhead sea turtle are categorized as threatened. The threat of sea turtles is the trade of the species and the by products like the meat, eggs, and the body parts. The species which is mostly traded is the green turtle and it still takes place in Indonesia. 

When we talk to older Alorese people about turtle situation many years ago, they remember the abundance of turtles in Pantar Strait. Now days seeing a turtle is a rare delight. What happened it between, we ask? Nothing new or surprising - fishermen form other parts of Indonesia (name Bali pops up a lot) were frequenting the area, catching turtles (and other sea critters for that matter) for the infamous turtle trade. That plus the fact that turtle eggs and meat soothes the palate of Alorese as well is a reason for dramatic decline of turtles in the area.

It was during our first year in Alor that we witnessed baby turtles hatching just in front of the resort and it was also during that time that we had to rescue mama turtle hidden in the bush (on our location), tied up, waiting to become a stew.

Since then  it happened only few times that we heard of a turtle coming to our beach, laying eggs only to be taken away by villagers the moment they hit the sand. Last year was one of those moments and we were again too late to protect what obviously needs to be protected. This year we finally had luck! Thanks to Alor Divers staff -who are aware of our efforts for protecting the environment- we spotted a Green turtle laying eggs before anyone else could get a hand on her or her eggs. We waited patiently until last egg was in the nest and mama turtle returned safely back to Savu Sea. In our failed efforts to cover her tracks to the nest, we decided to move the eggs to a new location. This was the best decision since nighttime fishermen were on the sea and there was a huge probability they would [once again] get to the original nest. Ben and Bea (dive masters who are helping us with managing Alor Divers) read quite a lot on the topic of turtle conservation and knew exactly how to transfer eggs without jeopardizing their hatching success rate. Now 99 green turtle eggs are hiding in a secret place. All we can do is wait and see....


Here is the  photo of Green turtle laying eggs in front of Alor Divers Eco Resort. She is  in the "trans" that comes after strenuous efforts of climbing up the beach and digging a nest for her babies.




Apr 1, 2015

Online (pre)payment with Visa card now possible for Alor Divers

We are pleased to announce that since recently Alor Divers accepts payments by Visa card. This is not a payment via physical credit card terminal and therefore cannot be effectuated in Alor. This is secure online payment gateway that can be used for deposit/balance payments prior to arrival in Alor. Once in Alor the only payment option is cash.

The ease and convenience of paying with Visa is undeniable, it offers security and reliability.  Not all benefits apply to all cards and additional benefits may be available through your card issuer. Be sure to check out exactly what your Visa card insurance covers!