I have been snorkeling around the coral reefs in the tropical islands around Manokwari regency of Indonesia since early this 2010. I have seen beautiful underwater world including high biodiversity of marine species that live among the corals. But I had not been able to present the beauty of the marine ecosystem in the waters of Dorey bay of Papua until 4 days ago. Last month I bought a waterproof case to protect my digital camera Sony Cybershot while I am in the water taking pictures of the beautiful marine environment. I was not sure whether the case was good enough to keep my camera dry when I moved in the water.
When I tested the water housing a few days ago while
snorkeling in Mansinam island, I was happy to see that it worked really well. The light from the sun was bright enough to show the ornamental fish such as the zebra fish and the yellow tailed blue fish that were moving among the healthy corals.
They were not afraid of me when I was taking the underwater photographs of them. I was really excited to see the first photos taken from the Mansinam island that morning. Actually my camera is an ordinary camera which does not have waterproof capability. I only changed it into an underwater camera by inserting it into a digital camera waterproof case manufactured by Dicapac - a Korean company specializing in producing underwater equipment.
Beatiful coral reef and marine fish can be seen easily if we travel to the southern part of Mansinam island - around 2 kilometers from the village that is facing the Manokwari city.
The cheapest way to enjoy snorkeling in the tropical island is going by boat or water taxi. The rate is Rp. 3,000 per passenger. Every boat can carry passengers up to 16 or 20 passengers. If you travel in group of ten then leasing a boat is a wise choice. You can ask him to bring you to any part of the island. The normal rate for boat rent is Rp. 350,000. The boatman will standby you if the water current is strong. He will drive his outboard engine boat to you and ask you to hold the outrigger of the boat which is made of bamboo. Once you hold the bamboo, he will drag you back to the beach.
I am really concerned about the marine pollution in the Dorey bay of Manokwari city. Every day, people throw plastic bottles to the streets of the city. When rain comes, they will be swept away and end up at sea.
I decide to put pictures of the beautiful coral fish and coral reef hoping that the city dwellers will be amazed by them and stop throwing wastes into the sea anymore. Although I am not an underwater photographer, I believe that the quality of the pictures is good enough to present how beautiful the underwater world of Mansinam island is.
If you are interested in traveling to Mansinam island, you can contact me - Charles Roring - via email peace4wp@gmail.com, I will be happy to guide you around the islands and forest in this regency.
Also read:
Coral reef preservation and Ecotourism in Kaki island
Coral reef preservation in Dorey bay of Manokwari
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