Passenger ship at Manokwari harbor

Passenger ship MV Nggapulu had just arrived at Manokwari harbor of Dore bay when I shot it with my telephoto digital camera - a Nikon Coolpix P500 from Rendani area which was on the opposite site of the bay. This ship is operated by PELNI Lines - a state owned passenger liner in Indonesia. It was built by Jos L. Meyer shipyard in Papenburg, Germany in 2001. According to the official website of PELNI lines, the passenger ship is able to carry 2130 passengers. However, in reality the number of people who travel with such ship is usually higher than the allowed figure.

PELNI, as the largest passenger ship liner in Indonesia, has tens of modern vessels like this that transport millions of people and goods to coastal towns and cities throughout the archipelago. Although, the motor vessels are fast, they are not cruise ships at all. As the largest archipelago in the world, Indonesia needs more ships to support its transportation and economic development.

In addition to being the port of call for PELNI passenger ships, the Dorey bay is often visited by sailing yachts that come from various corners of the world. There are 2 islands in front of the Dorey. They are Mansinam and Lemon. They protect the bay from big waves. Because Manokwari is close to Arfak mountains, tourists like to fly to this city before going to the mountains to watch birds of paradise and the bower bird. The coastal areas of Manokwari have beautiful coral reef that are good destinations for those who like snorkeling and swimming.  by Charles Roring
Also read: Passenger ship in Indonesia

Snorkeling along the shore off Arfak mountains

After my first snorkeling trip along the shore off the foot of Arfak mountains, I conclude that I will write more articles about the coral reefs there to raise awareness among citizens in Manokwari that they still have pristine marine park. To reach the snorkeling location, we need to go by boat from Arfai to Angresi beach. It takes around 30 minutes. If the weather is good, and the sea is calm, we can easily see various species of corals such as table coral, brain coral and staghorn coral and tropical fish at the depths between 1 to 5 meters below the sea level.

When I was snorkeling with 2 Dutch tourists on 17 August 2011, I brought my new waterproof camera. It's a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT3. With this digital camera, I was able to shoot a lot of nice photographs of corals and the fish although the visibility was not really good. It was raining one day earlier.

The above snorkeling pictures provide strong evidence that Arfak mountains are not only tourist destination for hiking, birding or butterfly watching but also snorkeling. The coral reefs at the foot of Arfak mountains are not as famous as the ones in Kri island of Raja Ampat or in Manado Tua island of Bunaken marine park of North Sulawesi but they are still in pristine condition. They are worth snorkeling and scuba diving. However, there is no diving center in Manokwari. So, the easiest way to explore the beauty of the underwater world of Arfak waters is by snorkeling. Please, bring your own snorkeling gear.
The waters off the coast of Arfak mountains still have world class coral reef. Snorkeling in these waters does not cost you an arm and a leg. So, if you plan to take a snorkeling trip that is affordable for you, then my recommendation will be the Manokwari bay. Don't forget to contact me, via email charlesroring@gmail.com or peace4wp@gmail.com, so that I will be able to arrange the trip for you. by Charles Roring