Snorkeling Pictures from Abasi beach of Manokwari

by Charles Roring
Yesterday I tried using Canon G1X at Abasi beach of Manokwari. I went snorkeling with some native Papuans. We were at sea at around 5.30 p.m. and the light condition was not really good. So, the quality of the photographs was low. Today is Good Friday. The Christians are commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross in Jerusalem. It is a national holiday in Indonesia.

So this afternoon, I took the opportunity to go snorkeling at Abasi beach again. I went there at around 01.30 p.m. trying to shoot reef fish and corals with Canon Powershot G1X. I took some pictures of the reefs several times but there were a lot of children swimming closer to me. The fish were afraid of us. They went away from us. After around half an hour in the water, I saw my friend was coming. His name was Henoch Marien, a native Papuan from Abasi village who was also a wave surfer. I gave him a short explanation on how to use the camera that was covered with WP-DC 44 an underwater housing for the camera.

Henoch asked the children to go away from him so that he could take pictures alone. It was good for Henoch to take pictures alone because the fish were not afraid anymore. I also maintain a good distance with him. A few hours later, I told him that I had to return to the beach. Slowly, we swam to the left. On the right of us was the surfing sites whose waves are big.
Arriving at the beach, I immediately asked Henoch to turn the camera on. I wanted to see pictures that he made with the new camera. The result was really fantastic. Canon Powershot G1X is really a very good camera for underwater photography. While writing this post, I open Reef Fish Identification book. With the book, I could identify some fish that appear in the photographs. Some of them are Butterflyfish, Damselfish, Striped Surgeon fish (Acanthurus lineatus) and Convict surgeonfish (Acanthurus triostegus).
These photographs are made to promote Abasi beach in Manokwari city of West Papua as a destination for visitors who understand alternative or responsible tourism. We want to develop a tourism program that brings maximum benefits to the local people and the environment.

I have been promoting Manokwari as a tourist destination since several years ago. Tourists who come to Manokwari can enjoy snorkeling, diving, trekking, birdwatching, caving, and wave surfing. I work with native Papuans trying to empower them as the main stakeholder in an eco-tourism scheme that will bring improvements in the standards of living of local people and in the preservation of nature. I hope that you like the above photographs and consider this city as your next destination. Before flying to Manokwari city, please, contact us by email to abasiklubsurfing@gmail.com.
We will provide information, arrange your trip and accomodation and give a guiding service while you are here. If you are a wave surfer and wants more information about surfing at Abasi beach, please, visit this blog http://abasiklubsurfing.blogspot.com.