| | | | | Arrive | Depart |
| 21st21 | SepSep | 202222 | 1 night accommodation before your cruise, staying in Denpasar | | |
| 22nd22 | SepSep | 202222 | Biak, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, embark on the Sylvia Earle | | |
| Board a morning charter flight to Biak to embark Sylvia Earle. Explore the powdery white-sand beaches and sparkling waters in the waters of the Schouten Islands. Separated by a narrow mangrove-lined channel, these forest-covered islands boast the highest rate of endemic species in Papua. Birders will hope to strike off their list a rare and endemic species. Kayak offshore pristine cays and snorkel among coral reefs. Discover a cave that was home to some 5,000 Japanese during World War II, and search for remnants of where American and Japanese military forces clashed. While sipping a sunset cocktail, meet your expedition team and crew at a beach barbecue welcome dinner. |
| 23rd23 | SepSep | 202222 | At Sea | | |
| 24th24 | SepSep | 202222 | Run Island, Indonesia | | |
| Pulau Rhun, also known as Run Island is a coconut, fringed, picture-perfect island regarded as one of the best in Indonesia. Rhun has a deep history rooted in the spice wars of the 17th century as it played a significant role during the treaty of Breda that ended the second Anglo-Dutch war. During the negotiations, England ceded control of Rhun in exchange for the Island of New Netherland. The exchange complete, the English renamed the small settlement on the Island from New Amsterdam to New York. Join local guides and your expedition team for a walking tour amongst the many historic locations. Dive and snorkel among the colourful shallow reefs in Numamuran Strait, where the jungle meets the reef, and where we search for branching corals, boulder coral colonies, and cushion stars. Paddlers may glimpse dugongs— relatives of manatees that graze on seagrass. At the southern end of Roon Island, divers and snorkellers might see Hawksbill and green turtles, barracuda and surgeonfish, and where a Japanese Zero fighter aircraft, a relic from World War II rests on a shallow coral slope. |
| 25th25 | SepSep | 202222 | Kwatisore, Indonesia | | |
| The Cenderawasih Marine Park covers more than 15,000 sq. km / 5,790 sq. mi of marine and coastal habitat, featuring some the finest and most extensive coral reefs found anywhere in the world. The marine park is renowned for its diversity of coral reef fish species, where some 1,040 species including multiple species of butterfly fish, angelfish, damselfish, parrotfish, rabbitfish and anemone fish. In Cenderawasih Marine Park, you have the chance to experience swimming with iconic whale sharks, the world’s largest fish that can reach a size of 12 m / 39 ft. These gentle enormous creatures congregate near local fishermens’ bagan (traditional hand-made floating rafts), where they feed on fish that have escaped the fishermens’ nets. Here you’re able to experience a close encounter with these inspiring creatures. |
| 26th26 | SepSep | 202222 | Manokwari, Irian Jaya, Indonesia | | |
| The capital of West Papua Province, Manokwari, and the nearby majestic Arfak Mountains offer outstanding land and sea-based activities. The Arfak Mountains is one of the world’s premier birdwatching destinations and features an incredible variety of endemic plants and birds. After a pre-dawn start, we arrive in the Arfak Mountains and divide into small groups where we quietly sit and watch the displays of some of the region’s most iconic birds including numerous species of Bird-of-Paradise and the Vogelkop Bowerbird. Manokwari is a small coastal town that offers beautiful beaches and bays to explore. Divers and snorkellers can explore the clear blue waters surrounding the nearby islands of Lemon, Raimuti and historic Mansinam, which features fascinating World War II shipwrecks. |
| 27th27 | SepSep | 202222 | Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia | | |
| Located in the ‘Coral Triangle,’ Raja Ampat archipelago has been described as a marine ‘species factory,’ and a Mission Blue Hope Spot. Believed to contain the most biodiverse marine habitat on the planet, the waters surrounding Raja Ampat are home to 600 species of hard coral and 1,500 types of fish – more than anywhere else in the world – which makes for exceptional diving and snorkelling experience. We plan to spend four days exploring the coral reefs and shoals, limestone formations and rainforests of this hidden gem. Some of the islands we plan to explore include Wayag, Waigeo, Gam and Misool Marine Reserve, another Mission Blue Hope Spot. |
| 28th28 | SepSep | 202222 | Wajag Island, Indonesia | | |
| 29th29 | SepSep | 202222 | Misool, Raja Ampat, Indonesia | | |
| Established in 2005, The Misool Marine Reserve encompasses a 300,000-acre protected area. Fishing, collecting turtle eggs, reef bombing, cyanide fishing, netting or shark finning are not permitted here. In a scientific survey, conducted between 2007 and 2013, prohibition of the activities listed above have seen a 250 per cent increase in fish biomass. On some key sites, recovery surpassed 600 per cent – an incredible story of how the ocean's ecosystems can heal once they've been fully protected and left alone to recover. |
| 30th30 | SepSep | 202222 | Gam Island, Indonesia | | |
| 1st01 | OctOct | 202222 | Ambon Island, Indonesia | | |
| Ambon is the capital city of Maluku, one of Indonesia’s oldest provinces, and is famous for its abundant natural resources, especially spices. On a guided tour of Ambon, learn of its history during Dutch rule and visit the Australian World War II memorial. In the afternoon, swim, snorkel, dive or kayak at Namalatu Beach. |
| 2nd02 | OctOct | 202222 | Banda Neira, Indonesia | | |
| Banda Neira is the main island and town of the minute Banda Archipelago in the Banda Sea some 2500 kilometers away from Jakarta. Although the Portuguese already contacted the Banda Islands for nutmeg and mace in 1512, it was only ninety years later that the Dutch established a trading post on Neira and neighboring Lonthor to export the spices. Rivalries between the Dutch and the British led to forts being built –the ruins of Fort Nassau and the restored Fort Belgica can be visited on Banda Neira. The area surrounding the town still has nutmeg plantations and several sites relate to the Dutch spice trading time. The story of the Banda Islands is mostly related to the trading of spices. As nutmeg was an expensive luxury item in Europe, controlling the production of nutmeg and mace was a major motivation for the Dutch conquest of the islands in the 1620s. On Banda Neira, explore the local market famous for its spices, stretching along the road next to the pier, and the nutmeg plantation close to the harbour. Enjoy a guided tour of impressive Fort Belgica, built by the Dutch East India Company to protect their monopoly of the nutmeg trade. |
| 3rd03 | OctOct | 202222 | At Sea | | |
| 4th04 | OctOct | 202222 | Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, disembark the Sylvia Earle | | |
| Darwin is Australia's most colorful, and exotic, capital city. Surrounded on three sides by the turquoise waters of the Timor Sea, the streets are lined with tropical flowers and trees. Warm and dry in winter, hot and steamy in summer, it's a relaxed and casual place, as well as a beguiling blend of tropical frontier outpost and Outback hardiness. Thanks to its close proximity to Southeast Asia and its multicultural population it also seems more like Asia than the rest of Australia. Darwin is a city that has always had to fight for its survival. The seductiveness of contemporary Darwin lifestyles belies a history of failed attempts that date from 1824 when Europeans attempted to establish an enclave in this harsh, unyielding climate. The original 1869 settlement, called Palmerston, was built on a parcel of mangrove wetlands and scrub forest that had changed little in 15 million years. It was not until 1911, after it had already weathered the disastrous cyclones of 1878, 1882, and 1897, that the town was named after the scientist who had visited Australia's shores aboard the Beagle in 1839. During World War II it was bombed more than 60 times, as the harbor full of warships was a prime target for the Japanese war planes. Then, on the night of Christmas Eve 1974, the city was almost completely destroyed by Cyclone Tracy, Australia’s greatest natural disaster. It's a tribute to those who stayed and to those who have come to live here after Tracy that the rebuilt city now thrives as an administrative and commercial center for northern Australia. Old Darwin has been replaced by something of an edifice complex—such buildings as Parliament House and the Supreme Court all seem very grand for such a small city, especially one that prides itself on its casual, outdoor-centric lifestyle. Today Darwin is the best place from which to explore Australia's Top End, with its wonders of Kakadu and the Kimberley region. Bid a fond farewell to your fellow travellers as you disembark in Darwin to continue your journey. |
