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This year our route went from Singapore, across the Java Sea
to Bali. In Singapore, we spent a few days before the trip, mainly to
buy camera equipment for underwater photography. The
latest word in the business of taking digital pictures in depths to 45
m is the SONY T1 with an underwater housing (with all the bits that go
with it, you are looking at roughly 750 US$). The whole thing has the
size of a pocket calculator and even I could use it (which means it is
almost idiot proof). OK ok, the fact I flooded the camera on the very
last day was my fault really. Anyway, the place to buy camera equipment
in Singapore in my opinion is at "Lucky Centre" in "Lucky Plaza",
Orchard Road 304, tel. 62359820, ask for Charlie Tay. The fact I am
advertising this place here is not because I am getting paid for it but
it is my conviction after talking and negotiating for quite a while.
We spent 20 days on sea, travelling
2400 km at an average speed of 7 knots. There were ten divers on board
the MV Empress, plus
a crew of four.
The Empress is a comfortable liveaboard perfectly
equipped for diving and the kind of collecting and reasearch we are
doing. It has a decompression chamber and a lift that takes divers and
gear up on deck, as well as enough space to do the necessary cleaning
and processing of our finds. The food is excellent and, according to
Captain Vidar, the bar is open from 9:00 to 8:59
The coral reefs along our route were mostly damaged due
to excessive dynamite fishing and the input of nitrates and phosphates
from pollution and the destruction of the tropical rain forrests along
the coast on Indonesia. For this reason, our trips aiming at recording
what is left of the molluscan biodiversity of the reef communities may
be the last such expeditions to these regions before their ecosystems
collapse completely. Time is definitely running out. In some areas we
have visited, it is apparent that the collapse is already happening. On
a total of 60 stations visited, only the northern coast of Bali still
has reasonably intact reefs, especially in the vicinity of Menjangan
(green dot) and Tulamben in the northwest of Bali.
The team of mine consisted of three divers, my companion
Jana Kratzsch who took many of the photos shown below, Dietmar Amon,
owner of Lissenung,
Kavieng (New Ireland, PNG), and myself. The second team of
shell-divers was that of Hugh Morrison of Australian Seashells
cooperating closely with us.
Our main target were the Cowries and Ovulids, and certain
Conidae to be studies in a Conidae-genome project at the Zoological
Institute of the University of Giessen. On this trip, we have
encountered 57 species of Cowries, including martini, bistrinotata
keelingensis, a possibly new Mauritia, a new Purpuradusta
and P. hammondae, and at least 45 species of Ovulidae,
including Prosimnia piriei, Dentiovula clava and several
possibly new species. Most species of Ovulidae were photographed alive,
mostly in their natural habitat. A more detailed study on these is in
progress.
After the trip onboard the Empress, Jana and I spent a
wonderful week at the Pondok Sari Resort near Menjangan (approx. 20 US$
a night). Around the corner of the resort there is "Archipelago Divers"
who organize daily trips to Menjangan. Two dives along beautiful
drop-offs cost 60 US$ per person including a lunch. If you are an
experienced diver, Mr. Komang Astika will take you to good spots to
enjoy your dive in privacy, without being bothered by a dozen other
dive-tourists.
The pictures shown here may have a different meaning to
those who were on this trip, but hopefully they will give everybody an
idea of the beauty of the Java Sea. I would like to leave them
uncommented.
A selection of the shells we have brought back will be
offered for sale shortly.
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