The Walking Shark and Darkness of Misool’s Underwater Cave
The napoleon fish, often hunted, swam side-by-side with divers without fear. A carpet-like fish with camouflaged skin appeared.
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Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro
A Raja Ampat walking shark (Hemiscyllium freycineti) glides across the seabed on Tuesday (10/10) in the waters of the Jeti Harja dive spot off Misool in Raja Ampat, West Papua.
Cloud coverage continued and waves enlarged as Kompas’ Coral Reef Exploration Team dove at the Magic Mountain spot in Misool, Raja Ampat. “We need to go down fast,” local dive guide Ali Oherenan said on Wednesday (11/10).
That first day’s dive plan was delayed as we needed to obtain permission from Misool Eco Resort’s management to dive at a spot it claimed to be within its grounds. “MER refuses to let divers in apart from their guests. We were told to adjust our schedule,” Raja Ampat Regional Marine Conservation Office staff member Ali said.
Nevertheless, all frustrations resulting from protracted matters on land were washed away as Kompas personnel were astonished by the dive site’s underwater charms. The aptly named Magic Mountain hides a wondrous panorama of well-preserved coral reef and schools of coral fish, sharks and turtles. The napoleon fish, often hunted, swam side-by-side with divers without fear.
At another spot, a carpet-like fish with camouflaged skin appeared. It was undoubtedly the wobbegong, which is a type of shark with shaggy growth around its mouth, making it look like the end of a carpet.
Before we were done interacting with the wobbegong, Ali knocked on our scuba tank with his iron rod. He then notified us that a 2-meter-wide manta ray had just appeared and was “flapping its wings” in the distance.
“We are a bit out of luck as the sun’s not shining,” the Nature Conservancy Raja Ampat’s science and monitoring coordinator, Awaludinnoer or Wawan Mangile, said.
The previous week, he and Ali went down at Magic Mountain to monitor the coral reef’s conditions at the Bird’s Head region in Raja Ampat. “I have gone down in Magic Mountain numerous times, and that was the first time I truly saw magic. So many manta rays, sharks and turtles, they all came out,” Ali said.
Night dive
At night, Wawan and Ali asked Kompas to meet with a Raja Ampat icon, the kalabia or the walking shark (Hemiscyllium sp). Unexpectedly, the nocturnal fish appeared in the waters in front of where the Kompas team was staying in Harapan Jaya hamlet, South Misool.
In the drift diving session, we relied on a diving flashlight. With a little bit of patience, we saw a 70-centimeter-long kalabia walking on its two fins on a mud-like substance.
On the second day, we went to Farondi Cave for our first dive session. Like its name, the dive spot is a cave-like tunnel with a huge diameter, enough for six people to go in. In the cave, darkness surrounded us and a majestic beauty emerged.
Next, we went to Wagmap Wall. This location was not included in our dive plan. Wagmap Wall was an alternative option as currents in the Three Sisters dive site were heavy. The dive spot is located beneath a small rock island and surrounded by circular current or eddy.
As we arrived on Wagmap Wall, Ali repeatedly reminded us to stay together and to watch over one another. As we swung our fins into the depths of Wagmap Wall, the sunlight dimmed.
Ali asked everyone to get closer to a coral-filled wall underneath the island. Divers followed the coral’s contour by crawling on the wall sideways while observing the biota around the coral. Afterward, we found a niche on the wall at a depth of 16 meters. There was a gap going inwards.
A Kompas diver found a hole at the top of the niche that was connected to a small room in the cave. He put his head in but the hole was not wide enough for his body. It is not yet known whether or not the room has enough air and is safe for humans.
Once we got out of Wagmap Wall, Ali said there was a mystery regarding the dive spot. Its heavy surface current is dangerous for divers. A few years ago, a diver went missing in Wagmap Wall and the body had yet to be found. “We tell this story after you dive so that you do not get scared,” Ali said, smiling.
