Underwater never looked so good all around me was a mammoth coral reef ; a living breathing entity made up of trillions of minute polyps. The clear translucence conveyed a sense that this fantastic architechture and myriad colours was infinite, and went on forever.
To me, it was the greatest Christmas present I could ever have imagined. At Walindi Plantation in Kimbe Bay at least, the tropical coral reefs had survived the global meltdown for now and were in perfect shape for scuba diving, snorkeling and underwater photography.
These Eastern Clown Anemonefish Amphiprion percula are one of Kimbe Bay's most famous residents. The black markings on some are really quite accentuated, making them wonderful photogenic subjects.
The challenge is, getting more than one in the picture.
After 6 years of diving the worlds largest graveyards, the contrast here was unbelievable. I was back in the World of Water.
For the first time I was at Walindi Plantation , Kimbe Bay, West new Britain Province at the invitation of Max and Cecile Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resort and Alan Raabe of the MV Fe Brina.
Alan Raabe's MV Fe Brina provides the diving guests at Walindi the opportunity to explore the fantastic reefs throughout Kimbe Bay, all in this luxury live aboard.
For me, it was one of the most memorable scuba diving aventures of my career.
The initial project was the brainstorming of Tom and Bobby Drewes from Chicago USA who were visiting Loloata Island PNG during one of my Underwater Marine Life Surveys there the previously and the suggestion was made that we all get together on MV Fe Brina and see what Kinbe Bay had to offer in the way of great diving and species diversity.
All the plans worked out and on the 7th Dec. 1999 I found myself at Walindi Plantation.
With its foliage wreathed in jungle vines the rainforest is at times absolutely dense and impossible to walk through for humans, any entry can only be made possible by very hard work and a very sharp bushknife.
Giant wide - spreading trees dripping with vines and covered with tree ferns and birds nest ferns dominated the pathways; everywhere was lush and green and damp. After all it was a rainforest and on the verge of the wet season.
The caterpillar of the Birdwing Butterfly Ornithoptera priamus is one of the most outstanding caterpillars I had ever seen. I gave the kids 50 Toya each time they found me something new to photograph that I was unable to find my self. I was so impressed with this, I gave them 1 Kina, and they kept bringing back this same caterpillar.
Here and there ones vision of dense jungle growth were interrupted as the suns rays sparkled through the canopy high above and meandered across surrounding flower beds and manicured lawns.
Insects buzzed, hummed and strummed, squeaked and chirped, strange booming trills and squeals rang out from dozens of feathered throats echoing across the tree tops.
The forest floor was carpeted with a tapestry of colours as unseen breezes sent showers of leafy residues wafting down, painting splashes of red and gold across the dark undergrowth. Crab holes littered the landscape, some of their owners standing guard, while others were deep in their burrows waiting for night to descend.
One of over 20 species of butterflys ( Mycalesis sp.) I photograped in the grounds at Walindi. It just seemed that whever I looked there was something new from nature, all around me. I didn't have to find a rainforest, it was all around, and humming.
A dozen species of brilliantly marked butterflies fluttered around blossoms and each other as the approaching wet season stirred their mating instincts and determined their destiny.
The slim cement pathway snaked its way along the foreshores, across the bridged creek and the dock, through a huge living tunnel of trees; it was straight out of a movie scene.
WALINDI PLANTATION RESORT
Whereas in years gone by coconut plantations and their produce were the main crop in the West New Britain Province, these were rapidly being taken over by oil palm production and replanting programs. In some plantations the grassy surrounds are supporting numbers of healthy cattle.
Many of the plantations are , managed and maintained by local West New Britain cooperatives providing employment and self sufficiency to the local villages in each area.
Walindi Dive Resort is surrounded on all sides by giant wide - spreading trees. Here and there palms of all descriptions rise through the canopy pointing towards the sun. The trunks and branches are covered with lush creepers and ephiphites such as bird's nest ferns and tree - dwelling orchids.
Harvested oil palm nuts at Walindi Plantation wating for the pick up truck, which has a power winch to up load the net bag.
Walindi Plantation has a large area planted with oil palm that has been yielding a cash crop for many years.
Substance gardens exist on the hillsides and can be visited. Its quite daunting being dwarfed by a giant sweet potato towering a metre above ones head.
Tom Drewes was a good 6 ft, but the sweet potatoes were bigger. I had never seen vegetables this big, bloody amazing experience. Everybody thought I was mad taking pictures of vegetables............?
However, even though one is never far from stone age civilization ( five minutes from the resort the ground is still littered with flint shards, knives and even perfect stone axe heads just lying whre they were left hundreds of years ago)
Walindi is right up to date with modern facilities including state of the art dive boats, compressors, dive equipment and first class operators.
The resort has a host of activities for visitors and runs day trips to the local traditional villages, hot springs, an excellent swimming pool, island picnics, bird watching, tennis, fishing, snorkelling and scuba diving.
ACCOMODATION
The traditional bungalows at Walindi are spacious with traditional externals and more modern fixtures within.
To me, the safety aspect of every thing I do is imperative to continue expeditioning around the Asia/Indo Pacific region.
Its important to me to be able to come back from scuba diving, or bushwalking to an accommodation living quarters where one can be protected from threats from the endemic bities.
I was dizzy, just looking up there, let alone climbing one. To them is was all just fun, and their smiles and laughter vibrated through the surrounding under and over growth.
This especially necessary in high - risk areas of potentially deadly mosquito carried viruses such as Malaria and Dengue fever.
At Walindi I was pleasantly surprised as the traditional bungalows are spacious, with traditional exterior and more modern interior with all the conveniences one might expect at a high profile diving resort. Hardly brand new, but everything was clean and well maintained. The main room had a big table, two chairs and a single bed, double bed lamps, a kitchenette with tea and coffee facilities, an en suite bathroom, shower and sinks with hot and cold water.
It seemed to me that all the kids had permanent big smiles for everybody and they could 'shin' up a coconut palm at the blink of an eye. I was flat chat just giving a coconut palm a hug, let alone climbing one.
The toilet was a flush system and all the windows were screened, as were the gaps between the walls and the roof. It was obvious to me that management were acutely aware of the importance of providing a safe haven for their customers and had taken all the necessary steps to provide guests with the utmost protection.
A full can of insect quick knockdown spray was present was present on one of the smaller tables and a quiet ceiling fan spun over the double bed. The floor had no gaps in it and the door was fitted with a working deadlock.
Mosquito nets are available on request for those seeking extra protection . I always travel with my own Mosquito net when visiting areas of unknown content, but this time there was no need.
One of the most widely distributed butterflys is the Meadow Argus Butterfly Junonia villidia which grows to around 50 mm and is more likely to be seen around the open ground lawns than in the rainforest canopy.
Most of the accommodations had water views and the pathway was well lit at night by electric light beacons, making a short walk to restaurant, pool, library and bar a simple process even for the most inebriated night owl. Rooms were serviced each day and provision is available each day for clothes to be washed, folded and returned regularly.
Elecricity is 240 V, 50 Hz, three pin Australian plugs and is generated on a 24 hour basis. However, the bungalows do not have extra out lets so, for multiple flash charging its best to travel with a four plug bank.
DIVING FACILITY
There area three aluminium half cabin dive boats and a well stocked equipment hire facility, a compressor filling station shed with equipment washing, all lockable, with a drying area for suits and BCs.
The dive facility staff are well trained and all tanks are carried to and from the store to the boats and set up with BC and regulator.
Weight belts are stored on board, so there is no need for guest to carry any gear except their underwater cameras.
Once you are familiar with the points of identification, Tropical Fish ID is very easy. One of the easiest anemone fish to identify is the Spine - cheeked Anemonefish Premnas biaculeatus which often lives in the Bulb - tentacled Sea Anemone Entacmea quadricolor.
Tanks are situated in a central double seat facility in the centre of the boat, or stored below for multiple dives. Equipment bins are stored at the rear of the boats and there is a fresh water tank for washing cameras on board.
Although there is no special provision for underwater cameras, when there is a group of underwater photographers arrangements are made at the time.
All the dive sites are buoyed and with modern day satellite navigation it doesnt take long to locate most sites and tie up. Skippers, dive guides, instructors and staff are all well trained and experienced, know their stuff, and can locate whatever species underwater photographers might be looking for.
From minute Nudibranchs to Red - lined Sea Cucumbers and Marine Flatworms, to giant Sea fans the range of species is remarkable. The crews ability in handling modern underwater cameras and paranoid photographers is legendary.
RESORT HOUSE REEF
With some of the most well documented coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean, Kimbe bay can boast over 25 individual scuba dive sites, each one as exceptional as the rest and excellent for underwater photography.
The reason as to why this scuba diver world class travel destination has been visited time and time again by some of the worlds greatest underwater enthusiasts is that the water is clear, the subjects spectacular and conditions verging on perfect.
For over 30 years Walindi Dive Resort reefs have been photographed and published throughout the world, all leading to its reputation to be one of the best dive venues in the world for wide angle photography.
Once the silt had been waved off this inshore - dwelling Vastus Sea Cucumber Stichopus vastus it was inded a handsome looking animal, with very distinctive markings and unique design.
I had never seen one this spectactular before.
It would be super for my new Sea Stars - Echinoderms of the Asia/Indo - Pacific guide book I was working on.
However, for me as a confirmed critter chaser I was there to see what there was in the way of species. I had a few pre conceived ideas on what might be there other than the beautiful and remarkable wide angle subjects and clear water.
For most divers, the Resort House Reef might not even rate getting wet, but for Muck divers and soft- bottom enthusiasts chasing up elusive and lesser known sea creatures it seemed the way to go.
Colony of Tubular Stony Coral Leptoseris tubulifera as I had never seen it before.
I organised a small boat and a driver and went to take a look.
A forward roll over the side into three metres of water and three metres visibility I ( and my three camera systems) finned slowly over into the shallows on top of the reef and was amazed at the scene below me.
A healthy inshore reef loaded with live corals, brilliant sponges all growing nicely through layers of fine silt.
At night all the crustaceans creep from their hiding places and go about the business of life. It is so much easier managing to get images of particular species which remain difficult during the day. This Marbled Shrimp Rhynchocinetes sp. ventures right out in the open.
At the end of the jetty rockpile at Walindi is a marvelous number of fantastic reef shrimps that come out at night and pose for the underwater photographers with initiative.
There was not much current inshore to wash away suspended sediment coming out of the local rivers and creeks so for any spectacular images to be made, the silt had to be waved off the subjects and allowed to resettle before a photographic record could be made.
Not every underwater photographer's 'cup of tea' but I knew just how fantastic some of these creatures were. Growing in a protected habitat the brightly coloured sponges had shapes and designs and patterns one could only dream about.
Everywhere the growths were extraordinary. Down over the edge of the reef ( at 6 metres) it seemed as though one had been transformed into the abyss of the ocean. The scene was bizarre and as spooky as hell, with visions of things I had never seen before fringing on my vision, and every where was silt.
Only seen around inshore reefs, the Eight - lined Butterflyfish Chaetodon octofasciatus was new to me and I spent some time capturing the image that was eventually included in my Indo - Pacific Sea Fishes ID guide book.
It was a slow process inching along on the point of my wrist knife to avoid stirring up the silt, but with 3000 PSI and hardly daring to move , or breathe , time was not my problem.
I was looking at a cosmos of ancient beings, many of which were no doubt older than myself. Due to the habitat and sheltered conditions, all the sedentary creatures grew in unusual shapes, everything seemed out of proportion, with extreme unusual formations.
For a while this stony coral had me baffled as I could not determine any polyp patterns on the surface. It turned out to be a Pectinaria sp. unlike any stony coral I had ever seen before. There it was growing amongst all the silt along the inshore reefs, amazing stuff!
Another mystery was this Bubble Coral Plerogyra sp. growing amongst the silty reefs. Bubble Coral it was, but on stalks. Many of the sedentary species had different growth forms than I had ever seen before. I was enthralled with every new find.
If only I had been able to capture such scenes on wide angle. The sponges were covered in silt. I could hardly wonder how they could still be alive with their inlet pores seemingly clogged and inoperable, but by all appearances they were thriving.
There were not very many mobile invertebrates of fish noticeable.
Apart from a few gobies, blennies, cadinalfish, angelfish, butterflyfish there appeared little movement on the soft silty bottom.
Over one metre across, this Giant Bolo Sponge was about as good as I could manage on a 105 mm Micro lense. It was just so magnificent a speciemen and the first one I had ever seen.
As I slowly finned along and down the slope the strange, silent beings appeared out of the gloom, tangled groves of stony corals, sea whips, soft corals, surrounded by stacks of other immobile invertebrates .
Schools of fish moved off in the distance, never staying close enough for an ID. They schooled and swam like sweetlips, but I could not make out which species. I guess they were not used to having company down here.
On night dives, the Rigid Shrimpfish Centriscus scutatus can be found in their normal head down position, sleeping amongst colonies of Red Sea Whips Ctenocella ( Ellisella ) sp. Yet, during the day they I never saw a one.
At 15 metres the visibility got a bit better, so I ventured out onto the soft bottom and ran into a brilliant patch reef they rose up from the bottom to 5 metres. It was loaded with black coral sea whips, sponges, stony corals and heaps of fish, so I spent the rest of the dive trying to record some of them.
Certainly with a little more investigation this inshore Walindi House Reef could turn up some really interesting critters.
Just near the boat buoy was a Black Coral Sea Whip and on it a male and female Sea Whip Shrimp Pontonides unciger. The males are always smaller than the females.