I visited Raja Ampat last week. I went there crossing thea sea from Sorong city to Waigeo island by fast passenger boat to do some birding and sightseeing trip in the southern region of Waigeo island particularly near Kabui bay. I was a n unforgetable journey because I was able to watch Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra), Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus), Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus), and a lot of other birds that live in lower montane forest of Waigeo island.
I stayed at a wooden house built on the water. The scenery of the surrounding waters was very beautiful.
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| Paradisaea rubra |
To watch Red Bird of Paradise, I had to wake up early in the morning at 05.00. It was still dark. After drinking some water and wash my face, I and my friend walked up the slopes of Waigeo to reach the birding ground of the paradise birds. It took around 40 minutes to reach it. Arriving at that place, we climbed an observation platform whose height was approximately 5 meters above the ground.
Some male Red Bird of Paradise were already sitting on the branches of the tree. They were waiting for their female counterparts. It did not take long for us to watch their dance performance. After a 15 - 20 minute-waiting, we began to hear the sounds of their calls. These were followed by the courtship dance performance of two male birds of paradise. They did this to attract the attention of female bird of paradise for mating.
I turned on my digital camera. It was a Fujifilm HS50EXR and then slowly moved to an open space on the platform where I could see the birds clearly. When I saw that one of the male birds was dancing with his whole body on the upside down pose, I quickly aimed my camera and shot him several times. It was a nice shot but the early morning light was not bright enough.
The pictures of the birds of paradise were good enough.
As a tour guide, I offer birding and snorkeling trip to Raja Ampat for anybody who wants to see tropical birds, coral reef and fish of this wonderful archipelago.
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| Kabui bay in Raja Ampat archipelago |
Swimming and Snorkeling
As the epicenter of marine biodiversity, the sea of Raja Ampat is the natural habitat of thousands of species of marine animals including anemonefish, surgeonfish, lionfish, damselfish, grouper, manta, turtles, and a lot more.
Please, bring your own snorkeling gear such as mask, snorkel, fins. You can also bring an underwater camera if you want to enjoy snorkeling in the waters of Raja Ampat.
Booking
For more info on customized itinerary and cost, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or text message to my whatsapp number: +6281332245180
