World Population and Over Exploitation of Natural Resourses

Rapid Growth of Human Population
Today there are approximately 7.8 billion people (as of December 2019) living on planet earth. This number is growing every day at an alarming rate. We will need more food, clothing, housing, and transport vehicles in order to survive in this planet. As a result, we will exploit natural resources to get water, oil, wood, metals, and other minerals.
A few days ago, I visited a very big mall in Surabaya city of Indonesia. I saw various kinds of products that were offered by vendors in the mall. There are restaurants that sell foods of Chinese, Japanese, Western and Indonesian cuisines.  There are also stores that offer clothes, leather goods, footwear, toys, tools, furniture, jewelry, and smartphones, watches and everything that we use every day.

A Shopping Center

Di ITC Mall Natal Dirayakan Dengan Tarian Tradisional

Kemarin siang, saya berkunjung ke ITC Mall di Surabaya. Ketika memasuki lantai 1, ada sebuah acara menarik yang digelar oleh pihak manajemen mall tersebut. Acara itu adalah Perayaan Natal. Kegiatan ini tidak bersifat ritual. Yang ada adalah pergelaran tari-tarian tradisional khas Jawa Timur. 

Traditional Dance Performance in ITC Mall of Surabaya

Pergelaran tari tersebut dihadiri oleh warga masyarakat yang berkunjung ke mall dari berbagai latar belakang budaya dan agama. Meskipun berlangsung sederhana, para penonton nampak gembira menyaksikannya, mereka bertepuk tangan kepada para penari setiap kali mereka menyelesaikan tariannya. Ini adakah bukti bahwa masyarakat Indonesia toleran dengan perbedaan budaya dan agama sekaligus menghargai kemajemukan.

English Version

Yesterday afternoon, I visited ITC Mall in Surabaya. When I entered the first floor of the shopping center, I saw an interesting event conducted by the management of the mall. It was a Christmas Celebration. However, it was not a ritual one. The celebration was carried out in the form of special exhibition of traditional dance from East Java.

Visitors and vendors from various cultural and religious background watched the performances. Although the celebration was a simple one, the audiences were very happy, they applauded the dancers every time a performance was completed.

This is a real evidence that people in Indonesia are tolerant with the differences in religion, culture and at the same time respect pluralism.

Baca juga:
Christmas Tree Worm (dalam bahasa Inggris)
Festival Budaya di Manokwari

Becak in the Era of Grab-Bike and Gojek

Becak (human powered cycle rickshaw) is a mode of transportation that still exists in the era of Gojek and GrabBike. In cities and towns of Java island, becak drivers can still be found pedalling their tricycle taxis usually loaded with 1 or 2 passengers. Sometimes, becak drivers carry goods such as food materials from a traditional market or construction materials from a shop to a nearby housing area.

Persaingan Industri Penerbangan Dunia

Industri pesawat dunia saat ini masih dikuasai oleh dua perusahaan besar yakni Boeing dari Amerika Serikat, dan Airbus dari Eropa. Kedua perusahaan itu membuat pesawat dalam berbagai jenis dan ukuran. Namun demikian tipe A320 family dan Boeing 737 series adalah yang paling laris di pasaran. Mereka terus mengembangkan pesawat-pesawat tersebut agar lebih ringan, kuat, aman, cepat serta hemat bahan bakar.

Pesawat Airbus A320 family milik Air Asia di bandara Sultan Hasanuddin Makassar

Apeng Kwetiau Medan

There is a famous Chinese food restaurant in Surabaya city. Its name is Apeng Kwetiau Medan located on Jalan Kedungdoro 267 Surabaya. It is always full with customers from morning until night time. The service is fast, and clean but the price is slightly higher than the average price of foods in similar restaurant in town.

Rumah Makan Apeng

Every day, we can see people queuing outside of the resto waiting for their turn to eat their favorite menus in the restaurant. The employees of the restaurant put plastic seats outside of the resto for people who wait. They also check the number of each group of the visitors so that they can find the most suitable table for their customers.
Well, next time if you pass by this city, you can visit Apeng Kwetiau Medan to try some of its delicious foods.
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Hutan Kota di Surabaya Terbaik di Indonesia

Sudah beberapa hari ini saya jalan-jalan keliling Surabaya. Ini adalah kota ke- 2 terbesar di Indonesia. Kota pelabuhan, perdagangan, tapi juga disebut kota hijau.

Melihat-lihat Buku di Surabaya

Tempat-tempat Penjualan Buku di Surabaya

Salah satu hobi saya adalah membaca. Ya, setiap hari saya membaca. Sering kali saya membaca e-book memakai tablet Samsung Tab A yang saya miliki tetapi terkadang juga saja membaca buku secara fisik. Kebanyakan buku yang saya baca adalah tentang ekologi, pariwisata, burung, serta teknologi informatika. Ketika saya bepergian ke kota-kota besar, saya akan selalu menyempatkan diri untuk berkunjung ke lapak-lapak penjual buku.

Kali ini, saya sedang berlibur di Surabaya dengan keluarga. Saya sudah berada di sini dari tanggal 23 Desember. Saya menjelajah toko-toko buku di Surabaya ini sejak tanggal 24 Desember. Toko Buku TOGAMAS di Jalan Diponegoro, Gramedia di Tunjungan Plaza 1 serta Bazar Buku di Lantai 1 City of Tomorrow Mall sudah saya kunjungi. Hari ini, di pagi hari, saya berkunjung ke toko-toko buku bekas di Jalan Semarang. Ternyata koleksi buku di sini banyak sekali. Saya menemukan beberapa judul menarik yang dijual dengan harga murah.

Menggambar Manusia

Dalam dunia seni visual, subyek yang sulit digambar adalah manusia. Oleh karena itu, seorang seniman yang ingin menguasai teknik menggambar manusia harus berlatih membuat sketsa sebanyak mungkin. Referens dalam menggambar bisa berasal dari imaginasi, foto di majalah atau model secara langsung. Yang terbaik tentunya adalah menggunakan model secara langsung.

Ada seniman yang menggambar mata terlebih dahulu, kemudian menggambar hidung, mulut, rambut, dan selanjutnya ke bagian tubuh lainnya. Ada juga yang mulai menggambar tangan terlebih dahulu kemudian dilanjutkan ke badan, kaki, tangan serta kepala. 

Sketsa Manual Wanita dan Laptop

Dalam teori menggambar manusia, pada umumnya, seniman menggambar bagian terluar dari keseluruhan tubuh manusia agar proporsinya seimbang dan tata letaknya sesuai dengan yang diharapkan. Setelah gambar tubuh manusia secara garis besar telah dibuat, langkah selanjutnya adalah menggambar secara terperinci bagian wajah, tangan, kaki atau pakaian yang dipakai. 

Ilustrasi digital wanita dan laptop

Meskipun seseorang telah menguasai teori menggambar manusia secara baik, ia tetap harus terus berlatih untuk menyempurnakan ketrampilannya. Jika ia tidak berlatih, maka kualitas gambar yang ia hasilkan tidak akan maksimal. 

Secara pribadi saya telah membuat banyak sketsa tubuh manusia, baik laki-laki, perempuan, anak-anak maupun dewasa. 

Sketsa Wanita di Tepi Pantai

Saya biasanya menggunakan pensil terlebih dahulu kemudian saya beri warna. Ada juga sketsa biasa dengan menggunakan pensil lalu ditebalkan garisnya menggunakan pena bertinta hitam ysng selanjutnya diolah lagi secara digital menggunakan aplikasi Autodesk Sketchbook. Pembaca bisa melihat beberapa gambar manusia pada tulisan ini sebagai bahan studi.

• Lukisan Cat Air Bunga Hibiscus
• Gambar Vektor Cendrawasih Merah
• Mengagumi Goresan Pastel Hofker di Neka Art Gallery

Burung Surga Merah

Burung Surga Merah/ Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra) hidup di hutan hujan tropis Raja Ampat. Perilakunya mirip Burung Surga Kecil/ Cendrawasih Kuning (Paradisaea minor). Saya sering mengantar wisatawan untuk menonton burung ini di Kepulauan Raja Ampat khususnya di Pulau Waigeo. 

Untuk menonton Cendrawasih merah, kita perlu bangun pagi sekali sekitar jam 05.00 Kemudian kita perlu jalan kaki selama kurang lebih 1 jam ke lokasi nonton. Peralatan yang dibawa adalah teropong, dan kamera. 

Burung Surga Merah (Paradisaea rubra)

Ketika cahaya matahari mulai menerangi kanopi hutan, Burung Surga Merah mulai aktif berkicau. Saat itu yang jantan akan memanggil betina agar mereka bisa mempertontonkan kepiawaian mereka dalam berdansa. Burung-burung jantan akan bersaing merebut hati burung betina supaya diajak kawin. 

Rata-rata Burung Surga Merah berdansa dan berkicau hingga jam 09.00 ketika cahaya matahari telah menerangi hutan hujan tropis Waigeo. 

Setelah kegiatan menonton Cendrawasih Merah selesai, para wisatawan bisa kembali ke penginapan untuk beristirahat. Aktivitas selanjutnya bisa dilanjutkan dengan kegiatan birding di pulau-pulau atau snorkeling. 

Raja Ampat kaya dengan keanekaragaman hayati (bio-diversity) baik di atas permukaan tanah (hutan) dan di dasar laut (terumbu karang). Masyarakatnya juga memiliki adat istiadat yang unik. 

Di atas adalah ilustrasi Burung Surga Merah yang saya buat menggunakan Autodesk Sketchbook. Gambar tersebut sekarang tersedia sebagai cetakan di t-shirt, mug, tote bag, iPhone case, botol air minum, dan berbagai produk lainnya. Silahkan melihatnya di Alam Lestari. Semoga Anda tertarik untuk membelinya.
Baca juga:
Burung Cendrawasih Merah
Gambar Vektor Cendrawasih Merah

A Digital Drawing of Male Lesser Birds of Paradise

I have just checked folders of my wildlife drawings to find any sketches or drawings that I haven't uploaded onto this blog. There are some of them. So, tonight, I upload a digital drawing of a Male Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor). This tropical bird lives in lowland and lower montane rainforest of New Guinea. It is a unique forest that is very rich with various species of trees, lianas, flower plants, bamboos and mushrooms. West Papua province of Indonesia where I live, this paradise bird has become an important target of observations among tourists whom I guide in the forest. 

Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor)

I often organize tours for visitors to rainforest of Klasow valley of Sorong regency Tambrauw Mountains and Susnguakti forest in Manokwari. We spend 3 to 4 days hiking and exploring the forest to see birds, reptiles, insects, and some mammals. There are a lot of birds that we watch including Magnificent Riflebird, King Bird of Paradise, Hooded Butcherbird, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Shining Flycatcher, Northern Variable Pitohui, Spangled Drongo, Eclectus Parrot, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Brown Cuckoo Dove, Hooded Pitohui, Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot, Helmetted Friarbiard, Superb Druit Dove, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, Black-capped Lory, and etc.

Birding Equipment

To increase the chance of seeing colorful birds, I bring a Kinglux 20-60×60 mm spotting scope, a pair of Visionking 10×42mm roof prism binoculars, laser pointer. I also bring loudspeaker with a smartphone that contains the recording of bird sounds. Sometimes, I play some bird sounds to attract them.

When the birds are in close range, I use my camera to photograph them. They become my main reference when I make manual and digital drawings of birds that I present in this blog. 

Bird and Wildlife Art

My bird and Wildlife art is now available as prints on t-shirts, mugs, iPhone cases, stickers, spiral notebook, tote bags, pillows, and etc. Please, support this blog by buying some of them at this link:
Lesser Birds of Paradise
Bird of Paradise

Burung Surga Merah

Marine Life at Sraoseri Beach of Mansinam Island

Sraoseri is the name of a beach in Mansinam island of Manokwari city. It is a nice place for tourists who are interested in snorkeling and freediving. Its coral reef is still in pristine condition and is the natural habitat a lot of species of marine animals. 

Sraoseri Beach in Mansinam island near Manokwari city

Cendrawasih Kuning

Ini adalah gambar burung Cendrawasih Kuning (Paradisaea minor) yang hidup di hutan hujan tropis Papua khususnya pada dataran rendah hingga ke kawasan perbukitan. Burung ini karena bulunya yang indah sering dipakai untuk menghiasi berbagai pintu gerbang di kawasan perumahan hingga lukisan dekoratif di rumah-rumah warga. Sejumlah institusi swasta, lembaga adat, gereja dan pemerintah menggunakan lambang atau logo burung Cendrawasih.

Ilustrasi Burung Cendrawasih Kuning

Burung Cendrawasih Kuning adalah burung surga asli Papua yang memegang peranan penting dalam menjaga keseimbangan ekosistem hutan hujan tropis. Burung ini dan berbagai spesies burung lainnya memakan buah dari pohon-pohon yang ada di hutan kemudian menyebar biji-bijinya ke seluruh penjuru hutan.
Saya membuat ilustrasi digital burung Cendrawasih ini menggunakan aplikasi Autodesk Sketchbook. Sebelumnya saya harus membuat sketsanya secara manual dengan menggunakan pensil, crayon warna di atas kertas biasa. Setelah itu, saya menggambarnya kembali menggunakan stylus dari Tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab A with S pen sebagai alat utama dalam menggambar.

Baju Kaos Burung Cendrawasih Kuning

Ilustrasi ini sekarang tersedia dalam bentuk cetak di t-shirt, tas, mug, botol minuman serta dompet di toko online saya: Burung Cendrawasih - Alam Lestari.
Artikel lain:
Burung Cendrawasih Merah
Burung Surga Jantan
Burung Surga Merah
Lukisan Cat Air Burung Surga

Ilustrasi Digital

Selama ini saya telah membuat berbagai ilustrasi digital berupa burung, ikan, bunga serta manusia menggunakan aplikasi Autodesk Sketchbook. Ilustrasi itu saya tampilkan sebagian di blog ini. Ada juga yang saya muat di Redbubble dan Zazzle.

Gambar Burung Cendrawasih Merah

Untuk para pembaca di Indonesia, ilustrasi digital yang saya buat sekarang bisa dibeli dalam bentuk t-shirt, mug, tumbler, buku catatan, tas belanja dan serta dompet di website tees. Berikut ini adalah Sketsa Burung Cendrawasih yang ditampilkan lewat screenshot dari produk-produk tersebut.

Ilustrasi Digital Burung Surga

Nah, para pembaca yang tertarik untuk membelinya, silahkan saja langsung berkunjung ke halaman saya di tees pada link ini: Alam Lestari.

The Sea as The Source of My Art Inspiration

The sea has always been the source of my art inspiration. I like drawing, watercolour painting, or creating digital illustrations of life at sea from a simple drawing of an outrigger boat to vector illustrations of whalesharks. I try my best to make the artworks as good and as clean as possible so that they will look great when printed on t-shirts, mugs, posters or drawstring bags.

In the process of creating my artworks, I use vector drawing software called Inkscape. Now because of the availability of digital drawing application such as Autodesk Sketchbook, I use it more frequently.

Art Illustration inspired from the sea

Drawing with Autodesk Sketchbook is more intuitive than drawing with vector drawing software such as Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator. However, because they are vector drawing softwares, the illustrations created by them are scalable meaning that they can be enlarged without jeopardizing the quality of the artworks. 

I still use Autodesk Sketchbook when drawing illustrations for my digital artshop in Redbubble and Zazzle but I still spend significant amount of my time drawing sketches manually using pencil or pen on paper. By practicing sketching, I can continuously improving my drawing skill.

Well, I hope that I can create more illustrations about marine animals and life at coastal areas as a whole.

Most of my illustrations are now available as prints on t-shirts, tote bags, draw stripbags, bed cover, stickers, mugs, clocks and a lot more. Please, have a look at them at this link: Charles Roring's Art
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Moorish Idol

Virgin Coconut Oil

VCO stands for Virgin Coconut Oil. It is extracted from Coconut Fruit. The process is relatively easy for farmers or people who live in tropical region and who grow coconut trees in their farmlands. 

Virgin Coconut Oil

Freediving over Coral Reef

I like swimming and snorkeling as well as freediving. My main objective when doing freediving is to take pictures of fish and other marine creatures in coral reef area. To do freediving, I wear swim fins, snorkeling mask and snorkel. My usual camera is Fujifilm XQ2 which I put inside its waterproof case. Sometimes I use Nikon Coolpix AW130. 

To take pictures underwater, I always try to immerse my body so that I could be on the same eye level with the fish, coral reef or Christmas Tree Worm that I want to shoot. 

There are a lot of coral reef sites in West Papua. I freedive in Manokwari, coastal area of Tambrauw, Sorong and Raja Ampat. For me, the best place for marine environment is Raja Ampat. The marine life is abundant and the coral reef is in pristine condition.

Beautiful Fruit Dove

I often travel to Raja Ampat islands to guide tourists on a birdwatching and snorkeling tour for 3 to 5 days or even more. During the tour, we watch Red Bird of Paradise, Hooded Butcherbird, Eclectus Parrot, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Beautiful Fruit Dove, and a lot more. I also saw Beautiful Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus pulchellus) several times feeding on small berries of a kind of ficus tree.

Beautiful Fruit Dove

I used to see the same bird in mainland West Papua. This bird lives in lowland and hill forest. 

When I accompany tourists on snorkeling tours, we go by motorized boat to islands in Kabui bay, Dampier Strait and northeast coast of Waigeo. We swim over coral reef and see a lot of tropical fish including butterflyfish, wrasse, parrotfish, and a lot more.
Also read:

• Digital Drawing of Male Lesser Birds of Paradise
• Brown Cuckoo Dove
• Pigeons and Fruit Doves in West Papua's Forest

Magnificent Riflebird Dances Like a Cheerleader

If Western Parotia dances like a ballerina, the Magnificent Riflebird dances like a cheerleader.

A Male Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus)

Exploring the Natural Beauty of West Papua

Papua Barat, also called West Papua, is a very beautiful tourist destination. It attracts the attention of marine scientists because it has got the highest marine biodiversity in the world. There are thousands of species of marine animals in this region. Most of the land of West Papua is covered by tropical rainforest that is the habitat of birds of paradise, cuscus possum, colorful butterflies, and unique reptiles. Because I work as a tourist guide, I have visited a lot of places in this province appreciating its beautiful and pristine coral reef and forest.

Trekking in Susnguakti forest

Natural Beauty of West Papua

I usually bring digital camera with telephoto lens when I guide tourists in the forest. Canon 200D, en entry level D-SLR camera, and Tamron 150-600mm have been my photographic devices for nearly 2 years now. To watch tropical birds in high trees, I use a pair of Visionking 10×42mm binoculars. When I guide tourists, I bring my spotting scope Kinglux 20-60×60mm that is mounted on a tripod. There is also a laser pointer that I usually use to indicate the location of birds or wild animals that live in distant trees. However, I do not aim the laser pointer directly at the animals. I usually aim the pointer around 2 meters below the animals and inform my clients that the animal or bird is above the pointer. This is a good technique to respect the animal while we are watching it.
If you are interested in exploring the natural beauty of West Papua and want me as your guide, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp: +6281332245180.
Snorkeling Tours in Raja Ampat
Trekking and Camping in the Rainforest
Tropical Rainforest - a great tourist attraction

West Papua A Little Heaven on Earth

I made a collage of pictures about what I do to make a living yesterday. But I did not arrange pictures of me doing somehing. I only wanted to show to people the vocal points. I am a tourist guide. I organize tours in the forest for people to see tropical birds. One of them that has become the main target of observation is Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor). Locally, it is called Burung Cendrawasih. So, I arrange the picture of this beautiful bird on top of the collage. While traveling in the forest with tourists, I see unique tropical plants. There are big trees, shrub plants, lianas, but there are also small plants. The next photograph that I put in the collage is a small plant - terrestrial orchid flower.

Natural Attractions of West Papua's rainforest and coral reef

Besides guiding tourists in the forest, I also guide tourists swimming and snorkeling at sea. So, I put a picture of Blue Sea Star. Well, that's some of the attractions that I and my clients see when we explore the natural beauty of West Papua's rainforest and coral reef. It is really a little heaven that has fallen on earth.

Most tourists who want to spend their vacation in West Papua go to Raja Ampat. They need to take international flight from their country to Jakarta. After that, they need to continue their flight to Sorong city. Domestic airlines such as Garuda Indonesia, Sriwijaya, Batik Air and Lion Air provide regular flight services to Sorong city. A lot of hotels can be found in the city including Swissbel hotel, Fave Hotel, Belagri, Kyriad M hotel and etc.

Visitors can take a rest in Sorong city for 1 night or continue their trip directly to Waisai town by fast passenger ferry. At port of Waisai, they can continue their trip to any beach resorts or homestay which they have booked in one of the many islands of Raja Ampat. And that's where their adventure begins. - written by Charles Roring

Also read:

Watching the Courtship Dance of Red Bird of Paradise

Drawing of Red Bird of Paradise

Watching Birds and Sea Turtles in Waigeo Island

Secluded Beach

Raja Ampat islands are famous for their beautiful sceneries both above and under the water. These tropical islands attract tens of thousands of visitors every year. Most of them travel to Raja Ampat to enjoy swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving or sunbathing at white sandy beaches. They stay in nice beach resorts, or homestays. But there are also people who are interested in exploring more remote islands whose beaches are secluded and whose coral reefs are in pristine conditions. The followings are some of them:

Isanak Beach - This beach is located in Waim - a small uninhabited island in the east of Raja Ampat.

A Secluded Beach in Raja Ampat

Waim island

This tropical island is surrounded by coral reef. So, it is very nice to enjoy swimming and snorkeling at this beach.

Kofiau

Kofiau is the name of a group of islands in south-west region of Raja Ampat. Because of its remote location, very few tourists have visited it. To the west of Kofiau, there is another group of islands called Boo. It is surrounded by coral reef.
During diving season (October to June), some liveaboard ships go to Kofiau. There are tourists in the liveaboard ships who want to enjoy scubadiving in Kofiau. 

Deer village in Kofiau islands of Raja Ampat

People can visit these islands by taking sea tour by a motorized boat. Every week, there are passenger ferries that connect Kofiau and Sorong city. Travelers who want to visit Kofiau can go to Pelabuhan Rakyat or Pelabuhan Pelni to check for ships and their departure schedules to Kofiau.
There are some villages in Kofiau islands. Most of the islanders work as fishermen. However, they do not have modern cold storage that can preserve their daily catch before it can be shipped to Sorong city. As a result, they could only sell the fish, sea cucumber and other marine products as dry products. People in Kofiau and Kepulauan Sembilan collect coconut fruits and smoke their meat (kernels) and sell them as kopra. 

Birding, hiking, island hopping, sightseeing, swimming, snorkeling and fishing can be done in Kofiau. So, visitors are advised to bring all the necessary devices which they need during their trip around Kofiau.


Also read:
A Visit to North-east Coast of Waigeo Island
Kabui Bay of Raja Ampat
Snorkeling Sites Near Waigeo Island

Coastal Birds in Raja Ampat

The tropical beaches of Waigeo are getting famous as tourist destination. Visitors travel from Europe, North America, Australia, and Asian countries to enjoy their holiday here in Waigeo island. There are beach resorts and homestays that visitors can choose to stay to enjoy swimming, snorkeling, scubadiving, and sunbathing. 

Beach Kingfisher

There are also tourists who travel to Raja Ampat to enjoy birding. There are a lot of coastal birds which they can watch. As a tourist guide, I have organized birding tours for visitors who want to see coastal birds such as Crested Tern, Willie Wagtail, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Beach Kingfisher, Lesser Frigatebird, Striated Heron, Eastern Reef Egret, Pacific Swallow, Torresian Crow, Radjah Shelduck, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Beach-stoned Curlew, Singing Starling, White-breasted Woodswallow, Wimbrel, Plover, Moustached Treeswift, Eastern Osprey, and etc.

Humpback Grouper

Humpback Grouper (Cromileptes altivelis) is a tropical reef fish whose economic value is very high. It is also called Kerapu Tikus (meaning Mouse Grouper) because the tapered form of its mouth looks similar to the mouth of a mouse. I used to see the fish several times when I enjoyed snorkeling or scuba diving in West Papua. The last time I saw the expensive fish when I was diving in Raja Ampat. I was in the waters of an uninhabited island at a depth of around 20 meters (65.6 feet). I saw the grouper was hiding under a big leaf coral. I did not want to disturb the fish so, I took picture from a distance of around 5 meters. Seafood Restaurants offer various kinds of menus whose main ingredient was the meat of the Kerapu Tikus.

Polka Dot Grouper in Coral Reef of Raja Ampat

Because of its high economic values, aquaculture companies are trying to produce the fish in higher quantity through fish farming. Usually the seed stock is taken from coral reef.

In Raja Ampat the massive production of groupers has not been carried out by fishermen. Most of the fish that are supplied to local market is taken from the sea. So, the opportunity for investors to introduce aquaculture business in this region is very high.

Marine Life in Raja Ampat

Coral reef of Raja Ampat islands is the richest in the world in terms of marine biodiversity. Raja Ampat is a very important destination for marine tourism. However, its aquaculture business is still small. 

Also read:

Lizard Fish

Marine Life in Raja Ampat

Marine Life at Sra Oseri Beach
Abundant fish in Coral Reef of Raja Ampat

by Charles Roring

Pied Imperial Pigeon

I went to Warduwer beach this morning to see the progress of the construction of Raja Ampat Flower (RAFLOW) Resort. It would be continued soon. While I was there, I did some birdwatching. I brought with me my camera the Canon 200D with Tamron 150-600 mm telephoto lens. Inside the complex of the beach resort, I saw some Pied Imperial Pigeon (Ducula bicolor) sitting on the tip branches of a tree. Slowly I walked closer to the birds. They did not fly when they saw me. So, I could take pictures without having to hide behind shrub plants. There were also Hooded Butcherbird on the lower branch of the tree.

Pied Imperial Pigeon in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat

There were also Lesser Frigatebirds that were flying high in the sky. From the nearby forest, I heard the calls of Eclectus Parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and Rufous-bellied Kookaburra.

Abundant Fish in Coral Reef of Raja Ampat

This is the photograph of marine life in coral reef of Raja Ampat. It is a very rich environment. With the highest marine biodiversity in the world, Raja Ampat islands are considered as the best destination for marine tourism activities. I often guide tourists to these tropical islands. We enjoy swimming, snorkeling, freediving and other activities that are related to Raja Ampat.

Abundant fish in Raja Ampat islands

When snorkeling with tourists, I often do freediving to take pictures of fish and other marine life in deeper water. Usually the drop off or fore reef area is the place where fish is abundant. By freediving, I could get closer to fish and other interesting creatures of Raja Ampat. 

Abundant Fish at Warduwer beach of Waigeo island

To take pictures, I set my camera to dive or snorkeling mode. In Fujifilm XQ2 or Nikon AW 130, the dive mode is symbolized by fish icon on the camera screen. I often go snorkeling with tourists on 3 to 6 days tour. It is combined with other activities such as hiking, birdwatching and sightseeing. The average number of tour participants is from 1 to 4 people. 

Participants of the tour have to bring their own snorkeling gear such as mask, snorkel, and fins. Sometimes I see one or two participants bring dive computer or waterproof watch. 

Camera is needed to take pictures of this very beautiful marine environment. Sealife DC2000 is a nice camera but readers can choose other cameras as well such as Canon G1X Mark III with waterproof housing. 

If you are interested in taking a snorkeling and wildlife watching tour in Raja Ampat and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Also read:

• Christmas Tree Worm
• Snorkeling Tours in Raja Ampat
• Marine Life in Raja Ampat

How to Take Pictures in Coral Reef?

I live in Indonesia, a country that consists of thousands of tropical islands. Most of the islands in the province where I live have got coral reef around them. This allows me to observe the marine life in this very rich underwater environment. During the observation works, I take pictures or make videos of fish, sea stars, coral reef and other echinoderm creatures that I see. 

I usually wear snorkeling mask, snorkel, and swim fins. To avoid fogging on the glass surface of my mask, I apply some shampoo on it. After that I rinse it but I still leave some thin layer of the shampoo on the glass. When I wear it, I will touch my forehead and temples to remove strands of hair that are  trapped between the rubber seal of my mask and face. It is important to remove them to prevent any water leaks when I do the snorkeling, scuba diving, and freediving. 

Underwater Picture from coral reef in Manokwari

Light Factor

Abundant marine life can be seen in the coral reef where sunlight can reach. In deeper water where sunlight has been much reduced, there are not many marine animals that we can see. So the best depths for taking underwater pictures are from 1 to 15 meters. At this depth, shooting a fish or a nudibranch does not need flash. In deeper water, the use of flash, and artificial lights is needed for underwater photography.

King Bird of Paradise

King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius) is a small paradise bird that lives among hanging vines of a tree in the forest of New Guinea. It lives mostly in lowland and lower montane forest and has got red back and wings with white belly. His bill is yellowish orange.
I have watched the King Bird of Paradise a lot of times in Susnguakti forest of Manokwari. The bird could also be watched in Tambrauw mountains, and Klasow valley. The birds are usually active in the mornings from 7 to 10 and in the afternoons from 3 to 6. If the weather is bad, he may not come out to dance or he may show up later.
King Birds of Paradise calls his female counterpart before performing his courtship dance. If the female King BOP comes, he will jump up and down the vines and perform the dance. If she does not come, he will be reluctant to dance.

King Bird of Paradise

King Birds of Paradise in the rainforest of Manokwari

It is not easy to find the bird due to its small size. We have to follow its calling sounds. Sometimes he jumps and dances to lower branches or vines. Because of its small size, we need to use binoculars and spotting scope to watch the bird.
When I guide tourists to Susnguakti forest watch the bird, it is not only the King BOP that we will watch but also Lesser Birds of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Frilled Monarch, Hooded Butcherbird, Black Butcherbird, Golden Cuckooshrike, Fairy Lorikeet, Eclectus Parrot, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Spangled Drongo, Brown Cuckoo Dove, Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot, Mimic Meliphaga, Black Sunbird, and a lot more. - written by Charles Roring
Related Posts:

• Lesser Birds of Paradise
• Western Parotia
• Red Bird of Paradise
• Magnificent Riflebird
• Magnificent Bird of Paradise

Lizardfish in Coral Reef of Raja Ampat

This is the photograph of a lizardfish that I made when I was diving in Raja Ampat. Perhaps its species name is Reef Lizardfish (Synodus variegatus).

Lizardfish in Raja Ampat

I and 3 divers were at a depth of around 18 meters (59 feet) below the surface of the sea when I saw the fish. The sunlight had been much reduced at this depth. I did not activate the flash of my camera to avoid disturbing the marine life when shooting the fish. As a result the picture that I made was not colorful at all. At least I could use it for identification purposes. I used Nikon AW 130 - a compact and waterproof camera that was suitable for snorkeling, scuba diving and freediving.

Flowers in Neighborhood

I had a short afternoon walk around my neighborhood yesterday. I passed by the front-yard of a junior high school, there were several flower plants that I saw. One of them was Red Hibiscus. Because it looked beautiful, I stopped for a while to take pictures. After that I continued walking to meet some people that I recognized. There were several other species of tropical flowers that I saw including zinnia elegans, and plumeria. There was a huge building of a Catholic church in my neighborhood. The name of the church was Santo Agustinus. Its surrounding yard had some flower plants too. I could not identify their names because I did not have the field guide book for the tropical flowers of New Guinea or Indonesia.

Kembang Sepatu Merah

Butterflies in Susnguakti Forest

Last week, I guided 2 tourists to Susnguakti forest. They were Geoffrey and Jessica. They came from France. First they took international flight to Jakarta - the capital of Indonesia, after that they flew to Manokwari by Batik air. I met them at Swissbel hotel and organized their trip by a chartered transport vehicle to the forest.
We spent 4 days/ 3 nights exploring the forest to see birds of paradise, cuscus possum, reptiles and insects. The forest was located in the south of Manokwari. We went there by chartered pick-up car that was operated by local villagers as public transportation that connects villages in the south and Manokwari city.

Cruiser Butterfly

I saw some butterflies such as The Silky Owl, Cruiser, Blue Mountain Swallowtail and some other species which I could not identify. I saw them along the path to a rose apple tree and near the clearing area of our basecamp. The butterfly came out in the mornings when the sunlight was bright. They landed on leaves to take a rest, or collect nectar of flowers and also collect the salty sweat from our exposed hands, shoulders or feet.

Coral Reef in Mansinam Island

Marine Life in Mansinam island

I went to Mansinam island this afternoon to do a field survey over its coral reef. The island was located across from Manokwari city. We did the survey at Sera Oser beach on the east coast of the island. I was with a friend of mine - Matias. I did the survey by snorkeling and freediving over the coral reef. My friend did not freedive, he only did the snorkeling. To take photographs, I brought my camera - Fujifilm XQ2 that had been put inside its waterproof case.

Wisata Nonton Burung Surga di Hutan Papua

Burung Cendrawasih

Hutan hujan tropis Papua adalah habitat alami bagi berbagai jenis burung surga seperti Burung Surga Raja atau King Bird of Paradise; Burung Cendrawasih Kuning Kecil atau Lesser Birds of Paradise serta Toowa Cemerlang atau Magnificent Riflebird.  Burung-burung ini menjadi target utama bagi para wisatawan yang suka dengan aktivitas penjelajahan hutan, pengamatan burung dan satwa liar. 

Burung surga yang saya sebutkan di atas memiliki warna bulu yang indah serta bisa menari di dahan pohon. Biasanya mereka aktif di pagi hari dari jam 6 sampai 9 pagi serta di sore hari dari jam 3 sampai 5 sore. 

Ada beberapa lokasi pengamatan yang kerap dikunjungi oleh wisatawan di Provinsi Papua Barat. Dua di antaranya adalah Hutan Susnguakti di Manokwari serta hutan Ayapokiar di Pegunungan Tambrauw. 

Wisatawan yang hendak mengamati burung Cendrawasih biasanya membawa teropong (binocular). Untuk memotret burung di pepohonan yang tinggi, mereka membawa kamera yang dilengkapi lensa telefoto. 

Karena burung cendrawasih adalah satwa yang dilindungi oleh undang-undang maka para wisatawan tidak diperkenankan untuk membeli/ memburu burung tersebut. 

Selain burung surga atau burung cendrawasih, wisatawan yang menjelajahi hutan hujan tropis Papua bisa juga melihat spesies burung lain seperti:

• Kakaktua Putih (Sulphur-crested Cockatoo)
• Kakaktua Raja (Palm Cockatoo)
• Eclectus Parrot
• Luri Kepala Hitam (Black-capped Lory)
• Raja Udang Paruh Kuning (Yellow-billed Kingfisher)
• Raja Udang Biru Hitam (Blue-black Kingfisher)
• Jagal Papua (Hooded Butcherbird). Burung ini, ketika sedang menyanyi, memiliki suara yang merdu sekali.
• Parrot Pipi Merah atau Nuri Pipi Merah(Red-cheeked Parrot), dan masih banyak lagi.

Ketika menjelajah hutan, para wisatawan hendaknya dipandu oleh pramuwisata setempat atau warga kampung yang mengerti benar tentang kondisi hutan tersebut. Jas hujan, tas yang berisi makanan ringan, biskuit, air minum serta lotion anti nyamuk perlu dibawa. 

Agar biaya perjalanan per orang menjadi lebih murah, ada baiknya jika wisatawan datang dalam jumlah sekitar 4 orang supaya biaya transportasi, bahan makanan dan jasa pemandu menjadi lebih murah. 

Semoga setelah membaca artikel pendek ini, Anda menjadi semakin tertarik dengan wisata pengamatan burung surga di Papua. 

Baca juga:

Burung Surga Papua yang indah warnanya

Burung Surga di Papua

Wisata Alam di Hutan Rawa
Wisata Alam di Sungai Dopi
Mendaki Gunung Arfak untuk melihat burung surga
Menonton Burung Cendrawasih di Manokwari

Sketch of A Lady with Her Laptop

Today more people are using cell phone and tablets for working. Laptops are still used for office works. I also have got a laptop but I use my table more often than the laptop. Here is a sketch of a ladying with her laptop. She was sitting on a couch while fully concentrating herself on the screen of this portable computer.

Figure drawing of a lady with her laptop

Please, support this blog by buying my artworks that are printed on t-shirts, bags, cell phone case, mugs, clocks, and etc. at this link: Charles Roring's Art Shop
Related Posts:
Figure Drawing of a Lady Enjoying Sunset
Figure Drawing of Father and Son playing pancho
Charcoal Drawing of Boys
Figure Drawing of Two Children by the sea
Face Portrait Drawing
Drawing of Clothed Female Figure

Sketch of a Lady Stretching

I am still learning about figure drawing. It is, I think, a life long practice. Here is another sketch that I made.

A Lady who practices stretching

Next to the picture of a lady who practices stretching, I made a drawing of a hand holding pencil. Well, drawing hands is often more difficult than other parts of the body.
Please, support this blog by buying my artworks that are printed on t-shirts, mugs, bags, cell phones cases, clocks, pillows, scarf and even bed cover at this link: Charles Roring's art shop
Sketch of a lady with her laptop
Sketch of Wave Surfers
Charcoal Drawing of Boys

Sketch of Wave Surfers

Wave surfing is a fun water sport. A lot of young people like it very much. I live in city where there are surf spots. So, I like to visit the boys there to see them playing with their waves and their boards at sea.

Wave surfing

There are a lot of surfing spots in Indonesia. Some of them include Kuta beach and Brawa in Bali; Batu Karas, Cimaja, Grajagan bay in Java; Biak, Supiori islands in Papua; and Abasi Beach in Manokwari.
Please, support this blog by buying some of my artworks that are printed on t-shirt, mugs, cell phone case, bed cover, and etc. They are available at this link:
Charles Roring's Art Shop

Red Bird of Paradise and Binoculars

In my daily life, I work as birding guide. So, I have a lot of opportunities to explore nature with tourists. I often guide tourists on a birding and snorkeling tours to Raja Ampat.
One of the main attractions of the tours is Red Bird of Paradise. We watch the birds using binoculars. So, in this sketch I make the drawing of the paradise birds and the birding device that I use which is a pair of Visionking Binoculars 10×42mm.

Red Bird of Paradise and a pair of 10×42 mm Visionking Binoculars

So, if you are interested in taking a vacation to Indonesia for birdwatching, and want me to guide you, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.
Please support this blog, by buying some of my artworks in the form of t-shirts, mugs, tota bags, iPhone case, and etc at this link: Charles Roring's artwork
Related posts:
Digital Drawing of Lesser Birds of Paradise
A Couple of Red Bird of Paradise
Red Bird of Paradise Doing Pole Dance
Vector Drawing of Red Bird of Paradise
Northern Cassowary - colored pencil drawing

Playing Guitar

Here is a sketch of somebody playing the guitar. I made the sketch using a 2B staedtler pencil and tha  gave ink drawing to it to make the lines darker.

Somebody Playing the Guitar

I feel that I have to practice more on figure drawings. So, although this blog is about wildlife drawing, anyone who visits this blog regularly will see more subjects of human figure that I add in his blog. Enjoy the drawing.
Please, support this blog by buying some of my artworks that printed on t-shirt, mugs, clogs, iPhone case, tote bags, purse, and etc. at this link: Charles Roring's Art