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

Yesterday, Mahasiwa Peduli Pariwisata (an organization of university students in Manokwari whose works are related to preservation of nature and promotion of tourism) launched the beach as a new recreational area for public visitors. Before launching the beach, they cleaned and decorated it with colorful recycled articles to make it more attractive for visitors who like taking selfie pictures.
I used to do some freediving activities at this beach to assess whether the marine life was still in good condition or not. Based on my observations, I could see hundreds of species of fish including Moorish Idol (Zanclus cornutus), Lemon Damsel (Pomacentrus moluccensis). More fish can be seen in fore-reef or drop off area especially from 2 to 20 meters below sea surface. Parrotfish, wrasses, groupers, anthias, surgeonfishes, and butterflyfishes thrived there. 

Reef fish in Coral Reef of Sraoseri beach

Marine life could also be seen in reef flat area at a depth of around 1 to 2 meters. Blue Sea Star, green sea grass were some of the marine creatures that I saw. I did not see sea cucumber which was very important animal that filters sea water to collect its food. It helps keep the ocean clean. 

When I was freediving at Sraoseri beach, the visibility was very good, approximately around 20 meters or more. The high tide was coming so I experienced some sea current. 

The photographs in this blog post were made using Fujifilm XQ2 that I put inside its waterproof housing during my freediving session. 

Visitors who are interested in taking snorkeling or freediving at Sraoseri beach of Mansinam island near Manokwari city should bring their own snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel and swim fins). 

Blue Sea Star (Linckia laevigata) in tropical Mansinam island

There are daily flights between Manokwari and Jakarta. They are served by Lion Air, Batik Air and Sriwijaya Air. There are hotels in Manokwari which visitors can choose to stay for a few days. However, visitors can also stay at homestays that belong to local villagers who live near the beach.
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