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Friday, March 26, 2021

Snorkeling Season in Manokwari

We are going to enter the month of April. The waters around Manokwari and the adjacent regencies are calm. It means that we can now enjoy snorkeling over coral reef areas. Manokwari has got a number of coral reef sites that are good for snorkelers. Some of them include Sra Oseri Beach, Bakaro Beach, Abasi Beach, and Raimuti island, Kaki Island, Mansinam Island, Lemon Island, and etc. 

Snorkeling tour with Charles Roring
a snorkeling site in Manokwari

To enjoy snorkeling, we need to bring our own snorkeling mask, snorkel, and fins. Morning is the recommended time for anybody who likes snorkeling. But it is also nice to enjoy snorkeling between 16:00 and 17:30. The water is calm and the sunlight can penetrate deeper. A good visibility will enhance our snorkeling experience. We can see colourful fish and marine plants and take pictures of them. 

Remote snorkeling sites in Manokwari can be reached by motorized boat. So, we need to rent an outrigger motorized boat if we want to enjoy snorkeling in Anggrisi beach, Kaki island or even the Asai beach.

Manokwari is a very good destination for anyone who likes snorkeling and birdwatching. Its coral reef is the natural habitat of parrotfish, wrasse, butterflyfish, lionfish, anemonefish, and etc. 

When we walk along the beach, we can see Lesser Frigate Bird or Priamus Birdwing Butterfly flying in the air. Sometimes, Olive-backed Sunbird hops among the coconut flowers to eat their nectar or Sacred Kingfisher sits on the branch of a tree with its eyes on the surface of the water to find small fish that he can catch. 

A beach is also a nice place for visitors who like to enjoy walking meditation. 

Marine life in Mansinam island
Coral reef in Manokwari

The snorkeling tour in Manokwari can be combined with hiking, camping, and wildlife watching activities in tropical rainforest of Arfak mountains. Birds such as Blyth's Hornbill, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Helmetted Friarbird, Rainbow Lorikeet, Spangled Drongo, Grey Crow, Black-capped Lory, Red Myzomela, Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Lowland Peltop, can be watched in coastal forest.

Lesser Birds of Paradise in Susnguaktinforest of Manokwari
Lesser Birds of Paradise

Most people who do this trip want to see birds of paradise. Visitors need to wear darker clothing and bring binoculars of they want to watch these beautiful avifauna. Bringing a digital camera with telephoto lens will also visitors to take pictures of the birds, butterflies, cuscus possum, soa-soa lizard, and as well as other interesting things in the forest. For watching cuscus and bandicoot, night walk in the forest can be organized for that purpose.

Blyth's Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus) in the forest of Manokwari
Blyth's Hornbill

As the capital of Papua Barat province, Manokwari has got hotels and inns which visitors can choose to stay during their snorkeling tour or after returning from their camping trip in the forest. Some of them include Swissbel hotel, Mansinam Beach Hotel, Hotel Fujita, Hotel Triton, Aston Niu, and a lot more. 

Flights from major cities to Manokwari are served by Batik Air, Lion Air, and Sriwijaya Air. Flight connections to the surrounding towns are served by Susi Air and Wings Air.

If you are interested in taking a snorkeling tour and rainforest trip to Manokwari and needs a guide to organize your trip, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read:

Snorkeling and Freediving at Drop off Reef of Mansinam Island

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