Splash and Dash Searey Seaplane Delights
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Differing Realities
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 Photo Info
Posted By: Hal Brown
Date Posted: May 2, 2014
Description: The Captain distracted SuRi’s guests with the prospect of diving in waters boasting the most biodiversity on the planet. Located in the middle of the “Coral Triangle”, reefs around the Raja Ampat islands support 75% of all known coral species (535 types versus 60 in all the Caribbean). The warm, equatorial waters are fed by the waters of both the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Who wouldn’t want to dive?

Me! I wanted to fly and was willing to work to make that happen.
Date Taken: May 2, 2014
Place Taken: Palau Wayag, West Papua, Indonesia
Owner: Matt Malerba
File Name: The_Set_Up.jpg   - Photo HTML
Full size     - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZDUB0000h">
Medium    - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZDUB0000m">
Thumbnail - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZDUB0000s">
Category: 549, Yacht Tending Indo
Favorite option: If you want this item to be marked as a favorite, click on the black heart. The Set Up    Make Cover Photo     
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Viewers 

  

Read what others had to say:

Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Spurred on by the sight of surrounding hills and smooth, crystalline water, releasing the SeaRey couldn’t happen soon enough.      Attachments:  

Let It Loose.jpg
Let It Loose

    
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Prospects for an amazing aerial survey were looking good from water level. The towering limestone hills had dramatic slopes. Checking their bases at the tide line, you could see evidence of solution undercutting the rock.<br /><br />      Attachments:  

Two to Start.jpg
Two to Start

    
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Conical shaped hills covered in dark green rainforest, surrounded by blue and sapphire water made for stunning visuals. The Raja Ampat islands are karst topography in its most dramatic form, pushed up on the edge of multiple tectonic plates (Eurasian, Filipino, Australian, and Pacific).      Attachments:  

Strange Terrain.jpg
Strange Terrain

    
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    No worries about overcrowding. The only other people near the island were the park ranger and a sailboat in another cove.      Attachments:  

Private Parking.jpg
Private Parking

    
  
Buck Bray - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Paradise, Dan. Do you think the ranger would welcome an assistant flying a Searey?     
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Perhaps, Buck, but have you ever seen an Indonesian toilet? Now, if you could get the ranger to install plumbing and air conditioning, that would be paradise! (He does have a great beach.)<br /><br />You might want to start typing up your resume, though, because Matt (our local guide from Bali) is working on a plan to bring in a SeaRey for tourism and humanitarian work in Raja Ampat.     
  
Buck Bray - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Generally a good idea to move your feet while flushing/splashing. You are a true Searey <br />ambassador. Thanks for sharing your adventures.     
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Ah, so that's the trick!     
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    The SeaRey wasn’t the only aerial photo platform. The SuRi’s drone was hard at work too. Fortunately, the operator kept a close eye on both the SeaRey and the drone. I was too distracted by the scenery to watch for a drone.      Attachments:  

Drone View.jpg
Drone View

    
  
Don Maxwell - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    What a shot! Dan, that hardly looks of this planet.     
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    True, Don. It's a strange new world of aerial mayhem.     
  
Frank A. Carr - May 03,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    But the view does look like a GoPro view which raises the Question Dan, why does SuRi's SeaRey not have a full compliment of GoPros? Along with a full video production lab of techs?<!-- >'"><br><font color=red size=6>' or &gt; missing in user HTML. Please fix the HTML.</font> -->     
  
Dan Nickens - May 03,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Oh, it does, Frank. It's just that its SeaRey pilot is stuck in the last century and still life photos.     
  
Frank A. Carr - May 04,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Dan, Just get the boss to buy the GoPros and hire Lima and Russ to work the 21st Century editing. Done.<!-- >'"><br><font color=red size=6>' or &gt; missing in user HTML. Please fix the HTML.</font> -->     
  
Dan Nickens - May 04,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    There is one flaw in your proposal, Frank. I'd have to find lots of pretty girls to get Dave interested in the project.     
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Palau Wayag isn’t close to any tourist accommodations. There are a few resorts that are many hours away by boat (it’s 200 miles roundtrip by boat from Waisai).      Attachments:  

Secluded Shores.jpg
Secluded Shores

    
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    A view from above shows how difficult it would be to survey the whole island by boat. The maze of waterways is difficult enough to navigate, but throw in shallow reefs and the level of difficulty escalates considerably. To get a high view, climbing vertiginous cliffs with sharp rock edges is a formidable obstacle to overcome. Some care has to be exercised for poisonous snakes, spiders and plants. Repellent for malaria bearing mosquitoes would be prudent too.<br /><br />And, it’s 20 km north of the equator. It is hot and humid. The canopies on the SeaRey were open all day long.<br />      Attachments:  

Liquid Maze.jpg
Liquid Maze

    
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Mogotes, the isolated karst hills with steep sides, are a beautiful example of terraqueous artistry.      Attachments:  

Green Globs.jpg
Green Globs

    
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Dreamy white sand beaches with coconut palms surrounded by crystalline waters? Reality? Check.      Attachments:  

Beach Dream.jpg
Beach Dream

    
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Last year the island was closed to visitors. In fact, until just very recently (February), the island was off limits because the tribe of original owners on Palua Kawe decided it wasn’t getting sufficient revenue from tourism, and it restricted access. Now each international visitor pays a marine park access fee of 500,000 Indonesian Rupiah (about US$50). A bargain.<br /><br />      Attachments:  

Restricted Access.jpg
Restricted Access

    
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Scattered to broken karst islands with towering peaks made for a great hydroaviation forecast.      Attachments:  

Islets Galore.jpg
Islets Galore

    
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    What is a karst island without a good sea cave!      Attachments:  

Secret Cave.jpg
Secret Cave

    
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    After earlier outings with the SuRi, I think I’ve finally gotten the Captain trained. He couldn’t have picked a nicer SeaRey spot. There was no monstrous ocean swell or hull-splitting gale blown waves. Just calmly rippled water.<br /><br />Even with a late start, the SeaRey was booked all day. Five hours and 14 splash downs from start to finish. Ten happy customers (and others not so happy that had to delay their SeaRey gratifications for another day). <br /><br />      Attachments:  

Protected Parking.jpg
Protected Parking

    
  
Robert Charlwood Richardson - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Looking at your running commentary, now ii understand why the pre-WWII cruisers &amp; battleship carried <br />float planes. I am sure you Suri Captian appreciates your Airedale reports     
  
Dan Nickens - May 02,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    It seems so, Rob. Before the end of the trip I had him convinced that the SeaRey is a better aquatic observer than the helicopter. Now if I can just shoot down that drone......<!-- >'"><br><font color=red size=6>' or &gt; missing in user HTML. Please fix the HTML.</font> -->     
  
Dennis Scearce - May 03,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    If these pictures didn't look so real, I'd swear you were making all this up.     
  
Dan Nickens - May 03,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    In way of supporting documentation, Dennis, allow me to add this short video made by Matt. (I'm trying to figure out this useless-tube video thing and when (if) I do I'll delete the file from here.) .......Done, thanks to Dave.<br />      Attachments:  

Wayag SeaRey Launch
Wayag SeaRey Launch

    
  
Dave Lima - May 03,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    https://<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgPtewMhAoE&feature=youtu.be">www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgPtewMhAoE&feature=youtu.be</a><br /><br />Here you go Dan. We (myself) take for granted all the pictures you post, so in case I forget to say it...Thanks!!!<br /><br />Once you see the plane in the video it put into perspective just how large those islands are!     
  
Philip Mendelson - May 03,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    Thanks for sharing!! Looked like something out of fantasy island!     
  
Dennis Scearce - May 03,2014   Viewers  | Reply
    What a beautiful place!!     


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