goodbye to Wakatobi!

We are now back home, in Australia, after another relaxing week in Sanur, Bali, where I also found some time to catch up on photos and updating my blog posts.

This is my final post on my Wakatobi trip.

So just a refresh on the location of the Wakatobi Dive Resort …

Our departure was just as well organised as everything else at Wakatobi, all with such attention to detail. No surprise there. It was a rather bleak weather departure day, so I didn’t feel so bad leaving. We all met in the Longhouse after breakfast while our luggage was discreetly loaded on to one of the boats and taken to the Tomia airport separately. Our boat departed the jetty with waving Wakatobi staff all lined up, to say goodbye. 

Saying goodbye … there’s Pam in the first photo!

A few favourite memories …

I must mention the philosophy that embodies Wakatobi. 

The Wakatobi Resort and the Wakatobi National Park was founded on principles of environmental conservation.  Lorenz Mader, a diver with a background in marine biology, had a dream to build a sustainable resort.  He opened the Wakatobi Dive Resort in 1995 (with one building, which is now the central Longhouse) and the Wakatobi National Park was established sometime later. The name Wakatobi is an acronym of four neighbouring islands. The resort now boasts 30 bungalows/villas, a restaurant, dive centre, offices, staff living quarters and of course all the infrastructure that’s needed to run the Wakatobi ‘village’.  All buildings are discreetly placed, keeping the feeling of seclusion at its forefront. The bungalows and villas are scattered along the ocean front, nestled amongst the coconut palms and white sand.

The owners of the Wakatobi Dive Resort have a well-established working relationship with the surrounding islands.  Agreement has been reached where annual leases are paid to local villages, along with the provision of resort employment (100 locals are employed), and the supply of electricity and water (from Wakatobi’s desalination plant), in return for no fishing in the surrounding waters, particularly using the destructive fishing practices that were beginning to creep in to South East Asian waters, like using dynamite and chemicals to kill fish.  This mutual relationship with the villages has led to improvements in the quality of the ocean water and the preservation and even improvement of the coral reefs and prolific marine environment. Healthy waters means the replenishing of fishing grounds to sustainable levels so traditional fishing methods could then continue. 

The result of this mutually benefited arrangement is a healthy marine environment that’s available for divers and snorkelers to see. We visitors not only get to enjoy the underwater life but also the luxury of a top quality resort, which in turn contributes to the improvement of the marine environment we have come to see.

There have been many articles written about Wakatobi’s philosophy and business model and they are easy to find on the net. But what struck me was just how real this was ‘on the ground’. Lorenz Mader was at the resort when we were there, eating in the restaurant, greeting guests and even driving the fire truck at the air strip when we departed. I was told by one of the dive team he spends 80% of the year at the resort. The dive staff were also modestly providing background and reef conservation information.  Whether it be during their dive site introductions, incidental chats on the boat or at the dive centre and Longhouse, their dedication and genuine warmth and support for the Wakatobi principles of caring for their coral reefs was evident.

I have provided some links below you may find interesting. 

So, did I have a good time at Wakatobi? I think the answer is obvious. Neville is not a snorkeler. Unfortunately his ear problems over the years prevent him from enjoying the underwater marine life, but he still very much enjoyed his Wakatobi time, especially the food!  So he came along to support me and as one guest said, “what a nice thing to do”.  It was.

The staff were so attentive and friendly … from the gardeners, to the restaurant staff, to the snorkel guides and dive boat staff, they all made our week so easy. Thankyou to Adrienne my photography guide and Ketut, my private snorkel guide (and also Ali) too, who also made it all so easy! There’s that word again.

I loved the clear water, the easily accessible Wakatobi house reef and the short boat rides to the neighbouring dive sites, as they all provided such interesting and fruitful snorkels with endless photographic opportunities of the Wakatobi marine life. It was all so close. The Park is known for having the highest number of reef and fish species in the world and it is the largest barrier reef in Indonesia, second only on our Great Barrier Reef at home, which will always be close to my heart. I saw so many critters I hadn’t seen before, along with many favourites appearing frequently.  So much to see. And what a bonus it was meeting Pam (and Wayne) Osborn. 

It’s also nice to know that we stayed at the Wakatobi Dive Resort and as such, we too, have contributed to preservation of these beautiful coral reefs.

A few Anemonefish favourites … 

I’m so glad I kept postponing this trip, not canceling it, because while I kept joking with Linda (Wakatobi’s Australian agent) that I’d be in a wheelchair by the time I finally got here, I wasn’t far off the mark. My left knee has been a problem for several months (with a knee replacement needed), so if it wasn’t already paid for and booked, I’m not sure I would have got here. I’m so glad we made it work. 

So, that’s it for Wakatobi in 2023.

Thankyou for all your feedback and positive comments regarding my photography.  I do hope you have all enjoyed sharing my Wakatobi week with me.

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