‘A true five-star liveaboard experience’; ‘a 7-star diving experience’; ‘the best team we have ever experienced’ – underwater photographer Walt Stearns talks to Pelagian’s cruise directors about why Wakatobi’s liveaboard earns such high praise
The personal touch
Pelagian’s cruise directors, Ramon Crivilles and Judith Terol Oto, have hosted guests onboard cruises through the Wakatobi Archipelago for eight years. They say that one of the most often-praised aspects of a Pelagian cruise is the warm hospitality of the crew and the elevated levels of personal service made possible by limiting each cruise to a maximum of ten guests – who are served by a crew of 12.
‘Every crew member from the stewards to the tender drivers and the Dive Experience Managers (DEMs) are in direct contact with guests,’ says Judith. ‘They provide the perfect balance between professionalism and a friendly attitude, creating a homelike experience for our guests.’
‘What we most enjoy about our positions as cruise directors on Pelagian are the opportunities for one-on-one guest interactions’, adds Ramon. ‘This allows us to focus on accommodating requests and anticipating needs without asking, and, of course, we also really love having a management position that allows us to dive every day.’
Private, exclusive and relaxing
Privacy and exclusivity are two major reasons why guests choose Pelagian. Other liveaboards of a similar size incorporate ten or more compact cabins, however, Pelagian’s five-cabin layout and limited guest list create more personal space in all areas of the yacht.
As Judith explains, Pelagian’s exclusivity forms part of the dive experience: ‘We visit sites where we are the only liveaboard cruising the area,’ she says. ‘This means there are no other divers around, and the reefs are less subject to human impact.’
‘Pelagian itineraries showcase a variety of underwater environments,’ adds Ramon. ‘We combine a variety of different diving topographies, so the guests do not feel like they are always diving in the same spot.’
‘A typical Pelagian cruise takes in coral slopes, sandy lagoons, walls, pinnacles, piers, and muck diving sites,’ he says. We can find many different and unique creatures that are not often found at the resort.
‘To enhance the experience, the crew stages a muck diving presentation the night before making these dives, and once in the water the DEMs will seek out and share the best marine life finds with everyone.’
Another high point of a Pelagian cruise often mentioned by guests is the relaxing atmosphere. With multi-level dive profiles that can exceed one hour, and three scheduled dives a day plus night dives, there is ample time in the water to satisfy even the most enthusiastic scuba divers – but there’s still plenty of time each day to relax and enjoy a private yacht experience.
Ramon notes that the schedule allows almost two hours between the first and second dives, two-and-a-half hours between the second and third dives, and several more hours between the third and night dives. Such a schedule promotes an atmosphere of relaxation while at the same time enhancing dive safety with generous surface intervals allowing for longer repetitive dives.
Pelagian’s ‘Meal Appeal’
No discussion of Pelagian guest satisfaction would be complete without mentioning the meals, all of which are served as individually plated offerings, with three-course lunch and dinner menus.
‘There’s always a starter,’ says Judith. ‘Salads for lunch — garden salads, quinoa salad, Ceasar salad, tomato and bocconcini salad with balsamic reduction, pasta salad and more, and dinner begins with a soup choice — pumpkin soup, green pea, oxtail, mixed vegetable, asparagus, and so forth.’
”There are always three choices for a main course — meat, fish, or prawns as well as vegetarian options, and you can always suggest other dishes which the chef will be happy to prepare.’
In addition to the wide range of international flavours and fresh fruits, traditional Indonesian fare accompanied by spiced sambal sauces is also available. Special dietary restrictions or needs are always accommodated by the chefs – guests simply need to let the team know in advance.
Favourite dives
While guests usually describe the entire Pelagian diving experience as ‘exceptional,’ some sites are frequently mentioned as particular favourites.
‘These include the protected bays of Buton Island,’ says Judith. ‘You find hundreds of mandarinfish around Magic Pier, and many other cool creatures like cuttlefishes, octopuses, scorpionfish, baby yellow boxfish, different species of moray eels, painted frogfish, and ringed pipefish.
‘Another nearby favourite is Cheeky Beach,’ she says, ‘which is a prime hunting ground for nudibranchs, ghost pipefish, decorator crabs, snake eels and mantis shrimp.’
A popular shallow dive, and a favourite with wide-angle photographers, is the lagoon at Karang Kapota, where monolithic coral bommies rise from a white-sand seabed.
Equally photogenic is Karang Kaledupa’s Rainbow Reef, which is a chain of seamounts connected by ridges. These formations make for dramatic wide-angle images, while the dense coral cover atop the ridges holds a wealth of macro subjects such as pygmy seahorses, and frogfish.
The dramatic vertical profile of Orange Wall is heavily decorated in soft corals and sea fans and is capped by a pristine reef top overgrown with numerous varieties of hard coral.
Colourful sea fans and sponges are also key features of the crests of the Hoga pinnacles, which rise from depths of 35 meters. The tops of these structures swarm with fusiliers, redtooth triggerfish, pyramid butterfly fish and damselfishes.
All are accommodated
‘Divers of all experience levels can enjoy the Pelagian,’ says Ramon. ‘The more experienced they are, the more they can enjoy the diving and the more they understand and value the quality of the reefs.’
‘New divers are welcome,’ he adds, ‘and we recognize that they may need some additional attention and assistance to get the most out of their time in the water.
‘We compensate for lack of experience with extra personal attention from our DEMs, who will help with skills like buoyancy, make them feel safe on the dives and provide good briefings and presentations on marine life behaviour, habitats and coral variety.’
Ramon says that weekly cruise itineraries are customized to take advantage of the best seasonal conditions, and all trips are planned and adjusted according to weather, tides, currents, and the guests’ desired diving experience. Itineraries can also make accommodations for trips when there are snorkelers on board.
‘We have three DEMs on Pelagian,’ Ramon says, ‘so we can take care of divers and snorkellers at the same time.’
The early season advantage
‘Pelagian cruises sometimes sell out in advance,’ says Ramon, ‘but certain booking windows combine a greater chance of availability with excellent diving conditions.
‘From March to May, we usually have calm seas, no wind, good visibility, and warm water. It’s a time when we may be able to dive on sites that we do not visit during other months.’
While this time is generally considered to be the rainy season, Ramon says that does not mean it rains 24/7. ‘Most of the time we have some rain at night so it’s not a big deal for diving,’ he says.
‘We always plan the trips according to the weather forecast; we have more than 100 different dive sites to choose from, so we can always dive in areas where we are protected from wind and waves.’
You can find out more about the ‘the Pelagian Difference’ on Wakatobi’s blog page; and learn more about diving from the liveaboard at wakatobi.com/dive-yacht. You can also talk to a Wakatobi guest experience representative about booking a cruise on Pelagian.
www.wakatobi.com
More from Wakatobi:
- Wakatobi: at the forefront of Ocean stewardship
- Capturing the scope of Wakatobi’s reefs through wide-angle imagery
- Video: Maximising dive time on Wakatobi’s pristine reefs
- Wakatobi’s fantastic beasts — and where to find them
- Wakatobi – the business of conservation through sustainable tourism
