one hell of a ride

The 4 weeks spent in a corner of Warloka (West Flores, an hour boat ride from Labuan Bajo), has been one hell of a ride (a good drift!). The boat ride to the resort on my first day was extremely wavy as there was a storm coming through when we were at sea. One day after showering I found a dirty cat sitting on my bed and made my bedsheets dirty. Both the cat and I jumped in surprise as we saw each other. My clothes that I dry out on the resort never fully dries because the area is damp and rain just keeps wetting all of my laundry. The first time I jumped into Siaba Kecil, Yadi asked me whether I have done a drift dive before. Confidently I said yes. Little did I know, the Komodo current changed my definition of drift diving in all ways possible. It took me three times diving there to get used to the current and being able to control my buoyancy well. Many things has happened, but it just made me laugh more and more, and not a single thing is regretted.

Working in the SCUBA diving industry (the science part of it anyway) made me realise a lot of things. Like how SCUBA divers never really retire. I’ve met 20 year old dive masters and 70+ year old divers with their posh gear and dad bellies making dad/mum jokes on the boat. The age range of SCUBA divers always amaze me. Or like how language is never a barrier in communicating with each other, both staff or guests. We would always try to talk with each other, even if it means asking them to repeat what they’re saying several times. But of course, everyone understood everything underwater. That’s the best language of all! And of course, the SCUBA industry made me appreciate both the big and little things I encounter. I did my first muck dive (which means you look through sandy areas and corals for macro-life) and at first I genuinely thought it was boring. As I dive more and more, I realise just how little I know about the ocean, and how fun and challenging it was to find these macro biota. And really, you won’t likely to see them again in the next dive, so it’s always best to appreciate what you see when you see them. Same with the big stuff, one day we found about 30 manta rays in one small cleaning station… And then next day, maybe only 5. The uncertainty of these beautiful marine life is fascinating and it reminds me to always be excited in what I see, even if it’s just a green turtle popping its head out in the surface to take some deep breath.

But on every dive travels I have ever done, one thing is for sure. You’re going to meet a lot of people, and you’re going to say goodbye a lot too. I planted this is in my brain since I first began diving with different people. You don’t want to get too attached to anybody, otherwise it’ll hurt too bad when they/you leave. But not getting attached to people isn’t easy. When you spend weeks with them, sharing a room, eating together, making jokes, playing games, working and everything you can think of, it’s really hard not to get attached to. It took me about 2 weeks to finally cave into the staff and DMTs, being comfortable around them as if I’ve known them for ages. I also took the liking of being friends with some of the guests as well. So when you know you're (or they’re) about to leave, you get prepared. You exchange phone numbers and social media accounts and saying things like “I’ll let you know if I’m ever in Germany” or “Okay so the next time I’m in Komodo I’ll visit you and see the dugongs near your place” or “The next time you’re in Indonesia, let’s go to Lombok together!” And you mean that. Because one of the best part of making friends when you’re dive travelling, is that they will go back to wherever they’re from, or maybe keep on going around the globe, and when you do travel around the globe, you can actually say “Oh I know someone in Costa Rica!”. So maybe the part about saying goodbye isn’t as sad as I thought it would be.

With the pandemic going on right now, I (and a bunch of DMTs and staff as well) had to leave with a heavy heart. Some people had to go home earlier so that they’re able to actually fly home. Some people had to cut their travels shorter. Some people had to cancel and book and re-cancel flights. A whole different bunch of things has happened, and although it’s heartbreaking for all of us, I am still really grateful of the time I have spent here, the people I have met, and the choices I have in the midst of the pandemic. But I know I’ll come back to Komodo again, hopefully this year, dive with the mantas and the sharks, have my mask pressed to my face and regulator out of my mouth due to the current, and all fingers and fins crossed, meet the people who have made my four weeks one hell of a ride.

The biggest thank you to Marine Megafauna Foundation, Manta Hari and Scuba Junkie Komodo for bringing me to Warloka and make me have four weeks filled with early nights and early mornings, tank-toned arms and of course, pancakes.