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The Indonesian Throughflow

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As you head out from the shores of east Bali on your morning dive you are surrounded by a host of tiny outrigger fishing boats, their sails flashing in the sunlight as they dance over the waves. It is a unique, entrancing and inspiring sight, all the more so because this is a very special place.

These fishermen (and you in your dive boat) are scudding over waters that lie on the cusp of geological and biological change. In the past, at times of low sea levels, this coastline marked the very tip of a massive Eurasian Continent. During those periods you could have walked all the way from Bali to Paris without getting your feet wet. However, even when the world’s oceans were at their lowest ebb, you could never have gone any further east without harnessing wind or mechanical power, due to the depth of the chasm between Bali and Lombok, the next island in the chain.

A Fisherman contemplates the ocean

A Fisherman contemplates the ocean

A juvenile lion fish finds sanctuary in the mouth of a bottle placed in the sand in Amed East Bali

A juvenile lion fish finds sanctuary in the mouth of a bottle placed in the sand in Amed East Bali

Wallace’s Genius

In the 19th century the great naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace spent time in the islands of what is now Indonesia and remarked on how different the species of bird and animal living in the west of the archipelago were from those that inhabited the east. His findings led him to draw a line on a chart that ran through the Makassar Straits between Borneo and Sulawesi, crossed the Banda Sea and continued down through the straits between Bali and Lombok. To the west of the line, in Bali, Borneo and beyond, animal and bird life was predominantly Asian. On the other side of the line, in Lombok, Sulawesi and further east, the animals and birds were strikingly different, mainly species that originated in or resembled those found in New Guinea or Australia. Brilliantly, he deduced that the reason was geological rather than biological: “I believe the western part to be a separated portion of continental Asia, the eastern the fragmentary prolongation of a former Pacific continent.” Of course, we now know that he was absolutely right!

During his trip Wallace also came up with the notion that natural selection was the driving force behind evolution. At the same time Charles Darwin was on the Beagle sailing the seas on the other side of the Pacific and drawing similar conclusions. But that is an entirely different story.

A Very, Very Big River

What Wallace could not know, in fact something that no-one noted until almost 100 years later, was that one of the factors preventing species crossing Wallace’s Line was an enormous moving body of water. The fossil and historical records show that elephants, orang-utans, bears, tigers and other Asian mammals never managed to bridge the gap. They got as far as Borneo and Bali but no further. Even those animals that tried to swim over or were caught on driftwood after a flood could never make the crossing as everything that enters the water on one side of the line is swept away far from land long before it can reach the other side.

In the Pacific Ocean to the northeast of the Indonesian archipelago, the sea level is about 20 centimetres above average. In the Indian Ocean south of Indonesia the sea level is 10 centimetres below average. This 30-centimetre drop between the oceans creates water movement on a massive scale, a phenomenon variously known as the Indonesian Throughflow or Pacific – Indian Throughflow. The most direct path between the oceans and the path taken by a large portion of the Throughflow, as you may have guessed, runs right along the Wallace Line between Borneo and Sulawesi then down through the straits between Bali and Lombok.

Visualise it as a very, very big river pouring through a canyon between continents. How big? Ocean current flows are measured in units called Sverdrups with one Sverdrup being 1 million cubic metres of water per second moving past a given point. The flow of the Amazon is about half a Sverdrup and the combined flow of all the rivers in the world is about one Sverdrup.  The flow of the section of the Indonesian Throughflow that courses past the eastern tip of Bali is estimated to be 2.6 Sverdrups, that is, two and a half times the total of all the rivers of the world put together!

Mola-mola and Diver

Mola-mola and Diver

 

Creatures Great and Small

Thus, a vast amount of water is drawn from the Pacific Ocean and sweeps through tropical seas, across the equator and past the islands of northern Indonesia. As it travels, it picks up and carries along with it an enormous quantity of marine larvae, eggs and juveniles and deposits them wherever it encounters land. It is no surprise that most of the legendary Indonesian scuba diving destinations lie along the route taken by the Throughflow.  For example, the calm bays of black volcanic sand in northeast Bali are astonishingly rich in rare species. Enterprising dive operators need only sink a stripped motor bike frame or a dozen broken bottles set in a block of concrete and they soon become a collecting point for small fry seeking sanctuary. These tiny fish attract predators such as frogfish, lionfish, scorpion fish, eels and other rare and fascinating creatures and they in turn attract scuba divers and snorkelers.

Dive guides who work in the area often report larger sightings too, such as dugongs and a host of cetaceans, including killer whales. There are sightings of bizarre and highly unusual marine life. Last year an amateur diver captured video of a long entirely transparent eel; the film became a Youtube sensation.

A Plan of the Throughflow

A Plan of the Throughflow

Diving the Throughflow

Beyond the calm water in the bays, the Throughflow provides dramatic drift diving along unusual seascapes. Towering barrel sponges lean at 45 degrees as if in the presence of a powerful wind and, in places, pinnacles and walls are scoured of their usual natural coating. But in the valleys and other places where the topography provides a little shelter from the onslaught of the current, the enormous profusion of corals and fish life can take your breath away. In one bay, for example, just a few metres off shore from the lines of colourful fishing boats that decorate the beach, you can find hectares upon hectares of multi-coloured staghorn coral, as glorious a sight as any of Bali’s rice field terraces. Drifting over these fields of pointed sculpture in pastel shades, populated by clouds of damselfish which rise and fall as you pass is a true magic carpet ride.

Mola-mola in sun

Mola-mola in sun

Cool Animals in Cool Water

The Throughflow passes by the southeast coast of Bali too and close to the village of Candidasa a series of small islands, some not much more than jagged shards, are home to some of Bali’s fishiest diving. Schools of jacks, rainbow runners and barracuda use the dramatic rock formations for shelter from the current and reef sharks circle around watching for weakness and waiting to strike.

Further south, attempting to block the southern end of the Lombok Straits like an ill-fitting plug is Nusa Penida, the exposed part of an undersea ridge that connects Bali with Lombok. The Throughflow races by on both sides of this island, offering healthy coral, lots of big animal sightings and exhilarating drifts. Sometimes, however, the ride can be a little too wild and conditions can change rapidly and vary dramatically. One day you will drop in on a site and be entertained by a dozen manta rays, which sweep in from the deep to feed on plankton in calm, bottle green water. On another day, the same site will be empty of fish and the ocean will merely throw you around in a soup of spume and spit you out into the southern ocean on a fast train ride to the horizon.

Current pools created by the Throughflow off the coast of the village of Aas on the very tip of Asia

Current pools created by the Throughflow off the coast of the village of Aas on the very tip of Asia

Seasons have an effect on the speed of the Throughflow, with August usually the strongest month when the southeast monsoon is at its zenith. This also coincides with mola-mola season around Nusa Penida. The arrival of these bizarre creatures may be linked to the increased strength of the current but this time of year also sees an upwelling of colder water in the south of the Lombok Straits and that may be significant too. The reliability of mola-mola sightings during this period has created a small boom in the local diving industry. Be warned if you are thinking of joining the crowds: water temperatures can drop to the high teens centigrade but when you are face to face with an oceanic sunfish measuring four metres from tip to tail you will probably not even notice!

Simon Pridmore is the author of scuba diving books, travel books and, as you might expect, scuba diving travel books. Originally from the UK, Simon has lived in Asia for over 30 years. As well as his books and guides, Simon writes regular columns for a number of magazines. He and his wife Sofie currently live in Bali, Indonesia but spend a lot of time exploring other places trying (but failing so far) to find a cure for their itchy feet. Simon's latest book - Scuba Exceptional – Become the Best Diver You Can Be - the follow-up to his best-selling Scuba Confidential, is available now in paperback and e-book versions from Amazon stores worldwide. Find out more about Simon and his books on www.simonpridmore.com

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SOMABAY: Scubaverse Trip Review (Watch Video)

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somabay

In a video created exclusively for Scubaverse.com, Jeff Goodman visits SOMABAY in the Egyptian Red Sea to experience the diving on offer there.

Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.

Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit  www.thebreakers-somabay.com.

Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.

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Marvellous Mozambique

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Mozambique

I was looking forward to this trip organised by Deco Divers, Mozambique Scuba and hosted by Gozo Azul in Ponta D’Ouro for various reasons, the main one being I was going home to Africa, the land where I grew up and lived for over 25 years.

My journey started on Friday 1st March where I left Bari in Italy, and after transiting and changing flight in Rome and Doha, I arrived 27 hours later in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.

I Arrived at Maputo airport to that heat blanket that engulfs you when you step off the plane. I made my way to customs/visa/yellow fever check, which apart from being chaotic was quite efficient, and being visa free I still had to pay a $10 entry in cash. I collected my bags and headed through customs to by met by, erm… no-one.

Was I early? Not sure. Anyway, my e-sim wasn’t activated yet, and then had my first encounter with Moz friendliness: I was approached by a man who could see I was looking for my driver and offered me his phone to call our host, Lorrayne. I phoned Lorrayne and was assured my driver was there. Lorrayne sent a photo to the driver and all was resolved. My driver, Ziko, greeted me like a long-lost brother and all was good. We then headed out of the airport passing all the street vendors selling everything from Gucci to papaya to timber flooring. En-route we were pulled over by the police and after a lot of laughing and joking, especially when I said I was Kenyan, they let us go. Although I know that aspect had nothing to do with it, they just found it funny!!

After appx 2 hrs, and after driving through the game reserve, we arrived in Ponta and at our host accommodation, Planet Scuba.

mozambique

Planet Scuba was situated above the main “road” (a sandy track through town), and I could not fault the cleanliness, facilities, and staff, just amazing.  Later that day we were joined by the whole group, and what a group. Some of them I had met before, some I had not. The group consisted of: Sharky, Amr, Andreea, Lenka, Haytham, Ashraf, Dena, Sam, and myself. By the end of the week we were all best buddies and I couldn’t have asked for nicer group.

Lorrayne joined us as we settled in and outlined the programme for the week, which consisted of two morning dives, and afternoons were to be kept a mystery!!! That evening Lorrayne took us to Mamma Alice’s chicken restaurant, situated down a maze of alleys in Ponta, which was definitely a local’s hangout, with restaurants, bars and small market. Wow, what a meal, ½ BBQ chicken with local maize and spices, just simple but amazing, we all loved it. After finishing our meal we headed back to Planet Scuba to relax, all anticipating the next day.

mozambique

Day 1 diving. We arrived at Gozo Azul, owned and run by Natalie, an amazing person, who I had previously met on one of Sharky’s liveaboards. Lorrayne was at the dive centre to conduct a thorough briefing on what the day’s diving was going to entail, and how the whole process worked in Moz. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Sarah, a lady that worked in Maputo who also joined our group, an old friend from previous.  After the usual first day of finding our diving feet, how everything worked and what we were required to do, we headed off on our transport to the beach. The transport consisted of a tractor pulling us in a semi enclosed trailer through town for 5 or so minutes until we arrived at the beach.

mozambique

Once at the beach the staff from Gozo Azul unloaded our kit on to the Zodiac. I must mention the staff, the most helpful and kind boys you could wish for. They worked like trojans but were always smiling and happy. Once the kit had been unloaded we were told what to do by Lorrayne as the Zodiac was on the beach and we had to push into shallow surf, jump on, and strap our feet in, lifejackets on and break the shore surf before heading into the main body of water. What a ride out!!! It was great fun, and soon we were in the main body of water heading out to our first dive site, Doodles.

At Doodles we had a check dive to ensure we were all weighted properly and all equipment worked. Doodles was a perfect first dive, an abundance of Groupers, Rays, Morays and a really healthy fish population, just amazing. Once the check dive was completed we headed back to shore through the surf waves and hit the beach at what felt like 50 miles an hour, loved it.

On shore we had our breakfast wraps prepared by Planet Scuba and prepared for dive 2. What a dive that was going to be. After our Surface Interval, we headed back out over the surf and proceeded to Pinnacles dive site, some 30 mins away along the bay. We dropped into Pinnacles and was almost instantly greeted by 14 hammerheads just passing us in the deep, magical.

mozambique

Pinnacles was our favourite dive spot by far as we encountered Silver Tips, Black Tips, Leopard sharks, Hammerheads, Eagle Rays and countless marine life we were in awe of.

mozambique

We headed back about an hour later to the beach and was collected by our “transport” for the lift back to Gozo Azul.

On arrival the boys at Gozo Azul removed our kit, rinsed it and hung it in our designated area. All we had to do was take off our wetsuit and hang that to dry along with our boots, what a great service. That afternoon, and after a lunch at Tarragons, a little local run restaurant, and maybe a few coconut ice creams at the Coconut Can, we were surprised with a trip up to Sky Island, approximately 30 minutes up (and I mean up) the coast in Malangane.  Sky Island is a wonderful setting for what turned into a thrill-packed afternoon of Paragliding and chilling out. If you’ve never been paragliding, I can highly recommend it, and almost everyone had a go and some (Sam) went twice. Great fun.

mozambique

That evening we dined at the Love Café, approximately 10 minutes from Planet Scuba. There was a great variety of food from Italian dishes to chicken and meat, something for everyone.

mozambique

Most of our days in Mozambique were very similar to our first with regard to the diving, which was outstanding, and the afternoon activities were a surprise for everyone. What I don’t want to do is spoil the surprises for future groups, but rest assured you will have the best time – we did. We ate at some amazing places every evening. The highlight for me was Mamma Alice’s, just delicious.

Conclusion

Lorrayne, Mozambique Scuba

Lorrayne could not do enough for us and was the perfect host and guided us to some amazing dive sites and went out of her way to make sure we went home with some amazing memories.

Planet Scuba

Spotless, amazing staff, great food, and perfect location. Shout out to George and his chilli sauce!!

Gozo Azul

Run by Natalie with efficiency and that perfect blend of professionalism and fun. Could not fault anything, and as for the staff, just the most helpful boys I have ever come across.

Sharky and Deco Divers

My mentor in so many ways and it’s a joy to be with him and be his friend and a business partner.

The Group

mozambique

Haytham and his wife Lenka, love them both and much respect to a great couple.

Amr, a new friend who made me laugh so much even if I didn’t have a clue what he was saying half the time!!!

Andreea just a lovely kind person and awesome diver who had to juggle some work at the same time. I think she missed her cats and boyfriend, in that order, Ci vediamo tra poco.

Princess Dena who is the most down to earth person I have ever met, just a lovely soul and not a princess in any shape or form… I blame Amr lol

Barracuda Sam!! if there was ever a person you could call a rock, Sam is it.

Ashraf. I have met Ashraf once before and when you meet someone as genuine as the “coconut king” then you know you are lucky, an awesome man.

My time in Mozambique was filled with awesome diving, the best company, great hosts and even after a journey of 27 hours I would do it again tomorrow. See you soon.

Join Sea to Sky and embark on new diving adventures! Visit www.myseatosky.co.uk for more information.

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