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It
is my pleasure to offer you my script /article of our
documentary film adventure "Trailblazing the Sulawesi
& Moluccan Sea" which we produced for Discovery
Channel and Transatlantic Films last year.
The film we produced is maybe one of the first cruise
exploration adventure films produced of it's kind to the
region North Maluku and North Sulawesi and I am pleased
to say that the regions we explored around North Sulawesi,
Sangihe-Talaud Archipelago and North Maluku have great
potential for live-aboard dive charters and dive adventure
travelling in future. The dive cruise exploration documentary
features underwater and marine related issues besides
island life, traditions, describes the way of life of
the indigenous inhabitants around the coastal areas of
Ring of Fire.
(Islands surveyed in Indonesia: North Sulawesi, Sangihe-Talaud
Archipelago, North Maluku & the Lembeh Straits)
Best regards,
Michael Smith - GM
Divex Indonesia
Jl. Walanda Maramis 14
95122 Manado
North Sulawesi - Indonesia
Tel. +62 431 846980
Fax +62 431 867667
Email: info@divex-indonesia.de
TRAILBLAZING THE MOLUCCAN AND SULAWESI SEA
BY MICHAEL J. SMITH
Getting Started
I
certainly never expected years ago as a dive travel agent
in Europe, to find myself living in Indonesia, helping
to launch a television film documentary for the Discovery
Channel. The series "Trailblazer II"contacted
me and before I knew it I was somehow, briefly in the
film adventure business! They requested on-site dive support
as well as someone to supervise and advise them about
diving in Indonesia. The time was right for some real
adventure and nothing could stop my irresistible and profound
desire to make this unpredictable itinerary challenge
become reality. Setting up and organizing a television
filming expedition is something that doesn't happen everyday
in our dive travel business.
As exciting as it may sound, there's a lot more to it
than just packing your bags and going for it. When Peter
Cannon, director of the Trailblazer II series, sent me
an email inquiring about the possibility of organizing
a TV expedition to the east of the Indonesian Archipelago,
to the remote islands of Sangihe-Talaud, Halmahera and
Morotai, I didn't think twice. Yes, I would get an itinerary
together and confirm the trip as soon as possible. Having
been affiliated with the dive travel market in Indonesia
for over ten years enabled and eased my way in setting
up a suitable and proficient program. We were ready to
confirm the complete "Moluccan Sea" itinerary
within hours of the inquiry.
The most invaluable requirement needed for this expedition
was of course a seaworthy boat to get us around the islands.
Peter Cannon requested they sail on a safe, reliable,
traditionally built local boat. From that moment I knew
the only one boat that could meet the demands and requirements
for this four-week ocean-going job. It had to be Bianca.
She's a fine traditional Buginese schooner with a spacious
deck, restaurant and recreation area/bar, which during
the cruise could be converted into a TV video equipment
storage room. She has air-conditioned cabins, new navigation
and dive equipment and a professional crew who know their
sea charts and their jobs.
For centuries, the traditional ocean-going Buginese schooners
have been used by indigenous Indonesian seafarers transporting
spices, crops and people throughout the Indonesian Archipelago.
The archipelago consists of over 18.500 islands and has
over 57.716 km of coastline. After Jan and Nico Kuipers,
Bianca's owners reconfirmed the charter dates and schedules,
we all got very excited about the idea of setting sail
to venture an unexplored geographical area. Due to its
exceptional flourishing flora and fauna and underwater
environment, the area is considered the most diverse marine
ecosystem in the world. Having accomplished all the business
formalities, we finally could commence our operation.
The first task was to get to know each other personally,
important due to the fact that we had to live, dine, dive
and explore together for the next few weeks. It was a
beautiful September evening when I approached Bianca by
speedboat in a small cove a few miles west of Manado,
the provincial capital of North Sulawesi. Bianca's deck
lights reflected on the sea's surface in romantic nuances,
harmonizing with the tranquil weather conditions and a
cloudless evening sky, exhibiting a brightly lit moon
and a glowing infinite universe. With such serenity, the
atmosphere was perfect for a meeting.
Finally on board, it wasn't a difficult task to distinguish
whom the film director, Peter Cannon was. He's a genuine
English gentleman with a wicked sense of humor. After
Peter introduced Clive Carlton, the presenter of the film
and his assistant underwater cameraman Hugh Faires, we
spent the rest of the night over a few cold Bintang beers
discussing the itinerary around the Ring of Fire.
After acclimatizing and a few check dives searching some
Dornier aircraft sunk in Lake Tondano during World War
II, we at last set sail. The first location took us to
Manado-Tua and Nain Island in Manado Bay. Both islands
are part of the Bunaken National Marine Reserve, which
covers an area of 47,000 hectares of beautiful islands
and coral reefs. Here the underwater landscape consists
of steep drop offs, caves, crevices and slopes all inhabited
by abundant species of reef fish, critters and nudibranch
and all embedded in a wonderful profusion of hard and
soft corals and huge vase sponges. Being surrounded by
such splendor it is quite easy to understand that divers
from all over the world have been inspired to return to
this celestial dive haven.
Historical
Background
Manado-Tua, which in Indonesian means old Manado, was
the first island to be inhabited by Chinese migrants around
1400. The migrants who came from the south Philippines,
initially headed west to the island of Borneo, but due
to the strong monsoon winds coming from the west and unpredictable
current patterns during the monsoon season, they drifted
off course sailing south-east in the Sulawesi Sea (formerly
Celebes Sea). Having reached the islands in Manado Bay,
they chose to settle down on Manado-Tua Island, from where
they continued to migrate to the nearby mainland in the
Minahasa Highlands. This was inevitably an ideal option,
as all resources for survival could be found in the vicinity.
The fertile volcanic soil, fresh mountain spring water
and a climate enabling anything to grow in any season
confirmed theirs was a wise and rewarding decision.
As rice cultivation progressed on the North Sulawesi peninsula,
another ethnic group migrated south of the Philippines
to the Sangihe-Talaud Islands, an island group spread
out like gems between the island of Mindanao in the north
and Sulawesi to the south. It was the Tagaroan seafarers
who inhabited this region and who have been considered
blessed with outstanding boat building and sea navigation
skills. The Tagaroans have always been devoted to the
sea. Until today, seafaring Tagaroans have settled down
along all the coastal areas around Sulawesi and the North
Maluku, committed to their professions as fishermen, boat
builders and navigation crews. Apart from their outstanding
skills, they also possess a charming character, full of
joy and warm smiles, making them a preferred choice whilst
selecting the Bianca boat crew.
Nain
Island, Bajo's and Agar-Agar
One
of the most captivating experiences for the Trailblazers
on our trip to Nain Island was observing local Tagaroan
fishermen fishing from their outrigger canoes off the
southern reef outcropping. Besides using the traditional
hook and line, they occasionally dive with self-made spear
guns and goggles. Using no fins or scuba, they take only
a deep breath and a few strenuous feet finnings to move
forwards through the water! It was quite incredible to
see how precisely they caught their catch with spear guns
without causing any significant damage to the reef. After
spearing the fish, it was taken to the surface whereby
the fisherman would bite firmly into the fish head to
ensure it wouldn't jump back into the blue again.
In general, scuba divers and environmentalists rightfully
oppose fishing off a reef and any factors that may have
a negative effect on the marine environment. And I personally
am devoted to protecting the reef's extremely fragile
and irreplaceable ecosystem. However, under certain conditions
we must respect the practices of indigenous fishermen
living on these secluded islands. Families living there
have nothing else but fishing to ensure their survival.
Bearing in mind that these practices have been going on
for centuries, it is surprising to see, once one leaves
the populous plastic-bag-draped harbor areas, how pristine
these reefs still are. Moreover, we have heard no reports
that due to the local traditional fishing techniques,
the fish quantity or diversity has declined. We are very
happy to see these people living in harmony together with
nature and envy their outlook on life. The reefs around
these populated islands are all world class and with very
few exceptions all rank among the world’s best. One thing
is definite, nowhere else on this planet will you find
such a profusion of hard and soft corals and variety of
fish species. Compared to many other uninhabited coastal
areas in the world where extensive reef damage has been
caused by by polution, marine exploitation, El Nino and
related factors, the islands throughout Manado Bay remain
exceptional and unique for diving.
Another seafaring ethnic folk, the Bajo's, have been living
at sea as long as anyone can remember. In contrast to
the Tagaroans, the Bajo's actually live on boats or in
houses built on stilts at sea. During our filming, we
heard that a small group of Bajo's had recently moved
from their original settlement, a traditional housing
complex off the northern tip of Mantehage Island, to the
nearby island of Nain. We did notice seeing several Bajo
outrigger boats off the southern reef of Nain Island which
was unusual to see.
The Bajo catamaran boats consist of two dugouts connected
by a strong weather and strain resistant bamboo mesh.
At the rear end of the catamaran, you can find a small
hut offering the boat owners’ protection against weather.
Otherwise, there is little that they posses apart from
a few fishing utensils and personal belongings. As we
were told, the group of Bajo's moved from the island due
to the enduring strong west winds, bringing in huge waves
and swells over the reef flats hampering their houses
and boats. We took a closer look to assess the situation
in detail and made an interesting discovery, which may
have played a vital role in the Bajo's decision to make
an island move.
When we approached Nain Island with our boat, barely a
mile north of Mantehage, we noticed something was glittering
on the surface of the sea around the island. Looking closely,
we saw thousands of floats tied to strings and ropes spread
over the entire reef flats around the island. What was
actually happening was that the locals were growing seaweed
in the reef shallows for foreign companies who produce
cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. Their seaweed crop
enables them a fair income compared to fishing and other
traditional income sources. The nearby Bajo's obviously
saw new lucrative business opportunities and took their
chances and moved island. Taking a stroll through Nain
village, we weren't surprised to see that people were
living well and it seemed that the majority all had some
business affiliated with seaweed, which they call "Agar-Agar"!
We were pleased to see people content with their everyday
lives. When we decided to walk down their narrow main
village street, apparently the only one on the island,
there was a sudden huge influx of excited children coming
from everywhere. Curious parents and families wanted to
have a look at what these white strangers were doing on
their beautiful island.
We encountered everyone gathered in the village center
where a mosque was putting on a fund raiser. Here, the
pounding sound of Dangdut (a modified dancehall version
of Indian music, very popular in Sumatra and Java) filled
the air and accompanied the entire lively event. Trailblazer's
on-camera host, Clive, couldn't resist his urge to mix
with the locals and dance in the crowd, which was very
amusing especially for the villagers. The atmosphere on
Nain Island was incredible; it was yet another gratifying
experience to meet these people.
We did however, have some concerns over the effects of
the new seaweed processing techniques on the reefs. We
made a small investigation and found out that the ropes
that secured the seaweed was hanging high over the coral,
well away from the reef and nothing was touching or deteriorating
the coral and environment below. As a matter of fact,
the seaweed growing system is actually preserving the
reef from damage. Due to the amount of lines and floats
in the water, it would be an extremely exhausting task
to get anywhere near the island by boat. There is only
one string and rope free channel leading directly to Nain
Village beach. Here the inhabitants have free access to
and from their island. The seaweed farmers also access
their locations via small outrigger boats well off the
reef.
Another adventurous day was coming to an end. It had been
a pleasure making these positive experiences with the
Bajo's and Nain inhabitants, who were courteous and friendly,
typical of remote islanders we have met in this part of
the world. It was time to discover and venture more, so
we continued our voyage around the tip of North Sulawesi
to the natural harbor of Bitung in the Lembeh Straits.
We thoroughly enjoyed cruising, captivated by wonderful
sunsets on the distant horizon exhibiting grand multitudes
of exotically eccentric colours and shades.
Bitung
and The Lembeh Straits
Having
arrived in Bitung, we filled Bianca's water tanks at Air
Perang, which is located approximately 2 miles north of
Bitung at the foot of the inactive Dua Saudara volcanoes.
The very pure water here derives from the depths of volcanic
rock, high in mineral content. However, we used the freshly
refilled spring water on the boat for showering and washing
ourselves. The spring at Air Perang is surrounded by dense
tropical forests making it tempting to make a short stroll
up a path into the jungle. Here, on the outskirts of the
Tangkoko National Reserve, one can encounter endemic animals
such as the Tarsius Spectrum, cuscus bears, and anoas.
Red hornbills and sea eagles are among the local bird
species. We tied our boat securely to rocks and trees
close to shore only a stone's throw away from the jungle.
No need for stereophonic sound here. We were permanently
surrounded by serenades of exotic chirping tunes emanating
from the densely vivacious ecosystem in the vicinity.
It is always time to dive again in the Lembeh Straits,
to get carried away by the infinite beauty above water,
is equally the case below water. All divers describe feeling
overwhelmed by the abundance of reef and muck critters
and biodiversity here. Among the fish and critter species
we could identify were unique samples of frogfish, devilfish,
leaf fish, ornate ghost pipefish and Ambon scorpionfish.
There are crocodile eels, flamboyant cuttlefish, mandarin
fish, yellow mantis shrimps, Pegasus sea moths, stargazers,
and fingered dragonets. There is a fantastic variety of
nudibranch and flatworm species, as well as red and yellow
pygmy sea horses, a very minute inconspicuous and highly
rare sea horse species generally found clinging onto sea
fans. The pygmy sea horses found in the Lembeh Straits
are about 1.5cm in size and have adapted a skin structure
and colour similar to that of the gorgonian fan surface
they inhabit. They are completely camouflaged so you need
sharp sight to discover them.
Other fishes sighted here are schools of mouth mackerel,
jacks, barracudas, fusiliers, (usually sighted north of
Lembeh), batfish, cockatoo waspfish, decorator crabs.
There are also red waspfish, crocodile eels, crocodilefish,
yellow lionfish, ribbon eels, pearl-eyed moray eels, jawfish,
the bizarre black coral crabs, crab-eyed gobis, fuzzy
squat lobsters, the elusive mimic octopus, besides countless
other critters and reef fishes, plenty of which can be
found in the shallows.
Other recommended dives in the area are on the wrecks
in the Lembeh Straits. Some sank during the Second World
War like the Mawali and Bimoli wrecks, while others have
found their peaceful rest via other unknown means. Nevertheless,
the dives on the wrecks are great and there's plenty of
soft corals and good numbers of fish, nudibranch and critters
to see. The visibility is sometimes decreased due to the
plankton. After heavy rain
showers in the vicinity bringing silt down Lembeh Island
and the mountains surrounding Bitung, sediment content
in the water increases. However, the visibility is always
good enough to indulge and experience some phenomenal
diving! The Lembeh Straits offers over 30 good dive sites
spread out mainly to the north of Bitung and all around
Lembeh Island.
Sangihe-Talaud
Archipelago: Celestial Dive Sanctuary in the Ring of Fire
Having
refilled the boat with water and spending a few nice days
algae and crinoid critter diving, it was time to head
north to the beautiful and tranquil archipelago of Sangihe-Talaud.
Leaving the giant silhouette of Mount Klabat and the exuberant
verdant rain forests and virgin beaches of North Sulawesi
behind, we were heading to Bangka Island, which was only
a few hours from Bitung by boat. The dive sites here are
equally renowned and
considered the best in the locality. Here we made two
exceptional dives. We sighted some of the region's most
beautiful soft corals, not to mention the abundance of
pelagic fish who frequent the place. The dives were made,
and before we realized it we were back on deck heading
for the neighbouring islands of Biaro and Ruang. It would
take approxiumately another 4 hours to get to Biaro, so
we had sufficient time to out-gas our bodies ridding them
of the residual nitrogen. There was also time to enjoy
a few cold after-dive Bintangs.
The Sangihe-Talaud Islands spread down from Mindanao,
south of the Philippines to the North Sulawesi peninsula
with the Sulawesi Sea to the west and Maluku Sea east
of the archipelago. They cover an area of 44.000 square
kilometres of sea and 2.263 square kilometres of land.
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, we can posit that
these islands were a landmass connecting the Philippines
and Indonesia together. Due to the proximity to deep seas
both east and west of the islands, the currents emerging
out of the deep bring plenty of plankton and nutrient
rich water to the shallows, allowing the entire region
to be blessed with a prolific and intricate pristine underwater
habitat. The underwater landscapes vary from steep drop-offs
with crevices and caves to sandy slopes with sporadic
coral overgrown rocks and pinnacles, to slopes of volcanic
rock originating from former lava flows off the islands.
They are usually lined with an ensemble of huge gorgonian
fans, vase sponges, sea whips, and most impressive staghorn,
lettuce, table and mushroom corals. Now and again temporary
moderate to strong currents, altered our dive profile
into a drift dive, surprised us. The dive modification
however can be quite some fun and very rewarding. Stronger
currents attract big pelagic fish such as barracuda, jacks,
sharks, eagle rays and other celestial species. If you
have a lucky day, you may encounter whalesharks and humpback
whales that roam the waters of Sangihe-Talaud and adjacent
islands. During the cruises dolphins merrily displaying
their acrobatic abilities along the bow always accompanied
us. For no apparent reason they would all of a sudden
completely descend into the deep crystal clear sea, leaving
us with only appreciation and a few moments of gratifying
memories.
We cruised, dived, explored, filmed, interviewed and discovered
new cruise routes, exceptional dive sites, beautiful islands
and a tremendously helpful crowd of indigenous Sangiherese.
Our cruise route took us from Bangka Island to Biaro,
Ruang, Tagulandang, Siau, Mahangetang, and Kahakitang
and finally to Sangihe Besar, the main island. All islands
have several common characteristics especially in the
geological formations, structure and vegetation. Most
islands in the "Ring of Fire" are exposed to
volcanic activity above and below sea level and there
is still plenty of evidence of former devastating volcanic
eruptions which has left a trail of destruction behind
on several islands we visited. Most of the volcanic islands
are covered with dense tropical jungles fringed with palm
trees and beautiful beaches. The nearly submerged islands
are covered with mangroves and palm trees and usually
have large flat reefs extending far out into the sea.
One of the islands hit most severely by eruptions in the
past is the island of Siau. It was here in 1974 when the
volcano Karangetang (1800m) last erupted causing severe
casualties among the population and significant damage
to the surrounding environment. When we arrived in Ulu,
the island1s main town and harbour, we spoke to several
islanders and asked why they hadn't followed the regional
government1s advice to leave the area due to unpredictable
possible earthquakes and eruptions. Most of them replied
that their families have been living on the island for
generations and that they have sufficient income and are
happy with their lives as they are. They would take the
risk into account without compromise.
For centuries, the Sangihe-Talaud Islands have been renowned
for spice trading achieving it's highlight during the
Portuguese and Dutch colonial occupation. The main spices
that were shipped to Europe were nutmeg, mace and cloves.
Today, spice trading continues to be a vital lucrative
income source enabling a high standard of living and prosperity
for the Ulu community. The fact that the island is covered
with extremely fertile volcanic soil in an ideal climate
for growing basically anything, hasn't encouraged or motivated
the islanders to extend their land cultivation practices
to become self-sufficient. To our surprise the opposite
is the case. All essential food supplies such as rice,
vegetables, fruits, chicken and meat are brought in daily
by ferryboats from Manado, which can be an 8 hour boat
trip away. The profit gained from nutmeg, mace and cloves
has made many of these people obstinate. The only farmers
we found on the enchanting island of Siau with very few
exceptions only, were nutmeg farmers. On Siau no one is
inclined to give up nutmeg farming or leave the island,
even if they became the last endangered species on the
verge of the Ring of Fire.
Ulu today has very few remnants of the past that give
evident conclusions of how the Dutch or Portuguese may
have lived or functioned here in former times. However,
with the help of the local town mayor, we were fortunate
to find a sea navigation mark of the Dutch East India
Trading Company called V.O.C. The site in the vicinity
of the harbour area could be easily seen off shore. The
sea navigation mark was a stone obelisque; approximately
2 meters tall carved with the Dutch trademark insignia
V.O.C. Other scripts carved into the obelisk hadn't survived
the over 400 years of nature's obliterating weather and
had become illegible.
According to Clive, our Trailblazer presenter and marine
connoisseur, two obelisks were lined up at a certain distance
behind each other; the obelisque furthest away from shore
was positioned at a higher level. Dutch merchant ships
coming into the harbour would position their vessels so,
that both obelisks would synchronize to a straight line.
They could then sail safely into the harbour. We also
assumed that the Dutch seafarers used
telescopes while their boats were far off shore. Vessels
coming in at night were guided in safely via burning torches
on shore using the same method. The only Portuguese heritage
we found was old fortress walls only minutes walk from
the Dutch V.O.C sea navigation mark. Having no significant
historical value to the locals, the landlord had decided
to build an animal sanctuary on top of the Portuguese
antique relic. However, to our relief we were quite pleased
to find these small traces of history and are sure there's
plenty more to be discovered and revealed.
Mahengetang...The
Underwater Volcano
Venturing
volcanoes is exciting but it reaches its peak underwater.
We were curious to find out more about volcanic activities
in the subterranean sea and what impact it had on the
maritime environment. We made some very interesting discoveries.
When diving in the vicinity of underwater hot sulphur
vents or volcanic springs, we noticed that the profusion
of hard and soft corals surpass that by far compared to
other locations not being
affected by the volcanic sulphur and thermal factor. We
noticed that marine habitats exposed to the sulphurous
substance were far more diverse, colourful and in some
terms more eccentric and abstract in shape and forms,
sometimes well beyond imagination. At these locations
the biodiversity is so immense that underwater photographers
and marine biologists could write complete new chapters
on uncatalogued critters and other marine life.
The underwater volcano Mahengetang exhibits such an exorbitant
flourishing pristine marine habitat. Some marine biologists
who have formerly surveyed and explored this site are
convinced that there are more fish and coral species here
within one square kilometre of sea than in the entire
Caribbean Sea. Actually, we were all are convinced that
the scientists were exaggerating until we saw it ourselves!
This location is undoubtedly one of the most unprecedented
pristine marine habitats we have ever come across.
The underwater volcano itself is located just off the
island of Mahengetang with the volcano crest submerged
only 2 to 3 meters below sea level. There is no volcanic
crater vigorously churning out lava from the earths core
into the sea. However, there are huge sulphur covered
rocks, which resemble a crater type formation. Small intermittent
outbursts of volcanic gasses can be seen everywhere making
their ascent to the surface as bubbles. Between the rocks,
small hot vents cause a hazy atmosphere due to the ambient
temperature difference in the water. Rocks at depth may
be hot at times conducting the earth’s heat to the surface.
There are no confined areas here, just a sheer mass of
sulphur-covered volcanic rock gradually sloping into the
deep, occasional grossly formed rock pinnacles. A few
crevices are exposed to the open sea surrounded and inhabited
by a gorgeous marine botanic. Visibility was always above
average to exceptional, which enhanced our diving motivation
and enjoyment.
Morotai
- Off the Charts Diving Locations
We
continued our voyage cruising smoothly eastwards to the
island of Morotai in the North Maluku Archipelago. In
the first light, we approached Daruba, the main port of
Morotai. In September 1944, American soldiers under General
MacArthur came ashore here overrunning the Japanese forces.
A handful of Japanese soldiers retreated into the mountain
forests. In 1959, 9 soldiers came down from the forests
to surrender. In 1974, 30 years after the war had finished,
a Japanese Sergeant walked out into the modern world.
These islands are a forgotten corner of the world. But
for a few months, they played a vital role in General
MacArthur1s Pacific Campaign. We encountered plenty of
Second World War heritage found in the locality of Daruba.
It was here that the Americans started their allied invasions
against the occupied Philippines and South Pacific Islands.
General MacArthur resided on a small island close to Daruba
from whence he planned and coordinated countless air strikes,
sea invasions and counterattacks against his enemies.
The American-built Daruba Airfield has seven runways and
can still be sighted today. Due to the enormous amount
of explosives, ammunition and guns still to be found in
the shallow waters, the island remains out of bounds for
the majority of foreigners who want to travel, survey
or dive here. These had been abandoned by the armies who
occupied the territory around the coastal areas of Morotai.
However, we were always fortunate in that we were always
able to penetrate into areas where very few had been before.
Just south of Morotai on the island of Halmahera, several
Second World War wrecks can still be explored in Tobello
Bay. These sites are really off the map and beaten track
locations and totally unexplored, predestined for all
devoted adventurers and dedicated wreck divers. Apart
from that, the region offers an unparalleled "Robinson
Crusoe" atmosphere, as there is absolutely nothing
apart from beautiful coral islands and pure nature.
Bangkas
Last Mystery
Our
last encounter on this Trailblazer voyage was a wreck,
identified as a B17 bomber, which was shot down by a Japanese
patrol boat during World War II. It was downed in the
vicinity of Likupang approximately 50 kilometres north
of Manado. The wreckage lay at depth of 25 meters. We
followed precautions for diving on a military site. Locate,
observe but do not disturb. The wreck is scattered across
the sandy sea bottom and sharks were making their inquisitive
rounds around the fuselage. A huge stingray lay undisturbed
under the rear tail wing. Coral and fishes inhabit the
bulks of metal.
The rest of the story about the aircraft we found out
later from the islanders. Soon after the plane crashed,
the bodies of two American airmen were washed up on the
nearby beach. The day their bodies were found, a young
woman on the island gave birth. She named her child Lexy
Leo after the name on one of the dead airmen's dog tags.
Whether other airmen survived the crash is not known.
After getting back to Manado we did some more checking.
The story of the wreck is still a mystery. American Military
Officials have no record of a Lexy Leo, missing in action.
But his legacy, along with the rest of the crew is all
too real. It lies undisturbed, at the
bottom of the Molloccan Sea.
On a voyage like this where so many gratifying moments
accompany one's ventures, it is always a melancholy occasion
to say farewell. One thing was sure, we would be back
again soon. Every inch we had seen so far would justify
any and every effort to return.
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