Arriving at Pink Beach
Nov 1, 2009
After arriving in Bali yesterday… Today is our opportunity to see some of the great underwater wonders of this mystical island. The Komodo National Park covers both the land and the sea surrounding the area; more than 75% of the park is the sea, thereby protecting the plentiful coral formations and indigenous colorful fish known to be one of the most diverse in the world. At this point we have paid close attention to the lectures given by the Expedition Team and know all about safety equipment and precautions, proper embarking and debarking of the Zodiac, as well as being personally fitted for our snorkel gear which is our to use the duration of the sailing. With all guests anxious for our first Zodiac experience, we prepare ourselves and make way to the Zodiac platform located aft on the 3rd level.
Any previous threats of clouds have cleared so it’s sunny and the sea is rather calm. The perfect conditions for maximum viewing of the sea life below. So, after a short ride to the beach, you are surprised somewhat to see that it actually lives up to its name,….. Pink Beach. The skeleton of certain types of coral have a reddish hue that is washed up on the beach sending flecks of this color to mingle with the sand thereby giving it a pinkish color. There are no local people in this area and the entire shoreline is ours alone to enjoy. The Expedition Team placed buoys in the water to mark the Zodiacs path and the outer reaches of the sea to stay within for safety purposes. The Team is also standing guard in Zodiacs to watch for anyone in distress or who may get caught in the current. So, armed with confidence and safety, we throw off our outer clothing, grab our snorkeling equipment and charge into the water. I’m sure we looked as good as David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson on Bay Watch,… well, at least in our minds.
No matter how many lectures you attend or how varied your snorkeling experience has been, everyone was awed by the magnificent beautiful that was apparent the first time you submerged your mask just off shore. The water was wonderfully warm and inviting. And there was coral and fish everywhere. Every color of the rainbow was on display for our full enjoyment. The sheer variety of coral and their colors was shocking and not just some here and some there. There must have been 10 or 15 different varieties in perhaps every 5 square feet. Gliding between and amongst the coral were the vibrant fish from shocking yellow, black and blue to iridescent green, gold and red. You were in sensory overload not knowing which way to look first, happy to let the current take you over the changing seascape of colors. We saw blue spotted sting rays, sea turtles and the prettiest shade of blue star fish. This was a great first day and can’t wait for what lies ahead. Until then…..
Follow Judy Parker through her cruise with Orion Expedition Cruises.
Read more from Orion Expedition Cruises from SDNN’s blog Onboard the Cruise Experience.
Tags: bali, islands, Komodo Island, Komodo National Park, Orion, orion expedition, Orion Expedition Cruises, Pink Beach, SDNN, snorkel expedition, snorkelling, Zodiac
