Scuba Diver Ocean Planet Issue 06/2016 | Page 85

INDONESIA Pelagian Liveaboard Text and images by WALT STEARNS Wakatobi is itself a secluded haven, offering a unique and enriching experience in a spectacular marine environment. But Wakatobi goes one step further in providing unparalleled diving experiences with its luxury liveaboard, Pelagian. Venturing into remote and seldom-visited corners of the Tukang Besi archipelago, guests enjoy cruises of discovery and adventure to distant reefs, verdant island lagoons and unbelievably productive muck diving sites. With more space per guest than any dive yacht of its kind, and a fantastic dedicated camera room, Pelagian gives you exclusive access to remote and untouched sites where you will have the luxury of being the only divers for miles around, able to enjoy your dives in secluded peace and relaxation. Along the way, guests enjoy the personal service and exclusive amenities of a world-class motoryacht. If you have 26 A stunning reef at dived sites around Wakatobi the world’s epicentre of coral reef biodiversity Dive Resort before, you will definitely want to expand your dive adventures to the reef systems beyond the island of Tomia. New marine life discoveries lay waiting for you and your camera. Exotic and rare marine life can be found on all dives and if you like sheer cliffs and caves, Tanjung Batutoro offers something for both wideangle and macro photographers. Cheeky Beach is a breeding ground for exotic shrimp, from the enigmatic peacock mantis to the cryptic bumblebee and colourful Coleman shrimp. Magic Pier is famous for the intricate mating rituals of hundreds of mandarinfish, along with a menagerie of cephalopods that includes cuttlefish, blue-ringed and wonderpus octopuses. The wreck of the Bianca II is surrounded by a soft bottom 26