We are posting a series of recently surveyed dive sites in the Bird’s Head Seascape last frontier, Fakfak and the Bomberai peninsula.  This is the sixth in the series, North Teluk Sebakor.  Unlike the previous five areas we have covered and those we will soon be adding, this beautiful bay’s attractions are primarily topside.

Motoring through Teluk Sebakor’s shallow multicolored bay

To read about last year’s expedition of discovery click here, survey of the Bomberai peninsula, Fakfak and its surrounding waters.  (Additionally click here to read an article in DAN’s Alert Diver magazine Q4-’22 about the expedition.)

The idea is to expand the itineraries of LOB’s transiting between Raja and Triton Bay.  Now LOB’s can leisurely spend days making the passage.  When we have finished adding all the sites including topside activities for each area, a LOB will be able to create a stand-alone itinerary in the vast region between the Pisangs and Momon.

To access each area’s site info including maps, GPS coordinates, dive directions, surrounding activities and images, open the website, hover over and/or click on Maps in the top tier menu.  Click on Bomberai/Fakfak to bring up the regional map or click here, regional map.  This map contains yellow circles for all the areas we surveyed.  Click on the North Tell Sebakor circle (now yellow with a flashing red halo).  Click anywhere on the map to bring up the area’s information.  Or simply click here to go directly to the North Teluk Sebakor Map.

This is the sixth in the series of posts about the new sites.  As new areas are completed, they are indicated by a flashing red circle on the regional Bomberai/Faklfak map.  As each additional area’s info is uploaded the area’s yellow circle will flash red, indicating that area is now active with site information.

Inside the “Bat Cave”, actually it’s a cavern that looks like a cave!

As mentioned above, this large shallow bay is full of interesting, mostly topside attractions, including an incredible “bat cave” that can be explored in a dive tender or snorkeling. As you enter the cave’s mouth you will soon see that the roof has collapsed, so it’s actually a cavern, with beautiful light streaming in through the “roof”.  Around the cavern’s overhanging walls, hundreds of bats can be found.  It should not be missed!  Note: a large crocodile was seen inside the cavern zone, so be aware!

Bats located in Sebakor’s “Bat Cave”

The bay is also wonderful for birding and orchid viewing, especially when exploring the numerous labyrinthian mangrove creeks/rivers that feed into the bay, located in the two general areas indicated by “River Tours” on the map.  We only spent one morning exploring, many discoveries await!

At the moment Fakfak is barely on most divers “bucket list”.  Our intent and the reason for this survey is to expand the tourism opportunities in the Bird’s Head Seascape, assist locals in generating income, while using the LOB’s presence to patrol the area for illegal activities.  More exploratory work needs to be done in his little known and basically unexplored region but this survey provides a huge leap forward.

A huge thanks to our web designers at New Media Soup, Joel and Jennifer Penner and to master map maker, Garry Bevan.  Garry is a renaissance man!  Besides making maps he’s a cruise director, author, content creator, dive tech and a musician.  He is presently working on a series of dive and cruising guides of Indonesia.  If you need someone to sort things out, while making you laugh, Garry is your man.  Without the assistance of the Pindito and it’s owner Edi Frommenwiler this trip would not have been possible.  So a big shout out of thanks go to them as well.