EcoXplorer Itinerary
Blue Economy and Agribusiness Assessment: Parallel Expedition of East and North Waigeo (SOQ)10 days / 9 nights
About EcoXplorer
- Accommodates a maximum of 12 guests in eastern Indonesia
- Itineraries in Raja Ampat, Cenderawasih Bay, Triton Bay, Halmahera and Banda Sea
- Cultural visits, snorkelling, fishing and island exploration between dives
- All profits support EcoNusa’s conservation and community initiatives
EcoXplorer is a 28m expedition liveaboard operating across the remote waters of eastern Indonesia, from Raja Ampat and Cenderawasih Bay, to Triton Bay, Halmahera and the Banda Sea. Rebuilt in the style of a traditional Indonesian phinisi, the vessel accommodates a maximum of 12 guests in ensuite cabins and combines dedicated diving facilities with cultural visits, wildlife encounters and island exploration. Highlights of the itineraries can include spectacular reefs, manta rays, whale sharks, wrecks, schooling fish and unusual macro life, depending on the itinerary. And with all profits supporting EcoNusa’s conservation and community programmes, EcoXplorer is particularly well suited to divers seeking small-group expeditions with a more meaningful local connection.
Itinerary details
Length of trip 10 days / 9 nights
Number of dives 22
Experience Advanced Open Water - Minimum 40 dives
Insurance Required
Highlights
- This route is for diving exploration and agriculture surveys
- The expedition combines recreational activities, such as diving and snorkeling
- Focused agricultural research, specifically assessing copra production, village logistics, and socioeconomic mapping
- Navigating through the East and North Waigeo regions to survey diverse locations like Kampung Yenbekaki
Day 1 - Sorong
07:00 – 09:00: Meet up at Dominique Edward Osok Airport (SOQ) or your Sorong hotel. Group pickup via air-conditioned private vehicle and direct transfer to the harbor.
09:30 – 11:00: Board EcoXplorer. Cabin assignment (shared cabins), welcome drinks, and preliminary boat safety briefing as the vessel prepares to cast off.
11:00 – 13:00: Transit: EcoXplorer pulls anchor and begins sailing northwest towards Waigeo. Lunch is served onboard.
13:00 – 14:00: Gear setup on the dedicated dive deck. The Tour Leader handles the mandatory park permits and marine documentation.
14:30 – 15:30: Dive Team: Mandatory Check Dive at Batu Hitam (Weight checks, gear calibration, and easy reef dive).
16:30 – 17:30: High-energy afternoon snacks served on deck. EcoXplorer lifts anchor and begins a steady overnight cruise along the southern coast heading towards East Waigeo.
19:00 – 20:30: Welcome Dinner served in the dining area.
Day 2 - Yenbekaki
Transit: 2 to 2.5 hours from Waisai. The vessel arrives early in the morning.
06:00 – 07:00: Light breakfast served on deck as EcoXplorer anchors off Yenbekaki.
07:30 – 09:00: Dive 1
08:00–09:30: Copra Team: Tender drop to the beach at Kampung Yenbekaki for customary village introductions.
09:00 – 10:00: Mainbreakfastt served onboard.
10:30 – 12:00: Dive 2
10:30 – 12:00: Copra Team: Field survey mapping the coastal coconut groves adjacent to the turtle nesting beaches.
12:00 – 13:30: Both Teams: Reconverge on EcoXplorer for lunch.
14:00 – 15:00: Dive 3
14:00 – 15:30: Copra Team: Focus groups with local farmers regarding historical crop yields and market bottlenecks.
17:00 – 18:00: Gear wash and evening snacks served on deck.
18:30 – 20:00: Optional Night Dive
20:15: Dinner served onboard.
Day 3 - Oerbinasopon
05:30 – 07:30: Transit: EcoXplorer cruises south-southeast to Oerbinasopon. Light breakfast served underway.
07:30 – 09:00: Dive 1
08:00–09:30: Copra Team: Deployed via skiff to Kampung Oerbinasopon; begin mapping active local smallholder plantations.
09:00 – 10:00: Main breakfast served onboard.
10:30 – 12:00: Dive 2
10:30 – 12:00: Copra Team: Land-based socioeconomic mapping; analyzing the local fishing vs. copra income balance.
12:00 – 13:30: Both Teams: Lunch served onboard.
14:00 – 15:00: Dive 3
14:00 – 15:30: Copra Team: Document active village smokehouses and survey the wood types used for copra drying.
17:00 – 18:00: Evening debriefing and snacks.
18:30 – 20:00: Optional Night Dive
20:15: Dinner served onboard at anchor.
Day 4 - Poeper
Transit: 1 to 1.5 hours memutari (rounding) the southeastern cape toward Poeper (05:00 – 06:30).
06:00 – 07:30: Transit: Rounding the southeastern cape toward Cape Poeper. Light breakfast served.
07:30 – 09:00: Dive 1
08:00 – 09:30: Copra Team: Land deployment to Kampung Poeper; mapping this isolated frontier outpost.
09:00 – 10:00: Main breakfast served onboard.
10:30 – 12:00: Dive 2
10:30 – 12:00: Copra Team: Critical Logistics Point Survey; mapping sea transport lanes and analyzing monsoon swell bottlenecks.
12:00 – 13:30: Both Teams: Lunch served onboard.
14:00 – 15:00: Dive 3
14:00 – 16:30: Copra Team: Documenting traditional manual processing speeds and storage durability against high humidity.
17:00 – 18:00: Technical review and relaxation on the sun deck.
18:30 – 20:00: Optional Night Dive
20:15: Dinner served onboard.
Day 5 - Mnier & Warwanai
03:00 – 07:30: Transit: EcoXplorer makes the long open-sea crossing up the uninhabited northeastern wilderness stretch to beat the open Pacific swells.
06:30 – 07:30: Light breakfast served onboard.
07:30 – 09:00: Dive 1
08:00 – 10:30: Copra Team: Landing at Kampung Mnier; mapping household plantation layouts and processing assets.
09:00 – 10:00: Main breakfast served onboard.
10:30 – 12:00: Dive 2
11:00 – 13:30: Copra Team: Skiff transfer to Kampung Warwanai; survey active smokehouses and document local farmgate pricing trends.
12:00 – 13:30: Dive team lunch onboard.
14:00 – 15:00: Dive 3
14:30–15:30: The Copra Team reboards EcoXplorer for midday data entry.
17:00 – 18:00: Gear post-dive rinse and snacks.
18:30 – 20:00: Optional Night Dive
20:15: Dinner served at a sheltered wilderness anchorage.
Day 6 - Boni Island & Village
06:00 – 07:30: Transit: Cruising northwest into the northern outer island clusters. Light breakfast served.
07:30 – 09:00: Dive 1
08:00–10:00: Copra Team: Beach landing at Kampung Boni and the island interior plains.
09:00 – 10:00: Main breakfast served onboard.
10:30 – 12:00: Dive 2
10:30 – 12:30: Copra Team: Small-Island Constraints Study: analyzing land allocations and inter-island sharecropping systems.
12:00 – 13:30: Both Teams: Lunch served onboard.
14:00 – 15:00: Dive 3
14:00 – 15:30: Copra Team: Field survey assessing local yields of alternative, high-value coconut derivatives.
17:00 – 18:00: Evening logging and sunset snacks.
18:30 – 20:00: Optional Night Dive
20:15: Dinner served at anchor in the lee of Boni Island.
Day 7 - Karabei
05:30 – 07:30: Transit: Sailing deep into the sheltered, deep-water Kabarei Bay. Light breakfast served.
07:30 – 09:00: Dive 1
08:00 – 11:00: Copra Team: Deploy to Kampung Kabarei; meet with district heads and map main harbor logistics.
09:00 – 10:00: Main breakfast served onboard.
10:30 – 12:00: Dive 2
11:00 – 13:00: Copra Team: Central Hub Feasibility Analysis; checking storage capacities for district-wide copra consolidation.
12:00 – 13:30: Dive team lunch onboard.
14:00 – 15:00: Dive 3
14:00 – 16:00: Copra Team: Surveying maritime fuel availability and transport vessel constraints within the bay.
17:00 – 18:00: Data cross-check over tea and snacks.
18:30 – 20:00: Optional Night Dive
20:15: Island Beach BBQ dinner organized by the EcoXplorer crew on a remote strand inside the bay.
Day 8 - Lam Lam
06:00 – 07:30: Transit: EcoXplorer shifts slightly west into the protected bays and channels of the Lam Lam area. A light breakfast is served.
07:30 – 09:00: Dive 1
08:00 – 10:30: Copra Team: Skiff landing at the coastal village settlement in the sheltered southwestern pocket of the bay.
09:00 – 10:00: Main breakfast served onboard.
10:30 – 12:00: Dive 2
11:00 – 13:30: Copra Team: Protected Port Logistics Survey, analyzing if Lam Lam's calm waters act as a natural collection point for open-sea northern farmers.
12:00 – 13:30: Dive team lunch onboard.
14:00 – 15:00: Dive 3
14:30 – 15:30: The Copra team re-boards; field gear washdown on the dive deck.
17:00 – 18:00: Final oceanic field logging and afternoon tea.
18:30 – 20:00: Optional Night Dive
20:15: Dinner served onboard as the vessel positions for the long cruise back.
Day 9 - Return to Waisai
Transit: 6 to 7 hours steaming. The vessel leaves early morning (06:00) to cross back to Waisai.
Dive Team: Utilize the long transit to rinse, dry, and logistically pack all dive gear (ensuring compliance with the 24-hour no-fly rule before returning to Sorong).
Copra Team & Dive Team: Midday joint data compilation on deck. Overlay the Dive Team's new marine site maps with the Copra Team's agricultural hub logs to construct the draft expedition report.
In the afternoon, the boat sails to Mayalibit and visit the Blue Lake (optional)
Night: Dinner
Day 10 - Sorong
05:30 - 06:15: Light Breakfast & Checkout
06:30: Disembarkation & Airport Shuttle (Sorong Airport is only 15–20 minutes from the harbor).
07:00: Arrive at the airport for check-in.
08:00 - 08:15: Flight Departures
Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.
Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.
Transfer details
Departure
09:00am
Sorong
Sorong Airport: SOQ
Return
07:00am
Sorong
Sorong Airport: SOQ
Current availability and prices: https://www.zubludiving.com/itineraries/ecoxplorer/itn-2608030740151-blue-economy-and-agribusiness-assessment-parallel-expedition-of-east-and-north-waigeo-soq-