WAOW II... ??   and our precence at the Paris Dive Show

The response to the recently launched Crowdfunding for the construction of WAOW II has been, so far, very encouraging.

WAOW II... ??

In spite of everything, Julia, Camille and I decided to hold our annual stand at the "Salon Nautique du Léman" in Geneva, where the question " so, what about WAOW II ? " was asked repeatately...

Last and final news...

We are very saddened to communicate to you all that our magnificent WAOW burned and sank last night (Jan 31st to Feb 1st) in a storm in Biak Harbor. Fortunately, there was no loss of life or physical injury.

Happy New Year!

From the archipelago of Raja Ampat, we, the crew and staff of WAOW, sends our best wishes for this New Year. That 2018 brings you Happiness, Good Health and of course, rich and colorful dives ! 

Since the end of October, WAOW has returned to West Papua.

After a stop over in Triton Bay (where we had exceptional diving conditions with fantastic visibility, exceptional corals and macro fauna) we now find ourselves again in the enchanting zone of Raja Ampat navigating between Wayag, the Dampier Straits and Misool.

At the time of writing these lines WAOW was arriving in the port of Ambon, after 11 days of navigation across the Banda Sea.

Once again the marine "oasis" of this itinerary has offered a spectacle well beyond the level of our already high expectations

Our season in the Komodo National Park is about to come to an end. We are actually setting sail for these beautiful waters for the last time this season. And what a season it was, with several manta ballets at Manta Alley and Shotgun, white tip reef sharks on Castle Rock and as always beautiful reefs full of colour. 
From the 12th September we will be navigating towards Alor and onto the Banda Sea before spending several months in West Papua. The adventure continues. 

Since July 16th WAOW is back cruising in the waters of the Komodo National Park. We will stay until the month of August to allow our divers to discover, or rediscover, all the beauty of this exceptional site.

The diving remains beautiful, the landscapes breath-taking and the marine life incredibly dense. Take advantage of our KOMODO specials for both 2017 and 2018. 

Since the 26th of May, at Serangan Bay in Bali, all the team have been hard at work on the yearly maintenance period.

Other than sanding and painting, revision of the motors and generators, several improvements and new equipment have been brought to WAOW to optimise the comfort. Discover in images some of the work progress.

After crossing 4 seas in the last 2 months, Molucca, Seram, Banda and Flores, our cruising season is coming to an end. WAOW is back in Bali and all the crew are preparing for dry dock, which will last a little over a month.

With the size of the vessel and her equipment a fair amount of work awaits us to complete full maintenance. We will then set sail again in the direction of the Komodo National Park. 

Navigating along the coasts of Buru and Seram, we are approaching the end of our cruise "Magical Moluccas" (Bitung to Ambon via Halmahera).

This itinerary is rich in discovery and encounters. With a true feeling of exclusivity we have done some diving truly rich and varied: Volcanic landscapes, intact corals, enormous schools of barracuda and jacks plus rare macro fauna.... It's all there.

After having explored the South of Halmahera (which as usual provided us with exceptional diving) and the Molucca Sea, we arrived in the North Celebes ready to navigate further to the North in the direction of Sangihe.

We went past the famous Lembeh Strait with its famous rare macro-fauna, but will also pass by the marine park of Bunaken before rejoining Siau and Sangihe, more isolated.

January has been a very busy month for all the team at WAOW. Firstly, our ship crew has again headed up to Cenderawasih Bay for the encounters with the whale-sharks. A full house again with several beautiful specimens on hand for the complete joy of all the passengers aboard. We took advantage of being in the bay to explore new sites, to do several land excursions, one of which was to see the majestic bird of paradise.

For the commercial team there were several dive shows to exhibit at, and attend, including Paris, Dusseldorf and Zurich. Many of you joined us on the stands of the various shows showing an interest in WAOW. We take this opportunity say a big "Thank You".

Happy New Year 2017 !!! For the New Year of 2017, the team at WAOW would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones all the best.

We also hope that at some stage in 2017 your year may be punctuated by a beautiful voyage with magic under water moments. In addition, we would like to thank you for your loyalty and we hope to see you on the deck of WAOW soon for more adventures.

All the beauty of Raja Ampat
Since the beginning of November, WAOW has been cruising the region of the Four Kings, in the beautiful waters of Raja Ampat and Misool. A fairytale for the eyes and the senses, which our passengers have enjoyed cheerfully.

The marine biologist and photographer, Steven Weinberg, is actually onboard at present and not withholding any information or anecdotes on the species encountered during the dives.
 

Between the exploration of the Forgotten Islands and the crossing of the Banda and Seram seas, the month of October has passed well and truly under the sign of the Hammerheads onboard WAOW.

October is one of the best seasons to see these amazing pelagics in this area of the archipelago and fortunately we were well and truly on time for our appointment. Don't forget to read the article and watch the video dedicated to the Forgotten Islands produced by Nathalie Lasselin.

After 10 days of general maintenance in Maumere, WAOW will lift anchor in a few days to navigate towards the Forgotten Islands. An exceptional cruise with both the discovery of exploratory dive sites and authentic islands.

On the agenda in this September newsletter we have an invitation for a special evening (for those in Switzerland), "early bird" discounts for the 2017 Komodo season, a suggestion for spending the end of the year in the sun, in addition to some special offers for Raja Ampat this autumn.

As we have become accustomed to, the Komodo National Park thrilled us all through the months of July and August: manta rays in huge numbers, abundant and multicolored fauna, rare creatures and always the beautiful density that we find in all corners of the reefs. Our passengers have been thoroughly spoilt.

WAOW will nevertheless move on from the Komodo region as it is time to set sail for Maumere in Flores to explore the regions of Alor and Pantar. Following this we will navigate for several special cruises to the East and the Forgotten Islands. (There remain a few spaces left at special prices).

Under way for new adventures!

After more than a one month break for yearly maintenance, and a memorable evening to celebrate and thank those involved in the success, Waow has set sail again for the magic of Indonesian waters. 

WAOW gets a facelift !

Our annual dry dock and maintenance of WAOW is progressing as planned and started on May 10th. Our crew and outside specialist are working full steam ahead to renew everything from the hull to the top of the masts.

Our cruises will restart again from the 14th of June starting in the Komodo National Park.

With one more cruise from Maumere (Flores) to Bali, we will be preparing WAOW for the maintenance and dry dock period, until mid-June, to get her back into the best shape for next season.
As the season comes to an end we look back on the 26 cruises covering 11'000 nautical miles, with exceptional diving and encounters. Once again the Indonesian Archipelago has lived up to its reputation of exceptional cruising grounds and some of the best diving on the planet.

WAOW is currently navigating between the Islands of Togian and Banggai, down the East coast of Sulawesi. Despite very warm water (over 30 degrees) the visibility is near perfect and the diving is thrilling the passengers: superb corals, massive sponges and a plethora of reef fish assure the spectacle. Oh how Indonesia is beautiful!!!

For this March newsletter, we come back to the previous cruise "Halmahera's Crown", on which we were privileged spectators of a total eclipse of the sun. We will also speak about our upcoming dive show "Beneath the Sea" in New York, our special offers, Alor and the Forgotten Islands.

The Sun has an appointment with the Moon!  
Impatient! This is where we are at.... In a few days WAOW will leave Sorong setting sail for Bitung, passing by Misool, Halmahera and Ternate. The final stage of this cruise will allow the privileged opportunity to experience the total eclipse of the sun.

The Astronomers, Stephanie Godier and Michel Mayor, will join us for the entire cruise and share their vast knowledge of the universe with the passengers (presentations will be in French) providing evenings of conferences and star gazing. But of course, and during the day, the fantastic dive program will remain unchanged.

Happy New year !  On behalf of all the team at WAOW, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best for 2016. May it be a year of great health and happiness with wonderful moments on land, yet not forgetting some great diving charged with emotion.

For this first edition of the newsletter in 2016, and with the upcoming shows, we have put some special offers and last minute specials in place to kick-start the new year. Take advantage.

On behalf of all the team at WAOW, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best for the festive season.

We are very excited about all the adventures coming up in 2016, and hope for you and your loved ones, the coming year is everything you wish for. Hopefully that includes joining us on-board WAOW for another magic cruise in the Indonesian Archipelago. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

This small town is situated on the Eastern side of Flores and is our home port for the month of September while we explore the regions around Alor. Pristine reefs, passage dives, rare fauna and sumptuous beaches are awaiting our passengers.

All fresh after coming out of dry dock, which lasted a little more than one month, WAOW set sail for the 2015-2016 season on June 22, starting with a cruise in the Komodo National Park, where we will stay until mid-September.

Following the Komodo season WAOW will head for Alor, the Banda Sea, Raja Ampat and Cenderawasih Bay. As with each year, whenever your voyage is planned, WAOW will ensure that you dive on the best sites, at the best time of the year, and in the best regions of Indonesia.

The end of the season!
Currently in the Komodo National Park, WAOW is doing her last cruise of the season before our annual dry dock in Surabaya. A well-earned rest for some of our crew who, once again, have given their all to satisfy our valued guests.

WAOW will be operational again as of 12 June 2015, for a new season that we hope will be as beautiful and successful as the one that has just finished.