Author: Terry Endropoetro (travel blogger http://negerisendiri.com/2016/web/)

The third day of the expedition I joined the team of divers Tutus Wijanarko and Amkieltiela (WWF-Indonesia), Mikael Prastowo and Aries Tirta (Yayasan TERANGI), Arwan Rumodar (East Seram Marine & Fisheries Agency), and Serka Samsul Bahri (Ambon Navy). We disembarked from WWF-Indonesia's Menami boat to an inflatable boat to the tubir and coral reef area on Neiden island, East Seram.

The color of the sea was already changing from ultramarine blue, to light blue, to light green. The boat stopped at a distance of about 750 meters from the shoreline, where the sea tube is located. While they 'descended' at the dive point, myself and Juwita Pusposari (WWF-Indonesia), who was in charge of observing the coordinates and taking notes on the marine life, remained on the rubber boat while measuring the speed of the surface currents. The ocean that morning was calm, with almost no current. The coral reefed seabed about 3-7 meters below was clearly visible and we decided to 'go down' for some snorkeling. The sandy seabed is scattered with soft coral and hard coral. Red-colored sea fans (sea fan), whose leaves look like cypress leaves, stand side by side with black sea lilies. Elsewhere there were chunks of brain coral and fire coral with flattened, reddish-orange fragments.

After an hour, the dive team surfaced one by one. The rubber boat turned around to pick them up. When everyone had climbed onto the boat, everyone turned their heads to the sandy embankment not far away. Everyone cheered, it seemed that after days of living on the ship everyone missed also stepping on land ha... ha... ha....

The second dive took place at midday. The location was near the island of Nukus. When the dive team was no longer visible on the surface. Juwita and I stole some time to the white sandy island. Pak Ode drives the rubber boat there. It seems a fisherman is in charge of the island, there's a wooden house and his pet goats are free, bleating between the trees and rocks. The island has a niche that forms a small lagoon behind the coral reef. The water was clear turquoise, calm and not choppy.

It feels like we've only been enjoying the island for a short while. When an orange buoy appears in the distance, it's a sign that divers will soon be surfacing. My steps are heavy as I leave this white sandy beach, but if I'm lucky I'd like to come back here again, I tell myself.