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It
is my pleasure to offer you my script /article of our documentary
film adventure "Trailblazing the Sulawesi & Moluccan
Sea" which we produced for Discovery Channel and Transatlantic
Films last year.
The film we produced is maybe one of the first cruise exploration
adventure films produced of it's kind to the region North Maluku
and North Sulawesi and I am pleased to say that the regions
we explored around North Sulawesi, Sangihe-Talaud Archipelago
and North Maluku have great potential for live-aboard dive charters
and dive adventure travelling in future. The dive cruise exploration
documentary features underwater and marine related issues besides
island life, traditions, describes the way of life of the indigenous
inhabitants around the coastal areas of Ring of Fire.
(Islands surveyed in Indonesia: North Sulawesi, Sangihe-Talaud
Archipelago, North Maluku & the Lembeh Straits)
Best regards,
Michael Smith - GM
Divex Indonesia
Jl. Walanda Maramis 14
95122 Manado
North Sulawesi - Indonesia
Tel. +62 431 846980
Fax +62 431 867667
Email: info@divex-indonesia.de
TRAILBLAZING THE MOLUCCAN AND SULAWESI SEA
BY MICHAEL J. SMITH
Getting Started
I
certainly never expected years ago as a dive travel agent in
Europe, to find myself living in Indonesia, helping to launch
a television film documentary for the Discovery Channel. The
series "Trailblazer II"contacted me and before I knew
it I was somehow, briefly in the film adventure business! They
requested on-site dive support as well as someone to supervise
and advise them about diving in Indonesia. The time was right
for some real adventure and nothing could stop my irresistible
and profound desire to make this unpredictable itinerary challenge
become reality. Setting up and organizing a television filming
expedition is something that doesn't happen everyday in our
dive travel business.
As exciting as it may sound, there's a lot more to it than just
packing your bags and going for it. When Peter Cannon, director
of the Trailblazer II series, sent me an email inquiring about
the possibility of organizing a TV expedition to the east of
the Indonesian Archipelago, to the remote islands of Sangihe-Talaud,
Halmahera and Morotai, I didn't think twice. Yes, I would get
an itinerary together and confirm the trip as soon as possible.
Having been affiliated with the dive travel market in Indonesia
for over ten years enabled and eased my way in setting up a
suitable and proficient program. We were ready to confirm the
complete "Moluccan Sea" itinerary within hours of
the inquiry.
The most invaluable requirement needed for this expedition was
of course a seaworthy boat to get us around the islands. Peter
Cannon requested they sail on a safe, reliable, traditionally
built local boat. From that moment I knew the only one boat
that could meet the demands and requirements for this four-week
ocean-going job. It had to be Bianca. She's a fine traditional
Buginese schooner with a spacious deck, restaurant and recreation
area/bar, which during the cruise could be converted into a
TV video equipment storage room. She has air-conditioned cabins,
new navigation and dive equipment and a professional crew who
know their sea charts and their jobs.
For centuries, the traditional ocean-going Buginese schooners
have been used by indigenous Indonesian seafarers transporting
spices, crops and people throughout the Indonesian Archipelago.
The archipelago consists of over 18.500 islands and has over
57.716 km of coastline. After Jan and Nico Kuipers, Bianca's
owners reconfirmed the charter dates and schedules, we all got
very excited about the idea of setting sail to venture an unexplored
geographical area. Due to its exceptional flourishing flora
and fauna and underwater environment, the area is considered
the most diverse marine ecosystem in the world. Having accomplished
all the business formalities, we finally could commence our
operation.
The first task was to get to know each other personally, important
due to the fact that we had to live, dine, dive and explore
together for the next few weeks. It was a beautiful September
evening when I approached Bianca by speedboat in a small cove
a few miles west of Manado, the provincial capital of North
Sulawesi. Bianca's deck lights reflected on the sea's surface
in romantic nuances, harmonizing with the tranquil weather conditions
and a cloudless evening sky, exhibiting a brightly lit moon
and a glowing infinite universe. With such serenity, the atmosphere
was perfect for a meeting.
Finally on board, it wasn't a difficult task to distinguish
whom the film director, Peter Cannon was. He's a genuine English
gentleman with a wicked sense of humor. After Peter introduced
Clive Carlton, the presenter of the film and his assistant underwater
cameraman Hugh Faires, we spent the rest of the night over a
few cold Bintang beers discussing the itinerary around the Ring
of Fire.
After acclimatizing and a few check dives searching some Dornier
aircraft sunk in Lake Tondano during World War II, we at last
set sail. The first location took us to Manado-Tua and Nain
Island in Manado Bay. Both islands are part of the Bunaken National
Marine Reserve, which covers an area of 47,000 hectares of beautiful
islands and coral reefs. Here the underwater landscape consists
of steep drop offs, caves, crevices and slopes all inhabited
by abundant species of reef fish, critters and nudibranch and
all embedded in a wonderful profusion of hard and soft corals
and huge vase sponges. Being surrounded by such splendor it
is quite easy to understand that divers from all over the world
have been inspired to return to this celestial dive haven.
Historical
Background
Manado-Tua, which in Indonesian means old Manado, was the first
island to be inhabited by Chinese migrants around 1400. The
migrants who came from the south Philippines, initially headed
west to the island of Borneo, but due to the strong monsoon
winds coming from the west and unpredictable current patterns
during the monsoon season, they drifted off course sailing south-east
in the Sulawesi Sea (formerly Celebes Sea). Having reached the
islands in Manado Bay, they chose to settle down on Manado-Tua
Island, from where they continued to migrate to the nearby mainland
in the Minahasa Highlands. This was inevitably an ideal option,
as all resources for survival could be found in the vicinity.
The fertile volcanic soil, fresh mountain spring water and a
climate enabling anything to grow in any season confirmed theirs
was a wise and rewarding decision.
As rice cultivation progressed on the North Sulawesi peninsula,
another ethnic group migrated south of the Philippines to the
Sangihe-Talaud Islands, an island group spread out like gems
between the island of Mindanao in the north and Sulawesi to
the south. It was the Tagaroan seafarers who inhabited this
region and who have been considered blessed with outstanding
boat building and sea navigation skills. The Tagaroans have
always been devoted to the sea. Until today, seafaring Tagaroans
have settled down along all the coastal areas around Sulawesi
and the North Maluku, committed to their professions as fishermen,
boat builders and navigation crews. Apart from their outstanding
skills, they also possess a charming character, full of joy
and warm smiles, making them a preferred choice whilst selecting
the Bianca boat crew.
Nain
Island, Bajo's and Agar-Agar
One
of the most captivating experiences for the Trailblazers on
our trip to Nain Island was observing local Tagaroan fishermen
fishing from their outrigger canoes off the southern reef outcropping.
Besides using the traditional hook and line, they occasionally
dive with self-made spear guns and goggles. Using no fins or
scuba, they take only a deep breath and a few strenuous feet
finnings to move forwards through the water! It was quite incredible
to see how precisely they caught their catch with spear guns
without causing any significant damage to the reef. After spearing
the fish, it was taken to the surface whereby the fisherman
would bite firmly into the fish head to ensure it wouldn't jump
back into the blue again.
In general, scuba divers and environmentalists rightfully oppose
fishing off a reef and any factors that may have a negative
effect on the marine environment. And I personally am devoted
to protecting the reef's extremely fragile and irreplaceable
ecosystem. However, under certain conditions we must respect
the practices of indigenous fishermen living on these secluded
islands. Families living there have nothing else but fishing
to ensure their survival. Bearing in mind that these practices
have been going on for centuries, it is surprising to see, once
one leaves the populous plastic-bag-draped harbor areas, how
pristine these reefs still are. Moreover, we have heard no reports
that due to the local traditional fishing techniques, the fish
quantity or diversity has declined. We are very happy to see
these people living in harmony together with nature and envy
their outlook on life. The reefs around these populated islands
are all world class and with very few exceptions all rank among
the world’s best. One thing is definite, nowhere else on this
planet will you find such a profusion of hard and soft corals
and variety of fish species. Compared to many other uninhabited
coastal areas in the world where extensive reef damage has been
caused by by polution, marine exploitation, El Nino and related
factors, the islands throughout Manado Bay remain exceptional
and unique for diving.
Another seafaring ethnic folk, the Bajo's, have been living
at sea as long as anyone can remember. In contrast to the Tagaroans,
the Bajo's actually live on boats or in houses built on stilts
at sea. During our filming, we heard that a small group of Bajo's
had recently moved from their original settlement, a traditional
housing complex off the northern tip of Mantehage Island, to
the nearby island of Nain. We did notice seeing several Bajo
outrigger boats off the southern reef of Nain Island which was
unusual to see.
The Bajo catamaran boats consist of two dugouts connected by
a strong weather and strain resistant bamboo mesh. At the rear
end of the catamaran, you can find a small hut offering the
boat owners’ protection against weather. Otherwise, there is
little that they posses apart from a few fishing utensils and
personal belongings. As we were told, the group of Bajo's moved
from the island due to the enduring strong west winds, bringing
in huge waves and swells over the reef flats hampering their
houses and boats. We took a closer look to assess the situation
in detail and made an interesting discovery, which may have
played a vital role in the Bajo's decision to make an island
move.
When we approached Nain Island with our boat, barely a mile
north of Mantehage, we noticed something was glittering on the
surface of the sea around the island. Looking closely, we saw
thousands of floats tied to strings and ropes spread over the
entire reef flats around the island. What was actually happening
was that the locals were growing seaweed in the reef shallows
for foreign companies who produce cosmetics and pharmaceutical
products. Their seaweed crop enables them a fair income compared
to fishing and other traditional income sources. The nearby
Bajo's obviously saw new lucrative business opportunities and
took their chances and moved island. Taking a stroll through
Nain village, we weren't surprised to see that people were living
well and it seemed that the majority all had some business affiliated
with seaweed, which they call "Agar-Agar"! We were
pleased to see people content with their everyday lives. When
we decided to walk down their narrow main village street, apparently
the only one on the island, there was a sudden huge influx of
excited children coming from everywhere. Curious parents and
families wanted to have a look at what these white strangers
were doing on their beautiful island.
We encountered everyone gathered in the village center where
a mosque was putting on a fund raiser. Here, the pounding sound
of Dangdut (a modified dancehall version of Indian music, very
popular in Sumatra and Java) filled the air and accompanied
the entire lively event. Trailblazer's on-camera host, Clive,
couldn't resist his urge to mix with the locals and dance in
the crowd, which was very amusing especially for the villagers.
The atmosphere on Nain Island was incredible; it was yet another
gratifying experience to meet these people.
We did however, have some concerns over the effects of the new
seaweed processing techniques on the reefs. We made a small
investigation and found out that the ropes that secured the
seaweed was hanging high over the coral, well away from the
reef and nothing was touching or deteriorating the coral and
environment below. As a matter of fact, the seaweed growing
system is actually preserving the reef from damage. Due to the
amount of lines and floats in the water, it would be an extremely
exhausting task to get anywhere near the island by boat. There
is only one string and rope free channel leading directly to
Nain Village beach. Here the inhabitants have free access to
and from their island. The seaweed farmers also access their
locations via small outrigger boats well off the reef.
Another adventurous day was coming to an end. It had been a
pleasure making these positive experiences with the Bajo's and
Nain inhabitants, who were courteous and friendly, typical of
remote islanders we have met in this part of the world. It was
time to discover and venture more, so we continued our voyage
around the tip of North Sulawesi to the natural harbor of Bitung
in the Lembeh Straits. We thoroughly enjoyed cruising, captivated
by wonderful sunsets on the distant horizon exhibiting grand
multitudes of exotically eccentric colours and shades.
Bitung
and The Lembeh Straits
Having
arrived in Bitung, we filled Bianca's water tanks at Air Perang,
which is located approximately 2 miles north of Bitung at the
foot of the inactive Dua Saudara volcanoes. The very pure water
here derives from the depths of volcanic rock, high in mineral
content. However, we used the freshly refilled spring water
on the boat for showering and washing ourselves. The spring
at Air Perang is surrounded by dense tropical forests making
it tempting to make a short stroll up a path into the jungle.
Here, on the outskirts of the Tangkoko National Reserve, one
can encounter endemic animals such as the Tarsius Spectrum,
cuscus bears, and anoas. Red hornbills and sea eagles are among
the local bird species. We tied our boat securely to rocks and
trees close to shore only a stone's throw away from the jungle.
No need for stereophonic sound here. We were permanently surrounded
by serenades of exotic chirping tunes emanating from the densely
vivacious ecosystem in the vicinity.
It is always time to dive again in the Lembeh Straits, to get
carried away by the infinite beauty above water, is equally
the case below water. All divers describe feeling overwhelmed
by the abundance of reef and muck critters and biodiversity
here. Among the fish and critter species we could identify were
unique samples of frogfish, devilfish, leaf fish, ornate ghost
pipefish and Ambon scorpionfish. There are crocodile eels, flamboyant
cuttlefish, mandarin fish, yellow mantis shrimps, Pegasus sea
moths, stargazers, and fingered dragonets. There is a fantastic
variety of nudibranch and flatworm species, as well as red and
yellow pygmy sea horses, a very minute inconspicuous and highly
rare sea horse species generally found clinging onto sea fans.
The pygmy sea horses found in the Lembeh Straits are about 1.5cm
in size and have adapted a skin structure and colour similar
to that of the gorgonian fan surface they inhabit. They are
completely camouflaged so you need sharp sight to discover them.
Other fishes sighted here are schools of mouth mackerel, jacks,
barracudas, fusiliers, (usually sighted north of Lembeh), batfish,
cockatoo waspfish, decorator crabs. There are also red waspfish,
crocodile eels, crocodilefish, yellow lionfish, ribbon eels,
pearl-eyed moray eels, jawfish, the bizarre black coral crabs,
crab-eyed gobis, fuzzy squat lobsters, the elusive mimic octopus,
besides countless other critters and reef fishes, plenty of
which can be found in the shallows.
Other recommended dives in the area are on the wrecks in the
Lembeh Straits. Some sank during the Second World War like the
Mawali and Bimoli wrecks, while others have found their peaceful
rest via other unknown means. Nevertheless, the dives on the
wrecks are great and there's plenty of soft corals and good
numbers of fish, nudibranch and critters to see. The visibility
is sometimes decreased due to the plankton. After heavy rain
showers in the vicinity bringing silt down Lembeh Island and
the mountains surrounding Bitung, sediment content in the water
increases. However, the visibility is always good enough to
indulge and experience some phenomenal diving! The Lembeh Straits
offers over 30 good dive sites spread out mainly to the north
of Bitung and all around Lembeh Island.
Sangihe-Talaud
Archipelago: Celestial Dive Sanctuary in the Ring of Fire
Having
refilled the boat with water and spending a few nice days algae
and crinoid critter diving, it was time to head north to the
beautiful and tranquil archipelago of Sangihe-Talaud. Leaving
the giant silhouette of Mount Klabat and the exuberant verdant
rain forests and virgin beaches of North Sulawesi behind, we
were heading to Bangka Island, which was only a few hours from
Bitung by boat. The dive sites here are equally renowned and
considered the best in the locality. Here we made two exceptional
dives. We sighted some of the region's most beautiful soft corals,
not to mention the abundance of pelagic fish who frequent the
place. The dives were made, and before we realized it we were
back on deck heading for the neighbouring islands of Biaro and
Ruang. It would take approxiumately another 4 hours to get to
Biaro, so we had sufficient time to out-gas our bodies ridding
them of the residual nitrogen. There was also time to enjoy
a few cold after-dive Bintangs.
The Sangihe-Talaud Islands spread down from Mindanao, south
of the Philippines to the North Sulawesi peninsula with the
Sulawesi Sea to the west and Maluku Sea east of the archipelago.
They cover an area of 44.000 square kilometres of sea and 2.263
square kilometres of land. Hundreds of thousands of years ago,
we can posit that these islands were a landmass connecting the
Philippines and Indonesia together. Due to the proximity to
deep seas both east and west of the islands, the currents emerging
out of the deep bring plenty of plankton and nutrient rich water
to the shallows, allowing the entire region to be blessed with
a prolific and intricate pristine underwater habitat. The underwater
landscapes vary from steep drop-offs with crevices and caves
to sandy slopes with sporadic coral overgrown rocks and pinnacles,
to slopes of volcanic rock originating from former lava flows
off the islands. They are usually lined with an ensemble of
huge gorgonian fans, vase sponges, sea whips, and most impressive
staghorn, lettuce, table and mushroom corals. Now and again
temporary moderate to strong currents, altered our dive profile
into a drift dive, surprised us. The dive modification however
can be quite some fun and very rewarding. Stronger currents
attract big pelagic fish such as barracuda, jacks, sharks, eagle
rays and other celestial species. If you have a lucky day, you
may encounter whalesharks and humpback whales that roam the
waters of Sangihe-Talaud and adjacent islands. During the cruises
dolphins merrily displaying their acrobatic abilities along
the bow always accompanied us. For no apparent reason they would
all of a sudden completely descend into the deep crystal clear
sea, leaving us with only appreciation and a few moments of
gratifying memories.
We cruised, dived, explored, filmed, interviewed and discovered
new cruise routes, exceptional dive sites, beautiful islands
and a tremendously helpful crowd of indigenous Sangiherese.
Our cruise route took us from Bangka Island to Biaro, Ruang,
Tagulandang, Siau, Mahangetang, and Kahakitang and finally to
Sangihe Besar, the main island. All islands have several common
characteristics especially in the geological formations, structure
and vegetation. Most islands in the "Ring of Fire"
are exposed to volcanic activity above and below sea level and
there is still plenty of evidence of former devastating volcanic
eruptions which has left a trail of destruction behind on several
islands we visited. Most of the volcanic islands are covered
with dense tropical jungles fringed with palm trees and beautiful
beaches. The nearly submerged islands are covered with mangroves
and palm trees and usually have large flat reefs extending far
out into the sea.
One of the islands hit most severely by eruptions in the past
is the island of Siau. It was here in 1974 when the volcano
Karangetang (1800m) last erupted causing severe casualties among
the population and significant damage to the surrounding environment.
When we arrived in Ulu, the island1s main town and harbour,
we spoke to several islanders and asked why they hadn't followed
the regional government1s advice to leave the area due to unpredictable
possible earthquakes and eruptions. Most of them replied that
their families have been living on the island for generations
and that they have sufficient income and are happy with their
lives as they are. They would take the risk into account without
compromise.
For centuries, the Sangihe-Talaud Islands have been renowned
for spice trading achieving it's highlight during the Portuguese
and Dutch colonial occupation. The main spices that were shipped
to Europe were nutmeg, mace and cloves. Today, spice trading
continues to be a vital lucrative income source enabling a high
standard of living and prosperity for the Ulu community. The
fact that the island is covered with extremely fertile volcanic
soil in an ideal climate for growing basically anything, hasn't
encouraged or motivated the islanders to extend their land cultivation
practices to become self-sufficient. To our surprise the opposite
is the case. All essential food supplies such as rice, vegetables,
fruits, chicken and meat are brought in daily by ferryboats
from Manado, which can be an 8 hour boat trip away. The profit
gained from nutmeg, mace and cloves has made many of these people
obstinate. The only farmers we found on the enchanting island
of Siau with very few exceptions only, were nutmeg farmers.
On Siau no one is inclined to give up nutmeg farming or leave
the island, even if they became the last endangered species
on the verge of the Ring of Fire.
Ulu today has very few remnants of the past that give evident
conclusions of how the Dutch or Portuguese may have lived or
functioned here in former times. However, with the help of the
local town mayor, we were fortunate to find a sea navigation
mark of the Dutch East India Trading Company called V.O.C. The
site in the vicinity of the harbour area could be easily seen
off shore. The sea navigation mark was a stone obelisque; approximately
2 meters tall carved with the Dutch trademark insignia V.O.C.
Other scripts carved into the obelisk hadn't survived the over
400 years of nature's obliterating weather and had become illegible.
According to Clive, our Trailblazer presenter and marine connoisseur,
two obelisks were lined up at a certain distance behind each
other; the obelisque furthest away from shore was positioned
at a higher level. Dutch merchant ships coming into the harbour
would position their vessels so, that both obelisks would synchronize
to a straight line. They could then sail safely into the harbour.
We also assumed that the Dutch seafarers used
telescopes while their boats were far off shore. Vessels coming
in at night were guided in safely via burning torches on shore
using the same method. The only Portuguese heritage we found
was old fortress walls only minutes walk from the Dutch V.O.C
sea navigation mark. Having no significant historical value
to the locals, the landlord had decided to build an animal sanctuary
on top of the Portuguese antique relic. However, to our relief
we were quite pleased to find these small traces of history
and are sure there's plenty more to be discovered and revealed.
Mahengetang...The
Underwater Volcano
Venturing
volcanoes is exciting but it reaches its peak underwater. We
were curious to find out more about volcanic activities in the
subterranean sea and what impact it had on the maritime environment.
We made some very interesting discoveries. When diving in the
vicinity of underwater hot sulphur vents or volcanic springs,
we noticed that the profusion of hard and soft corals surpass
that by far compared to other locations not being
affected by the volcanic sulphur and thermal factor. We noticed
that marine habitats exposed to the sulphurous substance were
far more diverse, colourful and in some terms more eccentric
and abstract in shape and forms, sometimes well beyond imagination.
At these locations the biodiversity is so immense that underwater
photographers and marine biologists could write complete new
chapters on uncatalogued critters and other marine life.
The underwater volcano Mahengetang exhibits such an exorbitant
flourishing pristine marine habitat. Some marine biologists
who have formerly surveyed and explored this site are convinced
that there are more fish and coral species here within one square
kilometre of sea than in the entire Caribbean Sea. Actually,
we were all are convinced that the scientists were exaggerating
until we saw it ourselves! This location is undoubtedly one
of the most unprecedented pristine marine habitats we have ever
come across.
The underwater volcano itself is located just off the island
of Mahengetang with the volcano crest submerged only 2 to 3
meters below sea level. There is no volcanic crater vigorously
churning out lava from the earths core into the sea. However,
there are huge sulphur covered rocks, which resemble a crater
type formation. Small intermittent outbursts of volcanic gasses
can be seen everywhere making their ascent to the surface as
bubbles. Between the rocks, small hot vents cause a hazy atmosphere
due to the ambient temperature difference in the water. Rocks
at depth may be hot at times conducting the earth’s heat to
the surface. There are no confined areas here, just a sheer
mass of sulphur-covered volcanic rock gradually sloping into
the deep, occasional grossly formed rock pinnacles. A few crevices
are exposed to the open sea surrounded and inhabited by a gorgeous
marine botanic. Visibility was always above average to exceptional,
which enhanced our diving motivation and enjoyment.
Morotai
- Off the Charts Diving Locations
We
continued our voyage cruising smoothly eastwards to the island
of Morotai in the North Maluku Archipelago. In the first light,
we approached Daruba, the main port of Morotai. In September
1944, American soldiers under General MacArthur came ashore
here overrunning the Japanese forces. A handful of Japanese
soldiers retreated into the mountain forests. In 1959, 9 soldiers
came down from the forests to surrender. In 1974, 30 years after
the war had finished, a Japanese Sergeant walked out into the
modern world. These islands are a forgotten corner of the world.
But for a few months, they played a vital role in General MacArthur1s
Pacific Campaign. We encountered plenty of Second World War
heritage found in the locality of Daruba.
It was here that the Americans started their allied invasions
against the occupied Philippines and South Pacific Islands.
General MacArthur resided on a small island close to Daruba
from whence he planned and coordinated countless air strikes,
sea invasions and counterattacks against his enemies. The American-built
Daruba Airfield has seven runways and can still be sighted today.
Due to the enormous amount of explosives, ammunition and guns
still to be found in the shallow waters, the island remains
out of bounds for the majority of foreigners who want to travel,
survey or dive here. These had been abandoned by the armies
who occupied the territory around the coastal areas of Morotai.
However, we were always fortunate in that we were always able
to penetrate into areas where very few had been before.
Just south of Morotai on the island of Halmahera, several Second
World War wrecks can still be explored in Tobello Bay. These
sites are really off the map and beaten track locations and
totally unexplored, predestined for all devoted adventurers
and dedicated wreck divers. Apart from that, the region offers
an unparalleled "Robinson Crusoe" atmosphere, as there
is absolutely nothing apart from beautiful coral islands and
pure nature.
Bangkas
Last Mystery
Our
last encounter on this Trailblazer voyage was a wreck, identified
as a B17 bomber, which was shot down by a Japanese patrol boat
during World War II. It was downed in the vicinity of Likupang
approximately 50 kilometres north of Manado. The wreckage lay
at depth of 25 meters. We followed precautions for diving on
a military site. Locate, observe but do not disturb. The wreck
is scattered across the sandy sea bottom and sharks were making
their inquisitive rounds around the fuselage. A huge stingray
lay undisturbed under the rear tail wing. Coral and fishes inhabit
the bulks of metal.
The rest of the story about the aircraft we found out later
from the islanders. Soon after the plane crashed, the bodies
of two American airmen were washed up on the nearby beach. The
day their bodies were found, a young woman on the island gave
birth. She named her child Lexy Leo after the name on one of
the dead airmen's dog tags. Whether other airmen survived the
crash is not known. After getting back to Manado we did some
more checking. The story of the wreck is still a mystery. American
Military Officials have no record of a Lexy Leo, missing in
action. But his legacy, along with the rest of the crew is all
too real. It lies undisturbed, at the
bottom of the Molloccan Sea.
On a voyage like this where so many gratifying moments accompany
one's ventures, it is always a melancholy occasion to say farewell.
One thing was sure, we would be back again soon. Every inch
we had seen so far would justify any and every effort to return.
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