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Dive Review of SMY Ondina in
Indonesia/Raja Ampat

SMY Ondina: "12-Day Raja Ampat", Nov, 2015,

by Scott Cray, IA, US (Reviewer Reviewer 4 reports). Report 8993.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 4 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments This was a City Seahorse charter of the liveaboard SMY Ondina. The trip was 12 days round trip from Sorong. Lots has been written about the superb diving at Raja Ampat and the challenges of getting there so I won't repeat it. This liveaboard had a lot to like a few things that could have been better. Due to El Nino, the water temps were a bit cooler than normal and we were informed of that a few days ahead of time so we could bring a heavier wetsuit.

There was a large crew on the boat and they were extremely friendly and hardworking. The crew and boat were well organized and the cabin spacious for a liveaboard. All areas of the boat were kept very clean. We did 4 dives a day and had a hot towel ready after each dive. We dove in small groups and each group had an experienced dive master who was great at spotting the small stuff. Nitrox was at 30%.

My cabin was partially under the galley and was fairly noisy. Anytime the deck above was cleaned, a small amount of brown water would drip into my cabin and bathroom. The cabins are all individually air conditioned and I couldn't get my cabin quite as cool as I would like. My French roommate thought it was plenty cool so this is just personal taste. There is no hot water at all in the cabins. This was clearly explained ahead of time so it was not a surprise. The only hot water is at the showers up on deck.

I would have preferred more variety in the meals and thought the food overall was not as good as the other liveaboards I have been on. There was one superb dinner served on the upper deck that included some delicious sushi and sashimi.

The most unusual event was when the boat ran aground at 2 AM. The boat lurched to stop and jolted us out of bed. We had a substitute captain this cruise who apparently was not as familiar with the area as the regular captain. The crew did a great job of getting the boat free and inspecting for damage. We were fortunate that the worst damage was some missing paint on the bottom.
Websites SMY Ondina   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Palau, Truk, Fiji, Belize, Bonaire, Caymans, Curacao, Turks & Caicos, Cozumel
Closest Airport Sorong Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, rainy, cloudy Seas calm, choppy
Water Temp 79-81°F / 26-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 80-150 Ft/ 24-46 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions [Unspecified]
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas Squadrons
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 5 stars
Large Pelagics 5 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 5 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 5 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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