Lands of Paradise
We have no idea what to expect, while waiting in the early-morning sun of Sorong in West Papua, on the island of New Guinea. We had spent the past week exploring Raja Ampat and now were lucky to be invited by the local government of Tambrauw to explore their untouched nature and its incredible potential for ecotourism. There is a lot at stake: Papua is often touted as the frontier of palm oil and logging in Indonesia, being home to the largest remnants of intact rainforest in the region and the third largest rainforest on Earth. Despite covering less than 0.5 percent of Earth's surface, the island of New Guinea is estimated to contain 5–10 percent of global biodiversity. And yet, it remains largely untouched by ecotourism thanks to its remote location and often cumbersome infrastructure and means of travel. And hence we are even more lucky to be in the good hands of Charles and his large team, as we will require local knowledge to communicate and find what we are looking for. The ethnic diversity of Papua being nothing short but astounding.
Into the Unknown
We meet Charles in our Hotel and are soon united with the rest of our group. Explorers and naturalists lucky enough to veer into untouched forests and experience the closest thing to Jurassic Parc that our world has to offer. Early next morning we get into three 4WD and leave behind Sorong, headed to Tambrauw. It only takes 15 minutes from the city center and we are surrounded by pristine rainforest.
During our drive, we encountered occasional roadblocks in the forest—two or three guys armed with machetes asking for a small toll to use the road ahead. While we were tense during the first encounter, we quickly realized there was no harm to be expected. As it turns out, the drive would have been much longer if not for the regular maintenance done by locals. But we could sense that we were on the frontier. With much of Indonesia being densely populated, more and more people are pushing towards Papua and its abundance of natural resources. New roads are being constructed, and although still relatively rare, we did see forest giants being hauled towards Sorong during our trip.
After a full day of driving, we finally arrived in Sausapor, the regional capital of Tambrauw at the time. We were blessed to receive the warmest welcome from the governor of Tambrauw Regency.
It was a true pleasure speaking with him and realizing his passion for turning Tambrauw into a prime destination for ecotourism and preserving its untouched nature that he loves so much. While we talked, cassowaries roamed the gardens around us, and fruit bats called from the trees. We enjoyed a delicious meal with the best the ocean and local agriculture had to offer before we got on a boat to the remote and mostly uninhabited islands of Meossu, where a small homestay has since opened. The waters around the island were clear, and after a swim, we tucked into bed early as Venus slowly rose on the horizon. The next day promised to be exciting and long.
The Turtle Festival
After a coffee on the beach, we got back on the boat and started making our way to the highlight of the trip and potentially the wildlife encounter of a lifetime. Soon after we started heading east, we saw more and more ships headed in the same direction, despite being in such a remote corner of the world. A large ferry passed by us, hundreds of people aboard, all eager with excitement for the Turtle Festival. The beach we were headed to is one of the only known breeding sites for the leatherback turtle. Remaining largely unchanged for over 100 million years and weighing up to 500kg, these animals are the heaviest reptiles other than the largest crocodilians. What made this encounter even more special was how rarely one gets to see these animals. The population nesting here on the shores of New Guinea forages as far as Alaska and California before returning to this special place for a few short nights around the full moon.
However, there were a lot of festive activities ahead before night fell and the turtles landed. We quickly immersed ourselves in a crowd of people gathered from nearby villages and friends who had made their way from Sorong by boat, pitching their tents around the village's central square. Soon, speeches and dances started, and we noticed that even national TV had made it to this special occasion. After a small ceremony, we released some buckets of young turtles into the ocean. It was a beautiful celebration of local biodiversity, strengthening the bond between people and land while promoting it in hopes of protecting this wilderness. For many, welcoming us as guests from so far away was not something they experienced every day, and we were happy to take hundreds of selfies over the next few hours until we fell into our tents and waited into the night.
It was well past midnight when we were awakened and started a much longer-than-expected hike along the quiet Pacific coast, only lit by the bright light of a full moon. Slowly, we approached the only dark shape on an otherwise barren beach. We made sure the turtle was mostly done laying its eggs, remaining in an almost hypnotic state where our presence caused only little stress. We were overwhelmed. Her life was beyond comprehension for us, just as the fact that her ancestors have been roaming the Pacific for an eternity by all human standards. She was magnificent and huge. Everyone was in awe of this raw sight. We soon left her to rest for the strenuous days ahead, during which she would come night after night to lay new eggs before heading out to roam the whole length of the Pacific.
The Mountains of Fef
After a short night's sleep, we were off to Sausapor by boat before jumping into the cars headed for the mountains and jungles around Fef. Only 50 km as the crow (or Kakadu respectively) flies, the journey took several hours and was dotted with adventurous river crossings and bridges many times. Meanwhile, we could not have been more excited as we traversed a forest so dense, vast, and untouched that we felt humbled. After hours of driving, we reached a small mountain top overlooking the surrounding valleys. The first glimpse of what we were here for flew through the air—a small diamond, a bird of paradise. As the sun began to set, we reached Fef, and I quickly headed out to explore the fringes of the jungle. While no snakes were to be found, new friends were quickly made, and we spent the remainder of the evening flipping stones in the shallow, clear river.
The alarm went off at 4 am. It was pitch black outside as we headed into the forest. Shortly before the first light appeared, we were placed in a small hiding spot behind some bushes and told to wait in the ensuing rain. The king bird of paradise, like many other birds of paradise, frequents the same dancing tree or spot every morning to court females. We sat for hours, silently getting wet. It was only then that our senses sharpened, and we saw all the small things happening around us. It was a beautiful meditation. After the rain stopped, we ventured deeper into the forest.
In the afternoon, we swam in the cleanest river one could imagine, explored the local fauna, and counted butterflies. That same evening, the rain was back, not ideal for our nightly expedition to find a cuscus. We made our way through swamps and creeks, often just a tiny path through thick bushes. While I love snakes, Ular Putih, the white snake scientifically known as Micropechis ikaheca, and death adders were in the back of my mind. Sure enough, it took about three minutes before a small snake crossed the path just centimeters in front of my feet. There was not enough time to identify it, but it was still not a great feeling. So rather than walking, I stomped my way into the forest, making my presence known to any critters before it would be too late. Medical help was easily an eight-hour car ride away. But the night remained uneventful, and we failed to find a cuscus or tree kangaroo—both would have been lifelong dream animals of mine. But there was nothing to be sad about, especially when there was no time to spare.
A Glimpse of Birds of Paradise
The next morning, we were off to see the birds again, and this time we got lucky. For hours, we lay on the forest floor, looking up where high in the canopy a bunch of greater birds of paradise danced in the trees until the sun came up. As we left the forest, a pair of palm or goliath cockatoos (Probosciger aterrimus) flew by. Their wild, untamed appearance was a final reminder of the wonders we were lucky enough to experience in West Papua, thanks to Charles, his crew, and the hospitality of the people of West Papua.